Product details
German State Railroad class 230 electric locomotive. In the 1980s, the DR procured electric dual-system locomotives to simplify the steadily growing traffic and operations in cross-border traffic between the GDR and Czechoslovakia. Due to the lack of experience in the field of dual-system technology (GDR: alternating voltage 15 kV/16⅔ Hz, ČSSR: direct voltage 3 kV) and full capacity utilization at the electric locomotive manufacturer LEW in Hennigsdorf, the machines were based on the ČSD series ES 499.1 and 499.2. However, the Škoda locomotive factory had not yet built a machine for the 15 kV/16⅔ Hz AC system, so the parts for the AC section were supplied from the GDR. The demand of the ČSD resulted in a double order for Škoda with 15 locomotives BR 372 and 20 locomotives BR 230 for the DR.