DB Class 101

Updated: August 2026 – A red electric locomotive, four axles, an Intercity in front of it: nine times out of ten, you’re looking at a Class 101. This page shows you how to identify it beyond doubt, where you’ll realistically find it, and how to photograph it so the shot actually delivers something.

What is the Class 101?

The Class 101 is a four-axle electric locomotive for fast passenger service, built between 1996 and 1999 by Adtranz. In total 145 engines were built with numbers 101 001 to 101 145. They’re rated for 220 km/h, produce roughly 6,400 kW, and were procured to replace the ageing Class 103 in Deutsche Bahn AG’s premium long-distance service.

Operationally the 101 is therefore clearly placed: it’s the locomotive in front of loco-hauled Intercity and Eurocity trains – and so the direct successor to the Class 103. Wherever long-distance service has switched to multiple units, it disappears from the picture – and that’s exactly what makes it more interesting for spotters than it was twenty years ago.

The three features that are enough for identification

You don’t need detailed knowledge to identify a 101. Three observations are enough, and they work even from some distance.

Once you’re confident of a 101, the main remaining confusion is with the technically related but older Class 120. If any doubt remains, the vehicle number settles it: it starts with 101 and ends at 145. How to quickly read and correctly place such numbers in service is explained in the guide to finding train numbers and vehicle numbers; the full international system behind it is in the article on the UIC number and its check digit.

Which red electric locomotive is that, really?

The most common mix-ups don’t happen with exotic classes, but among the well-known red electric locomotives. The following finder narrows it down using three observations.

If you want a systematic approach rather than just this one class, the general guide to identifying locomotive classes helps – it explains the order in which to work through features.

Where you’ll find the Class 101

The locomotive follows loco-hauled long-distance service – no longer only DB’s, either, since individual hired-in engines also run in front of FlixTrain trains. That gives a simple rule: the more classic IC coach rakes run on a route, the higher your hit rate. A hub like Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof is therefore productive: a locomotive stands in front of every IC coach rake there, and the change of direction at the terminus gives you time for the number.

Location	Chance of a sighting	Why
Major hub stations with long-distance service	High	Locomotive changes, turnaround times and long standing times at the platform
Long-distance routes with IC/EC service	High	This is where the loco-hauled stock runs on schedule
Routes served purely by ICE	Low	Multiple units dominate there, without a separate locomotive
Regional hubs without long-distance service	Very low	No scheduled use
Stabling sidings and station approach areas	Medium	Locomotives wait there between two workings – often clearly visible

In local service, this role is traditionally taken by the Class 111, which you’ll find at the same stations, but in front of different coach rakes. For choosing a specific location it’s worth looking at the overview of the best stations for trainspotting in Germany. If you’d rather go out spontaneously, combine that with live sightings and real-time data.

Advertising locomotives: why documentation pays off

Hardly any other German class runs as an advertising medium as often as the 101. Over the years a considerable share of the 145 engines has carried special liveries – some for years, others for just a few months.

For spotters that means two things:

• A 101 isn’t just a 101. Anyone who only notes “saw a 101” loses the actually interesting information.
• Timing beats location. A particular livery exists only within a certain window of time. Miss it, and you won’t get it back.

That’s why every sighting should include at least the vehicle number, date and livery. How to record this cleanly and in a usable way is shown in the guide to keeping a sighting log; how to specifically search for special liveries is covered in the article on advertising locomotives and special liveries.

Photo tips specifically for the 101

The 101 is a rewarding but unspectacular locomotive: a flat front, little structure, often in unfavourable platform lighting. If you want to show it working rather than standing still, the Geislingen Incline offers a suitable line-side photo spot. These four points make the difference.

Which focal length is sensible for this, and where the limits of cheap telephoto lenses lie, is covered in the guide to the best telephoto lens for railway photography. The fundamental technique – panning, the plane of focus, exposure – is in the guide good photos of trains.

Common mix-ups and how to rule them out

Verdict

The Class 101 is one of those vehicles you learn properly once and then recognise everywhere afterwards. Axle count, front shape and train type lead to the right answer within seconds, and the vehicle number provides the confirmation. What makes it exciting is less its technology than its liveries and the shrinking amount of loco-hauled long-distance service – both good reasons not just to make sightings, but to record them too.