The classes 130, 131 and 132 are diesel-electric locomotives from the 1970s that were used to power both passenger and freight trains and are still in operation today. They are popularly known as “Ludmilla”. Since many main routes were still without electrification before the planned retirement of the last steam locomotives at the Reichsbahn, the decision was made to use large diesel locomotives. Due to the regulations of the Comecon, the construction of large diesel locomotives was the responsibility of the Soviet Union, and so the Reichsbahnordered a further development of the M62 in Voroshilowgrad (today Luhansk), which, among other countries, was already used in the GDR as the V 200.
Since the Reichsbahn planned to operate at 140 km/h in the near future, the new design was designed for this speed. Ultimately, the model delivered as the class 130 was provided with a gear ratio for 120 km/h, since the timetables and the route expansion did not allow for more for the time being. Since it was common in the Soviet Union to equip passenger cars with individual heaters due to the climate, no electric train heater was available when the train went into service. Therefore, it could initially only be used in front of freight trains.
From 1973, class 131 was supplied with a modified transmission for 100 km/h and thus higher pulling power. However, in the same year, the 132 was available, which was factory-equipped with electric train heating. This was the most frequently built variant and, after being renamed the class 232, is still used today by DB AG. Some of these were later converted to 140 km/h and designated 234 to continue to achieve contemporary performance in passenger service.
232 469 in Railion livery in March 2013
Florian Koppe 
In 1977 and 1978, a total of six locomotives with 2,940 kW (4,000 hp) were built as class 142 for heavy freight service on the not yet electrified routes in the north. With their additional power and a top speed reduced to 100 km/h, they achieved a starting tractive effort of 450 kN and, among other things, pulled oil trains of up to 3,600 tonnes. However, since the decision to electrify these routes was soon made, no more examples were built. Today these are used by private railways.
From 1997, however, similar variants were rebuilt for cross-border freight traffic to Belgium as class 241, which received the same power and also had the top speed reduced to 100 km/h. They were used until the last section of the line was electrified, which was completed in December 2008.
The remaining 232 have been modernized since 1991, for example the original 16-cylinder Kolomna 5D49 engines were replaced with more economical and equally powerful 12-cylinder 12D49M engines. Due to the similarity with its predecessor, this engine was able to assert itself against competing models from Caterpillar and MaK. These models were designated as class 233 and 65 examples were built by 2003.