DR Class 119

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.

• Köhler, Kurt; Stange, Andreas (2004). Die Baureihen 119, 219 und 229 Rumänische Dieselloks für die Deutsche Reichsbahn (in German). Freiburg: EK-Verlag. ISBN 3-88255-129-1.
• Buchner, Mathias, ed. (2002). Die Baureihe 219 - Unterwegs mit den Reichsbahn-"U-Booten" (in German). Eisenbahn-Bildarchiv, EK-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88255-340-6.
• Schönheit, Walter (2002). "Baureihe 219. Im Führerstand". Lok Magazin (in German). 41 (255). München: GeraNova Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH: 52, 55. ISSN 0458-1822.
• Endisch, Dirk (2003). ""U-Boote" tauchen ab. Baureihe 219/229". Lok Magazin (in German). 42 (259). München: GeraNova Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH: 6, 9. ISSN 0458-1822.
• "Modernisierung einer Lokomotive der Baureihe 219". Eisenbahn-Revue International (in German). 6: 251-ff. 2001. ISSN 1421-2811.