There's a new star in the locomotive heavens: locomotive 151 129 has been given a striking new look as Deutsche Bahn AG prepares to bid its final farewell to Class 151. This special repainting job celebrates the end of an era as the last series of mechanical locomotive, Class 151, enters its well-deserved retirement on 30 June 2024. Half of the locomotive now features its original 1976 colour scheme. Bearing witness to history, it will remain in service for another four weeks through the end of June.
A fitting send-off for an old favourite
Shawn Glaeser, Head of the European Works Council Office and European Works Committee of Deutsche Bahn AG, explains that the idea for this project came from railway employees from the Ruhr region. Working as volunteers, we wanted to restore an old locomotive to its former magnificence. After a careful selection process, we decided on Railpool's locomotive 151 129. I contacted the model railway company PIKO Spielwaren GmbH. They were very enthusiastic and supported our volunteer work by funding the project. The locomotive was repainted from 23 to 26 May 2024 at the Hagen-Vorhalle locomotive depot and at DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung in Hagen. All other work, including cleaning and degreasing the locomotive, was done on a voluntary basis. In addition, PIKO will produce and sell a model railway locomotive as a farewell to 151 129. We're delighted that we were able to complete this project.