Model railway - Baureihe 103
The Baureihe 103 is undoubtedly one of Germany's most iconic locomotives. Designed in the 1960s, it was one of the first mass-produced locomotives capable of regular operation at 200 km/h. For the first few years, the protypes carried the designation E 03. Regular service with the locomotives started in 1970, and for two decades it formed the backbone of Deutsche Bahn's Intercity network. It wasn't until the early 1990s and the introduction of the InterCityExpress multiple units that the BR 103 began to be phased out.
Besides its speed, the 103 was also a very powerful machine. The 7440 kW continuous power output of the production model puts it in the top 10 of the most powerful locomotives ever built. This immense power enabled it to maintain its top speed while pulling trains weighing as much as 600 tons, sometimes in excess of 12 carriages.
The locomotive has appeared in the Märklin catalog numerous times. The version I own is the special three-unit package released in celebration of the 175th anniversary of railroading in Germany, with catalog number 37574. Each of the models is 21.9 cm long, with metal construction and an MFX decoder. They have a large variety of lighting and sound effects.
- Axle configuration: Co'Co'
- Axle load: 19 t
- Power: 7440 kW
- Top speed: 200 km/h
- Service years: 1970-2003 (prototype introduced in 1965)
- Number produced: 145 + 4 prototypes
- Length: 19.5 m