Minitrix M16445 DB BR44 1315 Steam Locomotive III (DCC-Sound) N Gauge

DB BR44 1315 Steam Locomotive III (DCC-Sound) 1:160 scale model produced by Minitrix. This model is ready-to-run straight out of the box and would make a excellent addition to any model railway collection. Features: DCC Sound Model Best suited to Epoch III Model Railways This model mainly operates in Germany This model is decorated in DB company markings Metal construction. Bell armature motor with flywheel. Steam loco sound. The restored prototype locomotive is on display at the Märklineum. Running gear lights. Firebox flickering. Prototypical tender fitted with spoked and solid wheels. Details The DRG Class 44 was one of the most powerful and prolific heavy freight steam locomotives used in Germany during the steam era. Developed in the late 1920s for the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, it was designed to haul very heavy goods trains over steep gradients on main and secondary routes. Its 2-10-0 wheel arrangement (two leading wheels and five coupled driving axles) provided enormous tractive effort and excellent adhesion, making it ideal for the toughest freight duties across Germany’s expanding rail network. The Class 44 was built in large numbers over several decades, serving through the 1930s, World War II and into the post-war period. It formed the backbone of heavy goods traction for the Reichsbahn, Deutsche Bundesbahn (West Germany) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany), performing relentlessly on loaded ore, coal and freight services. Over time, many locomotives were modernised with improved boilers, better braking systems and other enhancements to extend their service life. Class 44 locomotives were typically allocated to major freight depots and worked heavy trains over challenging routes such as the Halle–Kassel, Ruhr routes and Bavarian gradients, where their power and reliability were essential. Withdrawals took place gradually as diesel and electric traction took over in the 1960s and 1970s, but a significant number remained in service into the early post-steam era.