Shortly after the Fall of the Berlin Wall and around the time of the German reunification, Deutsche Reichsbahn (which merged with Deutsche Bundesbahn into Deutsche Bahn in 1994) all of sudden required new, faster electric locomotives. The most modern class under construction, then, was what is now the 143. With a maximum speed of just 120 km/h, it's not exactly fast, so the decision was made to upgrade the model by changing the drivetrain, especially the gear ratio.
Today, these locomotives, which are, except for their higher top speed, much the same as the 143, are numbered Baureihe (Class) 114. About 40 units were built in 1990. They do RegionalExpress and RegionalBahn service around Berlin with Deutsche Bahn's short-range operator, DB Regio.
Technical fact sheet:
- Concept: Bo'Bo' layout (four axles in two bogies), all axles driven; conventional two-phase AC motors controlled by a 31-level thyristor controller
- Power: 4,220 kW for one hour at 102 km/h; 4,000 kW sustained; -2,690 kW when electrically braking
- Traction: 248 kN maximum, 120 kN for one hour
- Top speed: 160 km/h
- Total weight: 82.8 tonnes (20.7 tonnes per axle)
- Height: 3.98 m
- Length: 16.64 m
- Distance between bogies: 8.5 m
- Distance between axles in bogie: 3.4 m
- Diameter of driven wheels: 1.25 m
These are nearly the same data as for the 143, except for the much higher power and top speed.