Henschel DHG 700

Updated: August 2026 – The most common question about shunting locomotives is: “How many wagons can it manage?” And the honest answer starts with the fact that the number in the type name doesn’t answer that at all. The Henschel DHG 700 is a good example for showing why – and what counts instead.

What is the Henschel DHG 700?

The Henschel DHG 700 is a diesel-hydraulic shunting and works locomotive with cardan-shaft drive from the type programme of Henschel & Sohn in Kassel. DHG describes the power path: a torque converter from suppliers such as Voith Turbo converts the engine output, and cardan shafts and axle gearboxes deliver it to the wheelsets. The 700 is the engine output in horsepower.

In the twelve-digit European vehicle number, this vehicle group carries the type code 98 – diesel shunting and light locomotive. The difference from 92 for main-line diesel locomotives is operationally fundamental: a 98 is built for starting, transferring and delivering, not for long runs at high speed. And that’s exactly what determines which technical figure actually matters here.

Power isn’t tractive effort

Power is, physically, the product of force and speed. A locomotive meant to run fast needs a lot of power. A locomotive meant to start heavy loads needs a lot of force – and that doesn’t come from the engine alone.

That’s why on shunting locomotives every driven axle is deliberate: all the weight is meant to work for tractive effort. Carrying axles that only bear weight would here be dead weight in the bad sense.

What the number in the type name is good for – and what it isn’t

As a classification feature, the output figure is still useful. You just need to know which questions it answers.

Question	Does the PS figure answer it?	What you need instead
Which output class does the locomotive belong to?	yes	–
Is it bigger than the neighbouring type in the range?	yes, within the same manufacturer	–
How much tractive effort does it put onto the rail?	no	adhesive weight and adhesion coefficient
How many wagons does it pull?	no	operational load rule for the specific route
How fast does it go?	no	registration and gearbox design
Is it fit for main-line running?	no	registration, shown by the type code

Comparable types from other works carry the same number with a different letter head: the MaK G 700 C from Kiel and the O&K MC 700. Within the Henschel range, the Henschel DHG 700 C sits right alongside – same output figure, spelled-out wheel arrangement.

What you can actually observe in operation

Because the hard figures are missing, it’s worth looking at what’s visible. Watching a heavy group of wagons move off, you can see and hear the interplay of engine, gearbox and adhesion fairly directly:

• Engine speed rises with the notch. That’s the hallmark of hydraulic power transmission – on diesel-electric locomotives it stays largely constant.
• The train sets off in stages. The slack in the couplings is taken up one by one before the whole group starts rolling.
• Wheel slip shows the adhesion limit. A brief spin of the wheels in wet conditions is visible proof that it’s friction, not the engine, that’s limiting things.
• Sanders are used deliberately to raise exactly that limit.

Such observations belong in a good sighting note, because they supply the context a plain vehicle photo doesn’t provide. How to turn that into an evaluable log with little effort is shown in the guide to keeping a sighting log. Where you can even observe freight and handover traffic is covered by the guide to spotting at marshalling yards and the article on the freight train radar for Germany.

Shunting fittings: what sets these locomotives apart from main-line machines

Besides drive and running gear, the fittings differ markedly too. Much of it is visible from outside and helps with identification when plates are illegible.

• Continuous handrail and corner steps. Shunting staff have to be able to ride along. Main-line locomotives don’t have this in this form.
• All-round visibility from the cab. The off-centre or raised cab isn’t a styling choice, but a requirement for watching movements in both directions.
• Radio remote control. Many shunting locomotives were retrofitted for this, so one person can couple and move the locomotive at the same time. Recognisable by antennas, extra boxes and conspicuous warning lights.
• Warning equipment. Beacons, extra horns and sometimes cameras are typical retrofits in works service.
• Shunting couplers and add-on parts. Depending on the operator, special fittings such as rail clearers, coupler adapters or brake-test equipment get added.

These features say nothing about the type, but a lot about the use – and they’re a good sign that you really are looking at a vehicle with type code 98, not a main-line locomotive in shunting duty. When photographing a locomotive, it’s worth deliberately including these add-on parts in the shot: they often date the picture better than the livery, because retrofits can be clearly assigned to a period.

Common mix-ups

Verdict

The Henschel DHG 700 is a good example of how a big number in the name reveals less than you’d think. It places the locomotive in an output class – nothing more. What it manages at the drawbar is decided by adhesive weight, adhesion and the specific situation on site. Whoever separates these two describes vehicles more precisely and doesn’t fall for rounded fantasy figures.