Key takeaways
- The Class 1110 is a six-axle electric with the Co'Co' wheel arrangement, built in the 1950s for service on mountain routes.
- Counting axles gets you there fast: six powered axles rule out every four-axle ÖBB class.
- The Class 1010 is the sister design – same basic construction, different gearing; barely distinguishable from the outside.
- Tractive effort over speed: the gearing was set up for heavy trains on gradients, not high speeds.
- There is no regular service left; surviving engines are historic vehicles with a changing programme.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Six-axle electric locomotive for mountain routes |
|---|---|
| Wheel arrangement | Co'Co' – two three-axle bogies, all axles powered |
| Years built | 1950s |
| Electrification system | 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC |
| Sister design | Class 1010, technically closely related, geared differently |
| Gearing | for tractive effort in the mountains rather than top speed |
| UIC type code | 91 (electric locomotive), country code 81 for Austria |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Six axles in two three-axle bogies – the decisive feature
- Long, boxy locomotive body with cabs at both ends
- Plain 1950s styling, a barely raked front
- Class number begins with 1110 – four digits with a leading 1 for electric locomotive
- Very similar to the Class 1010; the marking decides
- Preserved only historically today, not in regular service
Updated: August 2026 – A long, boxy locomotive body on two three-axle bogies: the Class 1110 belongs to the generation of six-axle electric locomotives with which the ÖBB served its mountain routes after the war. This page explains why it has six axles, how to tell it apart from the practically identical-looking Class 1010, and what the Austrian class scheme contributes to that.
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What is the Class 1110?
The Class 1110 is a six-axle electric locomotive of the Austrian Federal Railways from the 1950s. Its wheel arrangement is Co’Co’: two three-axle bogies, each axle with its own traction motor. It works under 15 kV at 16.7 Hz and was designed for service on mountain routes.
Its closest relative is the ÖBB Class 1010. Both classes come from the same design line and are barely distinguishable from the outside. The difference lies in the gearing: the 1110 was tuned for tractive effort in the mountains, the 1010 for brisker service on gentler terrain. Anyone wanting to tell the two apart cannot avoid the marking.
Why six axles?
The number of axles on a locomotive isn’t a stylistic choice but a technical decision with a clear rationale.
Tractive effort comes from friction between wheel and rail. How much force a locomotive can put onto the rail therefore depends on the weight on the powered axles. A six-axle engine with drive throughout uses its entire weight for tractive effort – a decisive advantage when heavy trains have to be hauled over long gradients.
The second reason is axle load. A heavy locomotive body on four axles loads each individual axle noticeably more than the same body spread over six. On lines with older bridges and tight curves, that’s a solid argument.
The price for this is length, mass and curve resistance. Six-axle locomotives are harder to move, need more space and run less smoothly through tight curves than four-axle ones. That’s why this design remained the answer to a specific task in Austria rather than the standard solution. Four-axle general-purpose engines such as the Class 1042 covered the bulk of everyday traffic.
Four axles or six? The quick check
Which ÖBB electric is that?
Six-axle post-war design
Six axles and plain styling point to the Class 1010 or 1110. Which of the two it is is decided solely by the marking.
Four-axle general-purpose engine
Four axles lead to the Class 1042, 1141 or 1142. Here too, the differences lie in the detail – the number is the safe route.
Modern design
A strongly raked front and numbers like 1016, 1116 or 1216 belong to the Taurus family – a completely different vehicle generation.
How to build feature chains like this in general is explained in the guide to identifying locomotive classes.
Placement within the ÖBB fleet
| Class | Axles | Typical duty |
|---|---|---|
| 1010 | six | line service on gentler terrain |
| 1110 | six | mountain routes with long gradients |
| 1042 | four | general-purpose duty ahead of passenger and freight trains |
| 1141 | four | older four-axle design line |
| 1044 | four | newer, more powerful generation |
| 1116 | four | modern multi-system general-purpose engine of the Taurus family |
Within the twelve-digit European number, every one of these engines begins with 91 for electric locomotive, followed by the country code 81 for Austria. What comes after that is explained in the guide to reading the UIC number. The newer four-axle generation within the same fleet is represented by the ÖBB Class 1044.
Tell related classes apart properly
When designs look alike, the number decides. Note it down at every sighting – it can't be reconstructed later.
Observing and photographing
The side shows what the front conceals
On six-axle locomotives, all the information sits in the side view: length, bogies, axle count. A head-on shot looks almost identical for four- and six-axle engines of the same era. Plan your position so you can see the whole length of the vehicle unobstructed.
A second point concerns the visual effect. Six-axle locomotives are long, and a long locomotive ahead of a short train quickly looks unbalanced. Anyone photographing the engine as part of the whole train should therefore step back and bring the entire train into the frame, rather than getting close on the locomotive alone. If it’s standing alone, on the other hand, the opposite approach works: a crop showing one bogie with its three axles tells you more about the design than any full-length shot.
A slightly elevated vantage point also helps, provided it’s reachable from a publicly accessible area – a footbridge, for example. From above, the axle arrangement becomes clearly legible, whereas at eye level it easily disappears behind platform edges, signals and overhead line masts.
Because the Class 1110 no longer runs in regular service, encounters are tied to events and special runs. That makes preparation more important than equipment: check the date, scout the location beforehand, plan for the direction of light. The fundamentals of technique are covered in the guide to taking good photos of trains.
Operational railway land and track areas are closed off
Tracks, platform edges, sidings, depots and workshop areas are off limits – even for historic vehicles, and even when nothing appears to be moving. Shunting moves arrive unannounced and quietly. Photograph only from publicly accessible areas; what applies in a given case depends on the local rules.
Common mix-ups
It points to the Class 1110 if …
- you count six axles in two bogies
- the styling looks plain and noticeably older
- the number starts with 1110
- the vehicle is listed as a historic engine
Look more closely if …
- an identical-looking six-axle locomotive is standing next to it – that could be the Class 1010
- you only see the front or just part of the side
- the markings are hard to read due to dirt or a repaint
It is not a 1110 if …
- you only count four axles
- the number starts with 1042, 1044, 1141 or 1142
- the front is strongly raked – then the locomotive belongs to a modern design family
Conclusion
The Class 1110 is a textbook example of how operational duties shape vehicles. Six powered axles are no gimmick but the direct answer to heavy trains on long gradients. It can be identified in two steps – count the axles, read the number – with the second step indispensable for this pair of classes. From the outside, the sister class, the 1010, looks practically the same.
In short
A six-axle ÖBB electric from the 1950s, Co'Co' wheel arrangement, geared for mountain routes. Identification route: count the axles, then read the marking. It is barely distinguishable from its sister class, the 1010, from the outside.
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Summary
- The Class 1110 belongs to the generation of six-axle post-war electrics with which the ÖBB served its mountain routes.
- It differs from its sister class, the 1010, mainly in gearing, hardly at all in appearance.
- Identification runs via axle count and marking – shape alone isn't enough for this pair.
- The preservation status, keeper and deployment programme of individual engines change – check the current state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ÖBB Class 1110?
The Class 1110 is a six-axle electric locomotive of the ÖBB from the 1950s with the Co'Co' wheel arrangement. It was designed for service on mountain routes, where high tractive effort over long gradients matters more than top speed. Today it no longer runs in regular service and is preserved historically instead.
What does the Co'Co' wheel arrangement mean?
The letter C denotes three axles in one bogie, and the lower-case o shows that each axle has its own traction motor. The apostrophe stands for the bogie's pivoting mounting. Co'Co' therefore means: two three-axle bogies, six axles, each individually powered.
Why did it need six axles?
Because tractive effort depends on the friction between wheel and rail. The more powered axles a locomotive has, the more usable weight it puts on the rail, and so the more starting tractive effort it can deliver – decisive for heavy trains on long gradients. At the same time, the load is spread more evenly, which is gentler on track and structures.
How do I tell the Class 1110 apart from the Class 1010?
Only by the marking. Both classes come from the same design line and look very similar from the outside. The difference lies in the gearing: the 1110 was geared for mountain service, the 1010 for faster duties on flatter terrain. That isn't visible from the outside.
How does the Austrian class scheme work?
Austria says Reihe (class) rather than Baureihe. Modern traction vehicles carry four-digit numbers whose first digit names the type of traction: 1 for electric locomotives, 2 for diesel locomotives, 4 for electric multiple units, 5 for diesel railcars. A 1110 is therefore immediately identifiable as an electric locomotive.
Does the Class 1110 still run today?
Not in regular service. Surviving engines are in historical care and appear, at most, at special runs and events. Operational status, keeper and programme change with deadlines and society work, so current details should always be checked with the operator in question.
Where were locomotives like this typically used?
On Austria's mountain routes, where heavy trains had to be hauled over long gradients – often with a pilot or banking engine. That exact requirement explains the six-axle design. Specific diagrams from their active years can only be evidenced from historical sources, not from present-day observation.
What should I look out for when photographing a six-axle locomotive?
The side view, because that's where the length and axle count become visible – both are the real identifying features. Head-on, the difference from four-axle engines disappears completely. Also get the data panel into the shot, because with closely related classes only the number decides later.
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Related classes
ÖBB Class 1010
The Class 1010 was a six-axle general-purpose electric locomotive of the ÖBB and today only runs on heritage duty. Here's how to place it and tell it apart from the Class 1110.
Electric locoÖBB Class 1042
The Class 1042 is the ÖBB's classic four-axle general-purpose electric. Here's how to identify it and place the 1042.5 sub-class.
Electric locoÖBB Class 1044
The Class 1044 was the ÖBB's standard electric for decades: four-axle, 160 km/h, thyristor technology. Many machines were converted into the Class 1144.
Electric locoÖBB Class 1142
The Class 1142 is the push-pull-capable development of the 1042.5 series. Here's how to recognise it and what push-pull operation means for spotters.
Electric locoÖBB Class 1012
The Class 1012 remained a small production run of modern ÖBB electrics – overtaken by the mass procurement of the Taurus. Here's how to place it and recognise it in the field.
Electric locoÖBB Class 1014
The Class 1014 is a four-axle ÖBB electric that later produced dual-system machines for cross-border traffic. Here's how to recognise and understand it.
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