Kuehn - 95010 - Locomotive, Electric, BR 180 - Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) - 180 020-0

Model Information: First released in 2014.
Features

• Minimum radius: 192mm
• extremely fine detailing by manufacturing plastic injection molding process
• Five-pole engine for excellent low-speed characteristics
• Two dynamically balanced flywheels ensure smooth running
• All four axles are driven for best traction
• Two wheels with traction tires
• direction-dependent lighting (three-light head signal and 2 red tail lights)
• NEM358 coupler pocket with short coupling kinematics

DCC Information: DCC socket Next18 (NEM662)

Prototype History: The DR class BR230 / ČSD class 371/372 is a 3260 kW dual-current electrical locomotives developed by the DR (Deutschen Reichbahn, eastern German Railways) and the ČSD (Czechoslovak Railways) for cross-border traffic between Berlin / Dresden (Germany) and Prague (Czech Republic). It is suitable to work with 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz AC in Germany and in 3 kV DC in Czech Republic.
The locomotive was manufactured by Škoda, based on ČSD class ES 499.1, and nicknamed "Knödelpressen" (dumpling press) due to its Czech origins. The prototype was delivered in 1988 and the series delivered in 1991: 20 came to the DR as class BR230 and 15 to the ČSD as class 371 (passenger version 160km/h) and class 372 (freight version 120 km/h).
In 1992, the German BR230 were re-classified by DB as BR 180. They were removed from service by the DB by the end of 2014.
The ČSD class 371 and 372 were all transferred to the ČD (Czech Railways) after the split of Czechoslovak .

Read more on this website (in German)

Road Name History: From 1949, the new governments assumed authority for railway operations. The DRG's (or DR's) successors were named Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB, German Federal Railways) in West Germany, and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR, German State Railways) in East Germany kept the old name to hold tracking rights in western Berlin.

Unlike the DRG, which was a corporation, both the DB and the DR were federal state institutions, directly controlled by their respective transportation ministries. Railway service between East and West was restricted; there were around five well-controlled and secure checkpoints between West and East Germany, and about the same number between East Germany and West Berlin. Four transit routes existed between West Germany and West Berlin; citizens of West Berlin and West Germany were able to use these without too much harassment by the East German authorities.

The DB started in 1968 with changing the locomotive and passenger car serial numbers to the UIC norm. In 1970 the DR followed. The DB started experimenting with the Intercity trains in a new livery (bright orange).

From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Kuehn Modell & Digital is a German manufacturer founded by Torsten Kühn in 1998 in Rheinbreitbach, near Bonn. From their creation, they design digital products including NMRA DCC decoders. In 2006, they started producing TT-scale models and in 2010 N-scale models.