This article is the latest in my occasional series about the plethora of European locomotives that can be found in (occasionally surprising) places away from railway property.
The locomotive in question is ex-DB class 104 electric 104 020, a 1-Co-1 machine built by AEG in 1934, initially as Deutsche Reichsbahn E04 20. Withdrawn from use at the start of 1977, it passed to the collection of the DB Museum, and did indeed power railtours on the main line.
However, since 3rd November 2002, it has had a purely static existence.
The view of E04 20 in its current resting place, as per Google Maps!
It – along with Mitropa coach WR4ü 1189 – is on display on a short length of track outside the DB Headquarters on Idsteiner Strasse in Frankfurt am Main (see street view and link to map above).
How to get there
This must be one of the easiest such locomotives to visit – it cannot be seen from a train, but it is on permanent public display and just a 300 metre walk from the nearest station – in this case Galluswarte, on the S3, S4, S5 and S6 S-Bahn routes. Galluswarte is just a matter of minutes’ ride from Hauptbahnhof and indeed – as long as you don’t hang around(!) – it’s actually possible to get out to see 104 020 and return in a 30-minute layover there.
Do you find this type of article useful or interesting? I tend to try to focus on haulage-related subjects with this website, but I’d like to try to gauge interest in things that are a little outside of that remit.
European Traction 