E 04

When the line Augsburg-Stuttgart was electrified, the DRG ordered 10 locomotives of type E 04. These locomotives were destined for lines in Middle-Germany. Because of that the services of the E 17 were moved to the Southern part of Germany. The locomotives E 04 were built by AEG and the first locomotives were delivered in 1932 to the Bw Leipzig Hbf West. The first locomotive was entering service as E 04 01. Until the summer of 1933 another nine locomotives were built and delivered. The E 04 09 reached at a test run on 28 June 1933 a speed of 151,5 km/h. As a result, the locomotives E 04 09 and E 04 10 were modified for speeds up to 130 km/h. The locomotives E 04 11 up to E 04 23, which were delivered at the end of 1935, had a topspeed of 130 km/h. In 1943 the DRG put all E 04 locomotives aside, only the locomotives E 04 17 up to E 04 23 remained in service in Middle-Germany.

For new alternatives in FD train services, the DRG modified in 1939 the E 04 23 for use in push/pull trains. The service for this new train was planned on the line Berlin-München. The E 04 23 was equiped with the technique of the E 18 and got strengthened brakes. Also a luggage coach Pw4üK was rebuilt and was equiped with a cabin for the push/pull train, a coach B4ü and two coaches C4ü all in the color blue complemented this train. In 1939 the DRG made a couple of testruns between Nürnberg and München with speeds up to 130 km/h. But these testruns were stopped when the second world war broke out.

In service at the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DDR)

The DR in the former DDR took over 14 locomotives, they got the indication 204. The DR set the 204 005, 204 007 and the 204 015 as last locomotives of the series 204 aside in 1977.

The push/pull train with locomotive E 04 23 was after the war located at the Rbd Erfurt. The train was took away by the Russians in September 1946 and was returned to the DR in June 1952. The locomotive was again in service in March 1957 and got in the spring of 1959 an new push/pull installation. Until March 1966, the locomotive was in service in a push/pull service between Halle Hbf and Leipzig Hbf. After that the locomotive was brought into service as a regular E 04 from Bw Leipzig Hbf until 1975.