Key takeaways
- The 111 is the local-service locomotive of the 1970s and 1980s: 227 machines, built 1974–1984, rated for 160 km/h.
- Two front variants within the same class are the most interesting recognition feature.
- Successor to the E 10: it took over the Class 110's role in passenger and local services.
- The push-pull train is typical – locomotive at one end, driving trailer at the other.
- The fleet in regular service is shrinking: deployment shifts with new contracts and timetable years, so check the current status.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Electric locomotive for passenger and local services |
|---|---|
| Production period | 1974 to 1984 |
| Number built | 227 locomotives |
| Numbering scheme | 111 001 to 111 227 |
| Wheel arrangement | Bo'Bo' (two two-axle bogies, all axles powered) |
| Maximum speed | 160 km/h |
| Electrification system | 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC |
| Typical use | push-pull trains in local and regional services; the fleet in regular service is shrinking |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Four axles in two bogies
- Two front variants: early machines with a rounded nose, later ones with a flatter standard cab
- Vehicle number begins with 111, running number up to 227
- Usually seen in front of push-pull trains in local service – Silberlinge coaches, n-Wagen or double-deck coaches with a driving trailer
- Compact, plain locomotive body with no aerodynamic cladding
Updated: August 2026 – A four-axle electric locomotive in front of a push-pull train with a driving trailer: for decades that was the standard sight of German regional services, and in most cases a Class 111 was leading it. This page shows you how to recognise it, why there are two different front shapes, and how you can still find it today.
Spotted a 111? Note the front variant too.
Two body variants within one class make documentation interesting – log it in Traintrack with number, variant and date.
What is the Class 111?
The Class 111 is a four-axle electric locomotive for passenger and local services, built between 1974 and 1984. The series comprises 227 machines numbered 111 001 to 111 227 and is rated for 160 km/h.
It stepped into the role previously filled by the Class 110 (E10): a general-purpose locomotive for passenger trains, focused on local and regional services. Its typical setting is the push-pull train – locomotive at one end, driving trailer at the other, so no re-marshalling is needed at the terminus. Deutsche Bahn AG has been replacing exactly this concept with multiple units for years, which is why the fleet in regular service is shrinking.
Two front variants in one class
This is the detail that makes the 111 interesting for spotters. During the ten-year production run, the cab design changed, and both variants still run today under the same class number.
| Feature | Early build | Later build |
|---|---|---|
| Front design | rounded nose, softer lines | flatter, boxier standard cab |
| Windscreens | smaller, more recessed | larger, arranged more squarely |
| Overall impression | 1970s design language | more sober, aligned with newer classes |
| Class number | 111 | 111 – identical |
| Distinguished by | front shape | front shape |
For identification, that means: the front shape separates the production batch, not the class. If you see a boxy front, you shouldn’t conclude it’s a different class – the number remains authoritative. The guide to identifying classes explains how to work through such features in the right order.
Recognition in the field
Count the axles
Four axles in two bogies. Six-axle locomotives like the 151 or 155 are ruled out straight away.
Identify the train type
A push-pull train with a driving trailer in regional service is the classic setting. Long-distance coaches point more towards the 101, a freight train against the 111.
Classify the front
Rounded or boxy? Both are possible. Note the variant – it belongs to a complete sighting.
Read the number
111 plus a running number up to 227. That completes identification.
Driving trailer first
On push-pull trains, the driving trailer often leads. If you want to know which locomotive is attached, look at the other end of the train – or wait for it to come back the other way.
Where it fits into railway operations
| Setting | Likelihood | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Regional routes with loco-hauled push-pull trains | high | The class’s classic field of use |
| Major local-service hubs with turnaround times | high | Longer dwell times, good visibility from the platform |
| Substitute and reinforcement duties | medium | Irregular, but possible |
| Networks running only multiple units | low | No loco-hauled stock in the diagrams |
| Freight hubs and marshalling yards | very low | Wrong vehicle type |
The fleet changes constantly
Which lines still run loco-hauled depends on service contracts and vehicle availability. What a list from two years ago says is often out of date today. Check the current status through real-time information and community sightings.
Why local and long-distance services differ so much in vehicle choice, diagrams and observation strategy is explained in the article on local vs long-distance services from a spotter’s perspective.
Where does a 111 still run right now?
Community sightings show you the real picture instead of an outdated diagram list.
Why loco-hauled local trains are disappearing
This is the background that explains why the 111 is becoming rarer today – and why documenting it is worthwhile right now.
A loco-hauled push-pull train consists of several vehicles that have to be procured, maintained and scheduled separately: locomotive, coaches, driving trailer. A multiple unit, by contrast, is a fixed unit with a continuous interior, distributed traction and usually lower operating costs per seat. On top of that come requirements that have tightened over recent decades: step-free boarding, short dwell times, denser frequencies. All three favour multiple units.
The change isn’t happening at the same speed everywhere. Where service contracts run long or high-capacity double-deck coaches are needed, loco-hauled operation persists longer. For spotters, that means a simple rule: the interesting diagrams are the ones about to be converted next.
That’s exactly why every sighting should include not just the locomotive but the set behind it too: Silberlinge coaches, modern double-deck coaches or a mixed substitute set are information that nobody will be able to reconstruct in five years. Anyone who logs number, coaching stock, line and date together is documenting not just a locomotive but a state of operation.
Spotting and photo tips
The 111 is a rewarding subject because it stops at platforms and can be photographed there at ease.
- Choose stations with terminating tracks or turnaround times. There the locomotive stands for minutes at a time. You’ll find a selection of suitable spots in the overview of the best stations for trainspotting in Germany.
- Three-quarter view rather than a head-on shot. An angle of 30 to 45 degrees shows the front and side at once and makes the front variant clearly identifiable.
- Watch the background. Local-service platforms get crowded. A spot at the end of the platform reduces distracting elements – without crossing the platform edge.
- Document number and variant together. Only both together make a sighting that tells you something later.
Tracks, operational railway land and depots are off limits. They are private property, entry is prohibited and dangerous. Photograph only from the platform behind the safety line and from publicly accessible areas.
Common mix-ups
It's a 111 if …
- you count four axles
- a push-pull train with a driving trailer is attached
- the locomotive is running in regional service
- the number starts with 111
Look more closely if …
- you see the boxy front variant and think of a different class
- the locomotive is running in an unfamiliar livery
- the driving trailer leads and the locomotive runs at the rear of the train
It's not a 111 if …
- you count six axles
- a freight train is attached
- the number starts with 110, 112 or 143
The biggest risk of confusion is with the East German designs running in the same role: the Class 112.1 on fast regional services and the Class 143 in local service. Both are also four-axle – the number settles it.
Verdict
The Class 111 is a locomotive you recognise through its setting: four-axle, plain, in front of a push-pull train in regional service. The two front variants make it additionally interesting, since they show that body variant and class aren’t the same thing. Because its field of use is shrinking, it’s worth documenting sightings consistently now.
Quick verdict
Four axles, push-pull train in local service, number between 111 001 and 111 227: that's the 111. Note the number and the front variant – its field of use gets smaller with every timetable change.
Record what's currently disappearing
Loco-hauled push-pull trains are becoming rarer. Every documented sighting in Traintrack is a piece of the record.
Summary
- The Class 111 was built as the successor to the E 10 for passenger and local services, with 227 examples produced.
- It's recognisable by four axles, a plain basic shape and the number 111; the front shape separates early from late machines.
- Its classic setting is the loco-hauled push-pull train in regional service, which is increasingly being replaced by multiple units.
- Anyone looking for one specifically should track the remaining loco-hauled diagrams and check the current status before travelling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DB Class 111?
A four-axle electric locomotive for passenger and local services, built between 1974 and 1984. The series comprises 227 machines numbered 111 001 to 111 227 and is rated for 160 km/h. It succeeded the Class 110 in this role.
Why are there two different front shapes?
During the ten-year production run, the cab design changed. Early machines carry a rounded nose in the 1970s design language, later ones the newly developed standard cab with a flatter, boxier front. Both belong to the same class.
How many Class 111 locomotives were built?
227 machines numbered 111 001 to 111 227. How many of them are actually in service at any given time is a separate question – the fleet in regular service has been shrinking for years.
How do I tell the 111 apart from the 110?
Both are four-axle and look similar in basic shape. The 111 has more modern proportions and is rated for 160 km/h, while the 110's base version is rated for 150 km/h. Only the vehicle number tells them apart reliably.
Where does the Class 111 run today?
Wherever loco-hauled push-pull trains still run in regional service – and that's fewer places all the time. Which diagrams are affected depends on service contracts and changes with every timetable change, so check the current status before a dedicated trip.
What is a push-pull train and why is it typical for the 111?
A push-pull train has the locomotive at one end and a driving trailer with a cab at the other. The train doesn't need to be re-marshalled at the terminus, which saves time. The 111 was deployed in local services precisely for this kind of operation – often with Silberlinge or double-deck coaches.
How fast does the Class 111 run?
Its maximum speed is 160 km/h. In regional service that's rarely reached, since stop spacing and line speeds set the pace. On substitute and special duties in long-distance service, however, that figure came into its own.
How do I tell which 111 is in front of me?
By the full vehicle number on the cab front and side panel. It follows the pattern 111 0xx to 111 227. Together with the front variant and the livery, that gives you a solid sighting you can clearly identify again later.
Log your sighting of the DB Class 111
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
DB Class 110 (E10)
The E 10 was Deutsche Bundesbahn's standard passenger locomotive for decades. Here's how to recognise the Class 110, its sub-variants and its sister locomotives.
Electric locoDB Class 112.1
The DB Class 112.1 is the fast regional-service locomotive from Hennigsdorf. Here's how to recognise it and tell it apart from the related Classes 114 and 143.
Electric locoDB Class 143
The Class 143 is Deutsche Reichsbahn's most-built electric locomotive and remains a major presence in local services today. Here's how to recognise it and tell it apart from the 112 and 114.
Electric locoClass E 18
Class E 18 was the express electric of the 1930s at 150 km/h – and one of the most beautiful. Here's how to recognise it and place its numbers.
Electric locoBombardier TRAXX
TRAXX isn't a single class but a platform: the same base locomotive in many variants. Here's how to decode the type designations and identify the family.
Electric locoBombardier Twindexx Vario
Twindexx Vario refers to the double-deck coaches used in locomotive-hauled push-pull trains. Here's how to tell them apart from a multiple unit and read the formation correctly.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Where to see the DB Class 111
Specific viewpoints with lighting times, coordinates and an honest verdict on whether the trip is worth it.
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