Key takeaways
- The E 60 is an electric locomotive for shunting and transfer duties: short, slow, with rod drive rather than bogies.
- Fastest route to identification: overhead-line operation plus visible coupling rods plus a shunting-locomotive silhouette – this combination is rare.
- Wheel arrangement C1' means three coupled driving axles and one carrying axle in a rigid frame, not a bogie vehicle.
- After renumbering the class ran as 160 – the E-number and the three-digit number refer to the same vehicle.
- Preserved today: anyone wanting to see an E 60 plans around museums and special trips, not scheduled service.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Electric shunting and transfer locomotive |
|---|---|
| Type code (UIC) | 97 – electric shunting or engineering locomotive |
| Wheel arrangement | Three coupled driving axles and one carrying axle in a rigid frame (C1') |
| Drive | Rod drive via jackshaft and coupling rods |
| Electrification system | 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC (overhead line) |
| Origin | Procured by the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft from the late 1920s |
| Later designation | Class 160 after renumbering to three-digit class numbers |
| Current status | Preserved – no longer in regular service |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Short, stocky body with one cab, offset towards one end of the vehicle rather than centred
- Visible coupling rods between the driving wheels – no bogie with an enclosed drive
- Three equally sized driving axles plus one smaller carrying axle at one end of the vehicle
- Pantograph on the roof combined with a shunting-locomotive silhouette – an unusual combination
- Vehicle number begins with E 60 or 160
- Found almost exclusively in museums, collections or at special trips
Updated: August 2026 – An electric locomotive with a pantograph on the roof and coupling rods on the wheels: this combination feels almost contradictory today, but was standard in the first decades of electrification. The Class E 60 is exactly such a vehicle – an electric shunting and transfer locomotive that you can place by its silhouette in seconds, once you know what to look for.
Spotted a classic-era electric locomotive? Worth recording.
Preserved vehicles are rarely seen – with Traintrack, number, location and date are documented in seconds.
What is Class E 60?
Class E 60 is an electric shunting and transfer locomotive of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft with a C1’ wheel arrangement and rod drive. It was procured from the late 1920s to take over shunting and transfer duty under overhead line in already-electrified stations and connecting areas – places, that is, where a large main-line locomotive would have been oversized and a steam locomotive cumbersome.
With the switch to three-digit class numbers, the E 60 became Class 160. Both designations refer to the same vehicle; which one you find on a given vehicle depends on its preservation state and on the owner’s intention to represent a particular operating condition. Today the class is preserved – it no longer runs regular workings.
What type code 97 reveals about the E 60
The first two digits of the twelve-digit UIC vehicle number are no accident – they’re a type designation. For traction vehicles, roughly the following applies:
- 91 – electric locomotive for main-line service
- 92 – diesel locomotive for main-line service
- 97 – electric shunting or engineering locomotive
- 98 – diesel shunting and small locomotive
The E 60 falls into group 97, because it was never a main-line locomotive. Its usage profile – low speed, high starting tractive effort, short distances – is that of a shunting locomotive, only under overhead line. This same distinction also helps you with other classic-era electric locomotives: when you see the number, you know at once which drawer the vehicle belongs in. How the number is built up as a whole, and where the check digit sits, is explained in the guide to the UIC number and its system.
How to identify an E 60 in the field
First: look at the drive
If you see coupling rods between the wheels, the vehicle is a classic-era traction vehicle. Modern electric locomotives have the drive enclosed in the bogie – there are no rods there.
Then: count and place the axles
Three equally sized driving axles, plus one smaller carrying axle at one end of the vehicle. All sit in the main frame, there are no bogies.
After that: read the body
A single cab, short body, stocky proportions. The locomotive looks like a shunting locomotive – but carries a pantograph.
Finally: check the marking
E 60 or 160 on the cab and frame confirm the identification. The marking is always the final authority.
Anyone generally unsure with classic-era vehicles does best working through the features in a fixed order – drive type, wheel arrangement, body, marking. The guide to identifying locomotive classes describes exactly this approach and applies to any vehicle.
Where you’ll find classic-era electric locomotives like the E 60 today
Scheduled service is out as a source. That shifts the search to a manageable circle of places – and to dates rather than routes. Vehicle depots such as the DB Museum Koblenz collect exactly the generation of machine the E 60 belongs to.
| Location | Chance of a sighting | What to bear in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Railway museums with an electric locomotive collection | high | Check opening hours and display status in advance |
| Vehicle displays and museum festivals | high | Dates announced in advance, expect crowds |
| Special trips with an operational classic-era electric locomotive | medium | Only with vehicles holding valid certification, rare and short notice |
| Static and memorial displays | medium | Often not operational, but always accessible |
| Scheduled service on the network | none | No scheduled workings any more |
Locations change
Preserved vehicles change owners, display locations and operational status more often than you'd think. Don't rely on older lists from the internet – check shortly before travelling where the vehicle actually stands.
Anyone wanting to follow special trips specifically will find suitable sources and research routes in the guide to heritage railways and special-trip dates.
Document museum vehicles properly
Number, location, date – for rarely shown locomotives, that's exactly the information that counts later.
Photo tips for the E 60
Classic-era electric locomotives are rewarding photo subjects because their technology is visible. The photo should show exactly that.
- Side view rather than a frontal shot. The rod drive is the unique feature – it disappears if you stand too front-on. A slight three-quarter view shows the front and the running gear at once.
- A low viewpoint. Shunting locomotives are low-slung. Photographed from eye level they look squat; a viewpoint at buffer height gives them presence.
- Focus on the coupling rods. They’re the detail that tells the story of the design. In museum halls with low light, a higher ISO is worth it over too wide an aperture.
- Take in the markings. A second, tighter shot of the number plate and builder’s plate is often more valuable for preserved vehicles than the wide shot.
The general technique – choosing a viewpoint, light, composition – is covered in the guide to taking good photos of trains. In museum halls and at evening events, the tips on camera settings for low light help as well.
A museum site isn't a free pass
The operator's instructions apply on museum sites too. Tracks, inspection pits and stabling areas are off limits unless explicitly released – and vehicles can be moved there without warning as well.
Common mix-ups
It points to the E 60 if …
- the locomotive has a pantograph and visible coupling rods at the same time
- you count three driving axles and one smaller carrying axle
- the body is short and carries only one cab
- the marking reads E 60 or 160
Look more closely if …
- the locomotive has only three axles with no carrying axle – then the E 63 is more likely
- it looks very small and only two-axle – that points to the E 69
- the vehicle stands in a non-original livery with missing markings
It isn't an E 60 if …
- the drive sits in bogies with no rods visible
- the locomotive has six axles – then you're looking at the large freight classic-era locomotives
- no pantograph is present – then it's a diesel shunting locomotive
The route from mix-up to certainty almost always runs via the wheel arrangement. Anyone who reads it cleanly separates the small Class E 69 from the three-axle Class E 63, and both from the E 60. Six-axle classic-era electric locomotives with rod drive like the Class E 94 can’t be mistaken purely by their length and the double front ends – they belong to an entirely different task category.
Verdict
The E 60 is one of the vehicles from which you can read off the early years of electric traction: shunting duty, rod drive, rigid frame, one cab. Anyone who has once consciously seen the combination of pantograph and coupling rods will place such locomotives correctly everywhere afterwards. Type code 97 confirms what the silhouette already says – this isn’t a main-line locomotive but a working machine for short distances.
Verdict in brief
Pantograph plus coupling rods plus a shunting-locomotive silhouette: that's the E 60. Today it's sought in museums and at special trips, not in the timetable – and that's exactly why it's worth noting the location and date for every sighting.
All your museum sightings in one place
Classic-era vehicles, special trips, locations: Traintrack keeps track of what you've already seen – and what's still missing.
Summary
- The E 60 belongs to the early German electric locomotives procured specifically for shunting and transfer duties under overhead line.
- Its identifying feature is rod drive: motion is transmitted via a jackshaft and coupling rods to the driving axles, visible from the outside.
- UIC type code 97 classifies such vehicles as electric shunting and engineering locomotives, separating them from main-line electric locomotives with code 91.
- Sightings today are museum sightings – locations and operational status change, so documenting with date and place is worthwhile.
Frequently asked questions
How do I recognise a Class E 60?
By the combination of a pantograph and coupling rods. Electrically powered but with a visible rod drive and a shunting-locomotive silhouette – that no longer exists on modern vehicles. Add to that three coupled driving axles and one smaller carrying axle at one end of the vehicle, plus a single, laterally offset cab.
What does the C1' wheel arrangement mean for the E 60?
The letter C stands for three driving axles coupled together, the 1 for a single carrying axle, and the apostrophe for its pivoting mounting. The locomotive therefore has four axles, of which only three are driven – and all sit in the main frame, not in bogies.
Why does the E 60 carry UIC type code 97?
The first two digits of the twelve-digit vehicle number describe the type. 97 stands for electric shunting and engineering locomotives, 91 for electric main-line locomotives. The E 60 was designed for shunting and transfer duty, not for fast main-line workings – hence this classification.
Is Class E 60 still in regular service?
No. The class is preserved. Surviving machines stand in museums and collections, and individual vehicles are operational and appear at special trips. Whether a particular locomotive is currently on display, stored or operational changes, so check before you travel.
What's the difference between the E 60 and Class 160?
It's the same vehicle. With the switch to three-digit class numbers, the E 60 became Class 160. Older literature and markings use the E-designation, more recent sources the number. When documenting a sighting, it's worth noting the number actually marked on the vehicle.
How does a rod drive work on an electric locomotive?
The traction motor doesn't drive an axle directly, but a jackshaft mounted in the frame. From there, a connecting rod transmits power to one driving axle, and coupling rods distribute it to the others. This allowed large, slow-turning motors – and makes the drive visible from outside, which is worth its weight in gold for identification.
Where can I photograph an E 60?
At railway museums and at events run by heritage societies. There the vehicles stand accessible and are usually well lit. Operational classic-era electric locomotives occasionally appear ahead of special trains – organisers announce such dates in advance.
Is the E 60 related to the E 63?
Both belong to the group of electric shunting locomotives from the Reichsbahn era and share the same purpose. They differ, however, in axle count and body: the E 60 has an additional carrying axle, while the E 63 makes do with three axles. If in doubt, the marking on the vehicle decides.
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Related classes
Class E 63
The E 63 is a three-axle electric shunting locomotive from the Reichsbahn era. Here's how to tell it apart from the E 60 and E 69 – and where to find it today.
Electric shunterClass E 69
The E 69 is the smallest German main-line electric locomotive family: two axles, short body, branch-line origin. Here's how to recognise it and where to find it today.
Electric shunterClass E 44
The E 44 was the electric locomotive that did without rods and carrying axles: four driven axles in two bogies. Today it's a museum vehicle.
Electric shunterDR Class E 95
The E 95 was a heavy mountain-line electric locomotive built by the Reichsbahn in a small series: coupling-rod drive, two driving bogies, carrying axles at each end. Today it survives only in museum collections.
Electric shunterDR Class E 77
The E 77 belongs to the Reichsbahn's first generation of electric locomotives: articulated chassis, rod drive, carrying axles on the outside. Today it survives only in museums.
Electric shunterHenschel E 1200
The Henschel E 1200 is an electric industrial locomotive built in Kassel. Here's how to read the type code and reliably recognise works locomotives in the field.
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