Class 243 of the former GDR (East Germany) German State Railroad. With digital, high-efficiency propulsion. Headlights digitally controlled. Electronic reverse unit. 2 axles powered. 4 traction tires. Interior details. Length over buffers 19.1 cm (7-1/2").
At the start of the 1980s the progressive electrification of the German State Railroad demanded the procurement of a new electric locomotive. This new locomotive had to be usable for important express passenger service as well as for freight traffic - with a different gear ratio and different braking equipment for the latter. The first locomotive in this class was introduced at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1982. The last locomotive in a series of 646 units was built at the end of 1990. These locomotives have turned out so well that their operating territory has been expanded to all of Germany. A unit was even leased to the Southeast Railroad in Switzerland.
