While ABB-Henschel had received the order from DB to build the class 101 express locomotive and Siemens was building the class 152 freight locomotive, AEG had received the order for a medium-power freight locomotive. This got the class number 145 and was based directly on the 12X. In addition to the lower continuous output of only 4,200 kW, the nose-suspended motors were an important distinguishing feature, since only 140 km/h had to be reached.
Since the rail vehicle division of AEG merged with ABB-Henschel to form ADtranz shortly after the order was placed, the 145 was now built together with the 101 under one roof. For reasons of rationalization, some standardizations were made that affected the electrics, bogies and the shape of the locomotive body.
DB Cargo ordered a total of 80 locomotives, the first ten of which were built in Hennigsdorf and the rest in Kassel. There were no further orders from DB Cargo because the multi-system class 185 locomotives were now available. Another 17 went to private leasing companies as the “145-CL” and six went to the Swiss Mittelthurgaubahn. The locomotives running there as Re 486 were handed over to SBB Cargo in 2003 when MThB was liquidated, renumbered as Re 481 and used in Germany. They later came to different companies.
In 1999, the DB Regio realized that, despite modern multiple units, they still needed locomotives to pull double-decker coaches at 160 km/h in highly frequented regional traffic. Thus, two locomotives of the class 145 were equipped with push-pull train controls and destination indicators and operated with a special permit at 160 km/h. Since this was successful, 20 more locomotives were converted in the same form in 2000 and used at the Expo.
The class 1460 emerged from these conversions, which was built 31 times up to 2002. It now had a quill drive instead of the nose-suspended motors and full-width destination indicators. After protests from passengers, it even partially took over the services of equally modern multiple units of the class 425 on longer routes. In 2010, all class 1460 locomotives were upgraded to a continuous output of 5,600 kW, which required adjustments to the software as well as a different ventilation system. Since this was not approved by the Federal Railway Authority, they were de-rated to 4,200 kW.