DB Class 216 (V160)

Updated: August 2026 – Four axles, a continuous locomotive body, a cab at each end and a deep, unmistakable engine note: the Class 216, designated V 160 before 1968, was the original version of all four-axle main-line diesel locomotives at Bundesbahn. This page shows you how to identify it, how it differs from its numerous sister classes, and where you can even still encounter it today.

What is the Class 216?

The Class 216 is a four-axle main-line diesel locomotive with hydraulic power transmission that entered service at Deutsche Bundesbahn originally as the V 160. It carries the wheel arrangement B’B’, is rated for 120 km/h and was intended for mixed duty ahead of passenger and freight trains on non-electrified main lines.

Operationally, then, it’s the diesel-powered counterpart to the four-axle all-purpose electric locomotives: not a specialised shunter, but a locomotive for the open line. From its base design, Bundesbahn developed an entire family – from the Class 215 through the Class 217 to the widely used Class 218. Anyone who correctly places the 216 understands the whole 21x series.

V 160 or 216? What the 1968 renumbering means

Until 1968, Bundesbahn named its vehicles with letters and two- or three-digit numbers: V for internal combustion (Verbrennungsmotor), E for electric locomotive, plus a number that roughly described the power class. On 1 January 1968, DB switched to a computer-compatible, three-digit class scheme. The V 160 became Class 216, the V 100 became Classes 211 and 212, and the V 200 became Class 220.

The number range says something in itself: classes from 200 to 299 are diesel locomotives. Within that range, the main-line locomotives fell into the 21x and 22x groups, with shunting and branch-line machines further down. In the field, that means for you: if the number starts with 2, you’re looking at a diesel locomotive – electric locomotives sit in the range from 100, multiple units from 400. How to read such numbers quickly and correctly is explained in the guide to identifying locomotive classes.

How to identify a 216 in the field

The V 160 family at a glance

The base design was developed further over two decades. The table below shows what distinguishes the family members – and why train heating is the decisive criterion.

Class	Former designation	Power transmission	Train heating	Placement
216	V 160	diesel-hydraulic	steam heating	original version, 120 km/h
217	V 162	diesel-hydraulic	electric via auxiliary diesel unit	trial class, small series
215	–	diesel-hydraulic	steam or electric, selectable	transitional design
218	–	diesel-hydraulic	electric via heating generator	main series, 140 km/h
225	–	diesel-hydraulic	no train heating	freight variant from older stock

This shows clearly how strongly train heating shaped a diesel locomotive’s career. As long as passenger carriages were heated with steam, the 216 was fully usable. With the switch to electric train heating, it lost passenger service and slipped into freight and engineering-train workings. Its successor in heavy freight duty from older stock is the Class 225.

Where you can realistically find a 216 today

In DB’s regular operations, the class no longer plays a role. Surviving locomotives are with heritage societies, railway construction firms and smaller private railways such as Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen. That calls for a different search strategy than for a current mainstream class: you plan not by timetable, but by event dates and reports.

• Special and heritage trains are usually announced weeks in advance. That’s the most reliable opportunity.
• Engineering-train workings occur irregularly, often at night or at weekends, and are hard to plan for.
• Transfer runs turn up at short notice and become known almost entirely through community reports.

Important: keeper, livery and area of use keep changing. A fleet list found online is often outdated within a few months. Anyone wanting to stay current combines their own observations with other spotters’ live sightings. And once you’ve found a locomotive: the twelve-digit vehicle number with country and keeper codes is the definitive identifier; its structure is explained in the article on the UIC number and its check digit.

Photo tips for the 216

The 216 is a rewarding subject: clean edges, a distinctive front, plenty of structure at the bogies and fan grilles. Three points help in particular.

Choose a three-quarter view. An angle of roughly 30 to 45 degrees shows the front and side simultaneously and gives the long body a sense of depth. Pure head-on shots make the locomotive look flat.

Watch the roof. The exhaust and cooling system are a distinguishing feature – from a slightly elevated position, such as a public bridge, they’ll come into the frame too.

Include the markings. For private and heritage locomotives, the keeper marking is the real information. Plan your framing so the whole side of the body is included. Which focal length makes sense for that is covered in the guide to the best telephoto lens for railway photography; the basics of exposure and depth of field are in the guide to taking good photos of trains.

Common mix-ups

Verdict

The Class 216 is worth studying because it explains two things at once: the logic of the 1968 renumbering and the layout of the German main-line diesel locomotive. Four axles, closed body, roof-mounted radiator – that’s the basic pattern every follow-on design gets measured against. The 216 lost its operational role long ago; what remains are heritage and engineering-train duties whose circumstances keep changing.