DR Class 119

---

title: "DR Class 119" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["railway-locomotives-introduced-in-1976", "diesel-locomotives-of-germany", "deutsche-reichsbahn-(east-germany)-locomotives", "diesel–hydraulic-locomotives-of-germany", "faur-locomotives", "standard-gauge-locomotives-of-germany"] description: "Class of East German diesel-hydraulic locomotives" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DR_Class_119" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Class of East German diesel-hydraulic locomotives ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox locomotive"]

Field	Value
name	DR Class 119
DBAG Class 219
bgcolor	A00
color	FFF
image	17.05.93 Rottenbach 219.092 (6332347249).jpg
caption	219 092 (ex 119 092) at Rottenbach (Thüringen) on a train of logs, May 1993.
powertype
builder	"23 August" Bucharest Locomotive Works
builddate	1976–1985
totalproduction	200
uicclass	C′C′
Britishclass	C-C
driver
gauge
wheeldiameter	1000 mm
wheelspacing
engine total	14510 mm
drivers
coupled
truck
bogie	1800 mm
tendertruck
tenderbogie
pivotcentres	10910 mm
over buffers	19500 mm
width	3130 mm
height	4250 mm
axleload	16 t
leadingbogie/pony
trail bogie/pony
serviceweight	99 t / 101 t
fuelcap	4,000 l
primemover
displacement
t/m amps 1 hr
t/m amps cont
transmission	hydrodynamic
trainheating	Electric
locobrakes	Compressed air KNORR & DAKO driver's and auxiliary brake valves
maxspeed	120 or
poweroutput	990 kW / 1100 kW / 1380 kW / 1500 kW (×2)
t/e starting	220 kN / 270 kN
fleetnumbers
retiredate	by 2006
::

| name = DR Class 119 DBAG Class 219 | bgcolor = A00 | color = FFF | image = 17.05.93 Rottenbach 219.092 (6332347249).jpg | alt = | caption = 219 092 (ex 119 092) at Rottenbach (Thüringen) on a train of logs, May 1993. | powertype = | designer = | builder = "23 August" Bucharest Locomotive Works | ordernumber = | serialnumber = | buildmodel = | builddate = 1976–1985 | totalproduction = 200 | rebuilder = | rebuilddate = | numberrebuilt = | aarwheels = | uicclass = C′C′ | Britishclass = C-C | DRGtype = | driver = | gauge = | trucks = | bogies = | leadingdiameter = | wheeldiameter = 1000 mm | trailingdiameter = | carrydiameter = | minimumcurve = | wheelbase = | wheelspacing = | engine total = 14510 mm | leading = | drivers = | coupled = | trailing = | truck = | bogie = 1800 mm | tender total = | tendertruck = | tenderbogie = | racksystem = | pivotcentres = 10910 mm | length = | over couplers = | over headstocks = | body = | over buffers = 19500 mm | width = 3130 mm | height = 4250 mm | axleload = 16 t | leadingbogie/pony= | weightondrivers = | trail bogie/pony = | locoweight = | emptyweight = | serviceweight = 99 t / 101 t | fueltype = | fuelcap = 4,000 l | lubecap = | coolantcap = | watercap = | sandcap = | powersupply = | consumption = | watercons = | primemover = | rpmrange = | rpmrange low = | rpmrange idle = | rpmrange max = | enginetype = | aspiration = | displacement = | alternator = | generator = | tractionmotors = | t/m amps 1 hr = | t/m amps cont = | headendpower = | cylindercount = | cylindersize = | transmission = hydrodynamic | runningsteps = | runningstepswitch = | gear ratio = | multipleworking = | trainheating = Electric | locobrakes = Compressed air KNORR & DAKO driver's and auxiliary brake valves | dynamicpeakeffort= | locobrakeforce = | trainbrakes = | reservoircap = | compressorcap = | exhaustercap = | coupling = | maxspeed = 120 or | poweroutput = 990 kW / 1100 kW / 1380 kW / 1500 kW (×2) | poweroutput start= | poweroutput 1 hr= | poweroutput cont= | powerindex = | tractiveeffort = | t/e starting = 220 kN / 270 kN | t/e 1 hr = | t/e continuous = | factorofadhesion = | f/adh starting = | f/adh 1 hr = | f/adh continuous= | safety = | operator = | operatorclass = | powerclass = | numinclass = | fleetnumbers = | officialname = | nicknames = | axleloadclass = | locale = | deliverydate = | firstrundate = | lastrundate = | retiredate = by 2006 | withdrawndate = | preservedunits = | restoredate = | scrapdate = | currentowner = | disposition = | notes = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/BR_229_Gera_2002.jpg" caption="A "U-boat parade" in Gera (2002)"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/DB_ex-DR_U-Boot_class_diesel,219_109-6,Bahnbetriebswerk_Wismar_October_1994-Flickr-_sludgegulper.jpg" caption="With several [[porthole]] bull's-eye windows and often "submerged" in work shops, the 119 was nick-named "U-boat""] ::

The DR Class 119 was an East German Deutsche Reichsbahn diesel locomotive that was built in Romania, more or less as Design by committee of several communist countries. When the Deutsche Bahn AG formed up in 1993 it was redesignated as DB Class 219.

They were nicknamed "U-boats", "Karpatenschreck" ("Carpathian Terror") or "Ceaușescus Rache" ("Ceaușescu's revenge"), due to the numerous technical problems the engines suffered before redesign.

History

The Class 119 was basically a development of the successful Class 118. In the late 1970s the DR needed locomotives with electric train heating, an axle load (Achsfahrmasse) of under 16 t and a power output of over 2,000 horsepower. As a result of the Comecon agreements, the East German economy was not allowed to build diesel locomotives with more than 1,500 horsepower, instead being forced to order those from the Soviet Union.The locomotive builders of the USSR could only supply heavy engines - the Classes 130-132 and 142. The only engine builder, who also wanted to use the "construction kit" (Baukasten) principle was the "23rd August" Locomotive Works, Bucharest, in Romania. The Romanian manufacturer declared itself also ready to install diesel engines produced in East Germany, Johannistal 12KVDs. The installation of such engines did not happen, however, due to supply issues. In order to fulfill the order, the Bucharest factory installed Mercedes-Benz MB820 engines under license from the West German manufacturer, MTU.

The DR procured 200 locomotives from 1976 to 1985. The locomotive drive was, however, plagued by shortcomings and problems from the start. The heat generators had issues, and several quality defects were found. High failure rates meant that 50% of the locomotives were in the workshops at any one time. Damaged locomotives were often used for spare parts rather than repaired themselves. Sometimes two power units were combined in a single locomotive just to make it functional. After 1990, several attempts were made to improve the unreliable locomotives through conversions or modernization, such as the engines being replaced with 1,500 HP East German 12KVDs.

After the merger of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) and Deutsche Bundesbahn into Deutsche Bahn in 1994, the 119 was reclassed as the 219. The 229 class was developed when twenty 219s were refurbished by Krupp. Improvements included dual MTU 12V396 engines which increased the speed to 140 km/h. They were used as express passenger locomotives in the east. It was decided that it was less expensive to purchase new trains so only the 20 underwent conversion into the 229, and by 2002 trains from both classes had been removed from front-line service. Twelve locomotives were sent to Romania in 2003 for use by Logistic Center Romania, but they were all retired in 2003 and have since been cut up for scrap.

References

Literature

References

1. "DR Class 119, also known by the nickname U-Boat".
2. (18 January 2018). "DB Class 219 and 229".
3. "East German Diesel Locomotives from 1945 to 1993".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::