Vossloh Modula EBB

Updated: August 2026 – Some vehicles can’t be explained by a data sheet, only by their design principle. The Vossloh Modula is one of them: it isn’t a fixed model but a modular locomotive kit from Kiel. This page explains what that means for identification in the field, why the vehicle number begins with 90 and how to record a sighting so that it’s worth something later.

What is the Vossloh Modula EBB?

The Modula is a modular locomotive platform from Vossloh Locomotives in Kiel. The core of the idea: instead of developing a separate design for every requirement, the locomotive is built from modules – frame, cab, drive unit, cooling and equipment blocks. The customer chooses what they need. That’s exactly why the name Modula can refer to vehicles that look different in detail.

The suffix EBB identifies a specific equipment or drive variant within this family. What exactly lies behind it can only be established reliably from the lettering on the vehicle or from manufacturer and operator information – forum knowledge is often contradictory here. Kiel as the place of construction, on the other hand, is certain: shunting and main-line locomotives have been built there for decades, including the Vossloh DE 18 and Vossloh G 18 types.

What the vehicle number reveals

With a vehicle like this, the vehicle number is more important than with any series-built class – it’s the only value that changes neither with the livery nor with the operator. The first two digits give the vehicle type:

Code	Vehicle type	Typical examples
90	Other traction type	Alternative and combined drives, steam locomotives
91	Electric locomotive	Main-line electric locomotives under the wires
92	Diesel locomotive	Main-line diesels in freight service
95	Diesel railcar	Railcars on branch lines
98	Diesel shunting locomotive	Classic shunting and light locomotives
99	Departmental vehicle	Track construction and measuring vehicles

That the Modula EBB is registered under 90 is the crucial piece of information: it explicitly makes it not an ordinary diesel shunting locomotive. How to read the remaining groups of digits and what the check digit is for is explained in the guide to the UIC number on the vehicle.

Identification in the field

Where it fits in railway operations

Setting	Chance of finding one	Why
Freight yards and exchange points	high	Classic area of operation for locomotives of this size
Industrial and works sidings	high	Many manufacturer locomotives work there, away from the state railway
Ports and transhipment terminals	medium	Local shunting and delivery duties
Passenger stations without freight traffic	low	The wrong vehicle type for this setting
High-speed lines	very low	No duty profile for shunting and trip-working locomotives

Why modular locomotives are special for spotters

Series-built classes such as the classic state railway locomotives are rewarding: a hundred locomotives, one appearance, one continuous number series. With modular platforms, that doesn’t work. Two locomotives from the same family can have different cabs, different drive modules and different equipment – and still carry the same type name.

This has three practical consequences:

• Comparing shapes is unreliable. A reference photo shows one configuration, not the design. If you identify by it, you’ll be wrong with the next variant.
• The number becomes the main feature. The vehicle type code, class number and serial number are the only things that remain unambiguous.
• Sightings age quickly. The operator, lettering and even the equipment can change. A sighting without a date is therefore only half the information.

The same logic applies to other vehicles in catch-all group 90, such as the six-axle Stadler Eurodual: there too, the number is the more reliable route than appearance. If you keep your observations properly, you build yourself a source that’s more accurate than any public list.

Spotting and photography

Locomotives on shunting and trip-working duties are a discipline in their own right: they move slowly and stop often, but mostly stand on operational railway land – and that’s off limits.

• Work from public space. Platforms, public paths and bridges are the only permitted locations. Tracks, operational railway land and depots are private property; entering them is prohibited and potentially fatal. The guide to spotting at marshalling yards shows how this works in practice.
• Pay attention to light and contrast. Shunting locomotives often wear dark or heavily patterned liveries. Low side light in the morning or late afternoon picks out the texture better than midday sun.
• Make use of the slow speed. Unlike long-distance services, you have time for several shots – use it for a clean side view with a legible number.
• Document immediately. How to record sightings so they can be evaluated is described in the article on keeping a sighting logbook.

Common mix-ups

Conclusion

The Modula EBB is a good example of the fact that not every vehicle can be understood from a data table. What counts here is the principle: a modular locomotive kit from Kiel, vehicle type code 90, used on shunting and trip-working duties. Everything else is written on the vehicle itself – and that’s exactly why a photo of the lettering is worth more here than any description of its shape.