Key takeaways
- The Class 273 stands for the G 1206 locomotive type from MaK, later Vossloh, of Kiel – a four-axle diesel-hydraulic freight locomotive.
- Identifying feature number one is the design: a centre cab with a long and a short hood rather than a continuous body.
- The 27x number range gathers four-axle diesel locomotives procured mostly by private railway operators.
- Operators change often, because many machines belong to leasing companies and move between operators.
- The vehicle number together with the keeper marking is therefore more informative than any livery.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Four-axle diesel locomotive for freight and shunting duties |
|---|---|
| Vehicle family | MaK/Vossloh G 1206 |
| Manufacturer | MaK, later Vossloh Locomotives, Kiel |
| Build period | from the late 1990s |
| Wheel arrangement | B'B' (two two-axle bogies) |
| Transmission | diesel-hydraulic |
| Body design | centre cab with a long and a short hood |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h |
| Typical use | Freight trains and transfer workings for private railway operators |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Centre cab with hoods of noticeably different length – not symmetrical
- Four axles in two bogies
- Walkway plating and handrails along the hoods, typical of shunting and freight locomotives
- Radiator equipment in the longer hood, exhaust above it – not on a continuous roof
- Vehicle number in the 27x range, usually with a private operator's keeper marking
- Often seen in the corporate liveries of leasing companies and freight operators
Updated: August 2026 – Four axles, a cab in the middle and two hoods of unequal length: this silhouette is one of the most common in German freight traffic. Behind the Class 273 stands the MaK/Vossloh G 1206 locomotive type from Kiel – a machine you’ll find at almost every freight yard, usually in a private operator’s livery. This page shows you how to identify it and how to place it.
Spotted a G 1206? Note the operator too.
With leased locomotives the operator changes more often than the paint – with Traintrack you capture number and operator in seconds.
What’s behind the Class 273?
The Class 273 designates locomotives of the MaK/Vossloh G 1206 type: four-axle diesel-hydraulic machines with a centre cab, built in Kiel and rated for 100 km/h. Wheel arrangement B’B’, transmission via a hydraulic gearbox, field of use freight trains, transfer workings and works traffic.
It’s worth distinguishing two levels of naming here. G 1206 is the manufacturer’s type, assigned by the works in Kiel. 273 is a class number from the German vehicle register. The same design can appear under different numbers in the 27x range depending on variant and registration – which is why it’s worth looking at the closely related Class 275 and the type page for the MaK G 1206.
Why private railways have their own number ranges
When rail freight in Germany was opened up to competitors, private railway operators such as Captrain procured their own vehicles. These had to be fitted into the national vehicle register without colliding with the numbers of the state railway’s classes.
The result is today’s structure of the diesel locomotive range:
| Number range | Who typically procured them | Example designs |
|---|---|---|
| 21x | Deutsche Bundesbahn | V 160 family, 216 to 218 |
| 22x, 23x, 24x | Deutsche Reichsbahn and rebuilds | 219, 229, 231, 232, 241 |
| 26x | more recent procurements for freight traffic | Voith Gravita |
| 27x | mostly private operators and leasing companies | Vossloh G 1206, G 1000 BB, G 2000 BB |
In practice that means: a number in the 27x range is a strong hint of a private operator. How the full twelve-digit vehicle number, with country code, keeper marking and check digit, is structured is explained in the article on the UIC number.
How to identify a G 1206 in the field
Locate the cab
Does it sit in the middle, or clearly off-centre between two hoods? Then it's not a main-line locomotive with a continuous body, but a design from the freight and shunting family.
Compare the hoods
On the G 1206, one hood is noticeably longer than the other. The long one houses the engine and radiator equipment, the short one auxiliary systems.
Count the axles
Four axles in two bogies. Three-axle shunting locomotives with a rigid frame are ruled out by this.
Read the markings
A number in the 27x range, plus a keeper marking and company logo. Only this combination makes the sighting unambiguous.
Field tip: silhouette before colour
Corporate liveries are the least reliable part of identification. Locomotives are leased, passed on and re-marked without the colour changing. So identify the design first, then the number – and treat the livery as extra information, not as a feature.
Record private-railway locomotives systematically
With every sighting complete with number and operator, your overview of the vehicles in your region grows.
Its place in railway operations
A locomotive with a centre cab is designed for good visibility in both directions of travel. That’s not a styling detail, but a decision driven by its intended use: shunting, transfers, service runs to sidings, such as those Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln (HGK) operates in the Rhineland – wherever direction of travel changes often and speeds stay low.
At the same time, with four powered axles and 100 km/h, the G 1206 is suitable for main-line running too. It fills the gap between a pure shunting locomotive and a heavy main-line diesel. That gives you, as an observer, a clear search profile:
- Freight and marshalling yards: the highest chance of a sighting, because trains are formed and handed over there.
- Port and industrial railways: their own operators, their own vehicles, often unusual liveries.
- Branch lines with siding traffic: service runs mostly happen in the morning and rarely to a regular pattern.
- Construction sites: construction companies use similar machines ahead of engineering trains.
How to go about freight hubs sensibly without entering operational land is covered in the guide to spotting at a marshalling yard.
Shunting areas are not a photo spot
Track areas, shunting zones, operational depots and stabling sidings are operational or private land and must not be entered. Shunting movements often start without warning and very quietly, and sightlines between groups of wagons are poor. Observe from platforms, public footpaths, roads and bridges – that's entirely enough for good photos.
What changes and what stays the same
For vehicles owned by private operators, one caveat always belongs in the description: operator, livery, markings and area of use change constantly. Leasing companies rent the same machine out to several companies over the years, from works railways to mid-sized operators such as Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (evb); vehicles move between regions and types of traffic.
What stays constant, by contrast, are the structural features: wheel arrangement, body design, drive type, hood proportions. Build your identification on those. For identifying individual machines, the full vehicle number is decisive – and it belongs, together with date and location, in every sighting. How to work through unfamiliar vehicles step by step is shown in the guide to identifying locomotive classes.
For comparison, it’s worth looking at the larger sister design from Kiel, the Vossloh G 1000 BB – the same basic idea, a different size.
One practical note on telling the family apart: the individual sizes differ mainly in the length of the engine hood and in the vehicle’s overall height. Without a reference object in the frame this is hard to judge, because the same basic shape exists at several scales. So when photographing, try to include something that indicates the scale – a platform, a signal, a wagon. That sounds trivial, but it often decides later on whether you can identify a photo with confidence or have to guess.
Common mix-ups
It points to a G 1206 if …
- the cab sits between two hoods of unequal length
- you count four axles in two bogies
- the number lies in the 27x range
- a private operator's keeper marking is displayed
Look more closely if …
- the design fits but the machine looks noticeably larger or smaller – then other sizes within the same family are possible
- the livery gives no clue as to the operator
- you only see the hoods from one side and can't compare their lengths
It is not a G 1206 if …
- the locomotive has a continuous body with a cab at both ends
- you count six axles
- the axles sit directly in the frame without a bogie – then it's a classic shunting locomotive
Conclusion
The G 1206 is the locomotive that best tells the story of private freight traffic in Germany: a standardised vehicle from the manufacturer, procured or leased by many different operators, running in just as many liveries. The design and axle count are enough to identify it; the number and keeper marking are needed for an unambiguous match. And because those two details in particular change regularly, it’s worth recording them with a date.
In short
Centre cab, two hoods of unequal length, four axles, number in the 27x range: that's the G 1206 of the Class 273. Identify it by shape, confirm it by number – and treat livery and operator as details that change.
Your private-railway sightings in one place
Number, operator, livery and date, cleanly documented – building a reliable picture of the vehicles in your region.
Summary
- The G 1206 is one of the most widespread freight diesel locomotives among private railways in Germany.
- In the field it's recognised by its centre cab, two hoods of unequal length and four axles.
- The class number in the 27x range refers to its place in the national vehicle register, not to a manufacturer's type.
- Because operators and liveries change often, every sighting should include the full vehicle number with a date.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Class 273?
The class number under which locomotives of the MaK/Vossloh G 1206 type are carried in the German vehicle register. These are four-axle diesel-hydraulic locomotives with a centre cab, built in Kiel and mostly in service with private freight operators. The manufacturer's name describes the type, the class number the registration.
How do I reliably identify a G 1206?
By its design: a centre cab with one longer and one shorter hood, four axles in two bogies, walkway plating and handrails along the hoods. This silhouette differs clearly from main-line locomotives with a continuous body, such as the Class 218.
What does the number range 27x mean?
In Germany, class numbers from 200 to 299 are reserved for diesel locomotives. The upper part of that range holds mainly vehicles procured not by the state railway but by private railway operators. Which exact number a machine carries depends on the variant and its registration – read it off the vehicle.
What is the difference between the G 1206, G 1000 BB and G 2000 BB?
They're different sizes within the same manufacturer's family from Kiel. They differ in power, weight and partly in the hood design, but share the basic concept of a centre cab, four axles and hydraulic transmission. In the field, comparing hood length and overall size helps; only the number is certain.
Why do you see the G 1206 almost only with private railways?
It was developed for the open market, not for a state-railway programme. Rugged technology, manageable maintenance and availability through leasing companies made it attractive for freight operators, port railways and industrial siding operators. Accordingly, it often carries corporate liveries rather than a uniform colour scheme.
How fast does a G 1206 go?
The maximum speed is 100 km/h. That's fully sufficient for freight trains, transfer workings and works traffic. The type isn't intended for fast passenger workings – it lacks both the design for it and, generally, train heating.
How do I find out who owns a particular locomotive?
Via the keeper marking and the keeper code within the twelve-digit UIC number on the side. With leased vehicles especially, the livery says little: a locomotive can be running in the colours of a former lessee while the marking already names a different operator.
Where do I have the best chances of finding a G 1206?
At freight and marshalling yards, in port areas, at industrial sidings and on lines with transfer traffic. Such workings rarely run to a regular pattern, often in the morning and frequently scheduled at short notice. Observation takes place exclusively from publicly accessible locations.
Log your sighting of the Class 273 (G 1206)
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Related classes
MaK G 1206
The MaK G 1206 is a four-axle centre-cab locomotive for freight and heavy shunting duties – and turns up almost everywhere on private railways.
Diesel locoClass 275
Class 275 covers four-axle diesel locomotives of the MaK/Vossloh G 1206 type. Here's how to read the vehicle number and recognise the bodyshell in freight traffic.
Diesel locoVossloh G 1000 BB
The Vossloh G 1000 BB is one of the most frequently seen diesel locomotives of private operators: four axles, diesel-hydraulic, with a centre cab and two hoods of unequal length.
Diesel locoGmeinder DE 75 BB
The Gmeinder DE 75 BB stands for the diesel-electric line from Mosbach: four axles, generator instead of gearbox – and a type key that tells you directly.
Diesel locoOnRail DH 1004
The OnRail DH 1004 is a four-axle diesel-hydraulic locomotive from a small batch – rare in the fleet, but easy to identify by its shape.
Diesel locoSiemens ER 20
The Siemens ER 20 Eurorunner is one of the few modern diesel locomotives in Germany that also hauls passenger trains – with a diesel-electric three-phase drive.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Captrain
Captrain is not a railway but an umbrella brand: under it run several legally independent freight railways in different countries, each with its own licence. Seeing a Captrain locomotive therefore doesn't yet tell you which company is running the train.
BrandEisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (evb)
Behind the lower-case badge evb sits not a single service, but an umbrella brand: passenger trains, freight, bus routes and its own infrastructure in the Elbe-Weser triangle. Understand it, and you understand how regional railway companies in northern Germany are really put together.
GroupHäfen und Güterverkehr Köln (HGK)
HGK operates Cologne's ports, its own railway lines within the city and a European inland shipping business. But its freight trains mostly run under the name of a joint venture – which is why HGK rarely appears on the locomotive you're photographing.
ManufacturerInterlok Bahnconsulting
A railway undertaking needs more than a locomotive: a safety certificate, an operations manager, a rulebook, emergency management. Rail-consulting outfits like Interlok supply exactly these building blocks – which is why four or five companies regularly stand behind a single train working.
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