Class 290

Updated: August 2026 – A cab in the middle, a bonnet in front and behind, four axles in bogies: this silhouette belongs to Class 290, better known as the V 90. It’s the classic workhorse between marshalling yard and siding – and the starting point of an entire vehicle family whose members look confusingly alike.

What is Class 290?

Class 290 is a four-axle diesel-hydraulic shunting and transfer locomotive, originally procured as the V 90 and built from 1964. All four axles are powered and sit in two two-axle bogies, giving the wheel arrangement B’B’. Drive comes through a hydraulic gearbox with two selectable ratios.

It was procured for tasks that fall between two stools: heavier than pure station shunting, lighter than main-line duty with long trains. That’s exactly what transfer traffic is – moving groups of wagons between marshalling yard, freight yard and siding. That calls for tractive effort when starting off, good visibility in both directions, and the ability to cover a few kilometres of line.

Type code 98: what the vehicle number reveals at a glance

The twelve-digit UIC vehicle number begins with two digits that describe the type. For locomotives, this separates four worlds:

Type code	Vehicle type	How you can tell
91	Electric main-line locomotive	Pantograph, cabs at both ends
92	Diesel main-line locomotive	No pantograph, main-line silhouette
97	Electric shunting or departmental locomotive	Pantograph on a shunting-locomotive silhouette
98	Diesel shunting and light locomotive	No pantograph, bonnets, shunting steps

The 290 falls into group 98. That clearly separates it from the electric shunters of group 97 – such as Class E 63, which did the same job under overhead wire. The advantage of the diesel machine is obvious: it also works where there’s no overhead line, on sidings, loading roads and workshop approach tracks. The guide to reading the UIC number explains where the type code sits within the full number.

How to identify a V 90 in the field

The basic order for identifying unfamiliar vehicles – drive type, body style, axles, number – is described in the guide to identifying classes.

Where you’ll find Class 290

The locomotive follows wagonload traffic. Wherever single wagons and groups of wagons are moved, it’s in the picture; wherever long block trains pass through, less so. Some withdrawn examples have found a home with heritage railways such as the Hespertalbahn.

Location	Likelihood	Why
Marshalling yards and freight yards	high	Making up and positioning groups of wagons
Transfer lines to industrial areas	high	The class’s core task
Stations serving private sidings	medium	Only at certain times of day, often early morning
Main stations in passenger service	low	No scheduled deployment
High-speed lines	none	Vehicle and task don’t match

Which viewpoints at a marshalling yard actually work, and at what time of day something happens there, is covered in the guide to spotting at marshalling yards. Anyone wanting to understand freight movements better in general will find suitable sources in the article on tracking freight trains.

Photo tips for shunting locomotives

• Choose a three-quarter view. It shows the cab and both bonnets at once – only then does the typical silhouette become legible.
• Pay attention to the number. With this family, the vehicle number is the real information. Frame your shot so it stays legible.
• Make use of the slow movements. Shunting moves are slow. That allows longer shutter speeds and clean shots even in moderate light.
• Include the surroundings. Groups of wagons, loading tracks and semaphore signals tell you more about the locomotive’s job than an isolated portrait shot.

The 29x family at a glance

The V 90 didn’t stay with a single class number. Over the decades, vehicles were rebuilt, retrofitted and reclassified – each time resulting in another class digit being added. Today the family comprises five numbers that are barely distinguishable from the outside.

Class	Place within the family	Practical note
290	Base type, originally procured as the V 90	Starting point of the family
291	Its own fitting-out status within the family	Identifiable only by the number
294	Derived from 290s fitted with radio remote control	Antennas on the cab are a clue
295	Its own fitting-out and conversion status	Identifiable only by the number
296	Its own conversion status within the family	Identifiable only by the number

The key point is the last column. Fittings, lamp arrangement, livery or bonnet details don’t help with this family, because the vehicles were modified several times over their working lives. Anyone wanting to state a class must have read the vehicle number – and anyone who couldn’t read it should honestly note “V 90 family, class not determined”. That’s a correct statement; a guessed class isn’t.

Common mix-ups

The boundary below leads to the three-axle V 60 family; the boundary within its own family leads to the radio-remote-controlled Class 294.

Conclusion

Class 290 is a locomotive you recognise by its silhouette and identify by its number. Centre cab, two unequal bonnets, four axles in bogies – that’s the V 90 design. Only the vehicle number then reveals exactly which family member you’re looking at. Type code 98 confirms the classification: a diesel shunting locomotive, built for transfer runs and marshalling, not for the main line.