In 1969, the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) placed an order with the Soviet manufacturer, the Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works, for a six-axle, general-purpose locomotive equipped with a train-heating system for passenger service. The first two batches, designated as classes 130 and 131, lacked this heating equipment. By 1973, however, the DR finally received the first unit of the class 132, which featured both a train-heating system and an electric brake. Since most of the components—with the exception of the heating system—had already proven their worth in hundreds of other units, the new locomotive immediately demonstrated itself to be both reliable and robust. DR technicians also quickly resolved issues involving unintended signal interference caused by frequency overlap with the heating generator.

A total of 709 units of the class 132 were built. As a diesel-electric locomotive, it is powered by a medium-speed, 16-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine (model 16 ChN 26/26, type 5D49), which drives a generator that, in turn, supplies power to six nose-suspended traction motors. With an output of 3,000 hp, the class 132 locomotives were initially the most powerful diesel engines in the DR fleet. Given the 120 km/h speed limit in the GDR, the class 132—referred to simply as the "Russian" or "Big Russian" by railway staff—could be used for all types of trains. Railway enthusiasts later dubbed them "Ludmilla." Until the end of the 1990s—and on many lines well into the new millennium—the low-pitched, rumbling idle and the high-pitched whistle under full load defined the soundscape at railway stations and along the tracks. Contrary to popular belief, the high-pitched whistling sound does not come from the turbocharger, but rather from the fans of the cooling systems for the traction motors. To dampen these distinct noises, the Deutsche Bahn (DB) equipped many of the locomotives with new ventilation grilles on the sloped sections of the roof, as well as raised ducts for the triple-fan assemblies. Shortly after German reunification, the DB had ambitious plans for these six-axle Russian-built locomotives. As the oldest units in the West German V160 family were approaching 40 years of service—and with many locomotives becoming increasingly prone to breakdowns while handling heavy-duty industrial traffic for the steel sector in the Ruhr region—the DB began relocating the first "132" series locomotives to Oberhausen in 1992. Despite initial skepticism regarding the unfamiliar diesel-electric technology, the locomotive engineers in the West quickly grew accustomed to them. In Oberhausen, too, these "Russian" machines—by then designated as class 232—earned a reputation as reliable workhorses.

Among the legendary services operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were the "Städteexpress" (city-express) trains, introduced in 1976, which connected major regional hubs with the capital, East Berlin. Today, nine of the ten 4,000 hp "142" series locomotives—a variant the DB had phased out back in the 1990s—remain in operation with private railway companies. Nevertheless, the DB AG later commissioned the conversion of a class 232 unit into the 4,000 hp class 232 800; this was followed by ten additional units, classified as class 241, intended for cross-border freight traffic to the Netherlands. Two of these powerful machines are now operated by Erfurter Bahnservice GmbH (EBS).

The "Big Russians" (class 132 locomotives) were a fixture on all major railway lines in the GDR that had been upgraded to support a 20-tonne axle load. Given that these robust six-axle locomotives remained in service in significant numbers with DB AG and various private railway operators well into the 2010s, it was an honor for us at ESU to release an H0-scale model of this classic a decade ago. Since then, we have advanced our technology, equipping diesel locomotives with new features and introducing bass-reflex acoustics. Responding to numerous requests for a new version of the 132, we are now launching a model that has been largely re-engineered in terms of both its drive system and functionality. Visually, the new locomotive is distinguished by its modified front ends, featuring a window section that extends further forward toward the center. Power is now provided by a smooth-running coreless motor equipped with flywheels; its compact dimensions allow for a highly detailed engine room interior. The gearing has been adapted to suit this new motor. The three traction motor cooling fans—which are audibly prominent on the real locomotive—now actually rotate. As you would expect from ESU, their operation is context-dependent: the fans engage sequentially based on the throttle setting (speed step) and switch off again as speed decreases. During heavy braking, the dynamic braking resistor fans located behind cab 1 become active, both visually and audibly. Speaking of sound: the speaker system, featuring a passive radiator and a large acoustic enclosure, brings out the nuances of the new sound project exceptionally well. The universal electronics—including the plug-in pickup shoe—have been retained, while switching between AC and DC operation is now handled via a reliable slide switch located in the fuel tank area. And the newly designed smoke generator is even more responsive than the old one. Proven features have been retained. The frame and housing are still made of metal, and the intricate, multi-part bogies continue to impress with their delicate detail and the inclusion of separately applied, authentic springs. The roof features open-work ventilation grilles that are correctly specific to each individual locomotive number. Please refer to the list on the final page for details on the various lighting functions. Naturally, a PowerPack storage capacitor is also included on board.

• Body and frame made of metal
• Metal body with reworked front ends, improved engine room interior
• Motor-driven traction motor fans that start up one after another depending on the operating situation
• Motor-driven dynamic brake resistor fans spin during hard braking
• Coreless motor with flywheel
• Drive via cardan shafts and worm gears to four axles, four traction tires
• Genuine ESU LokSound 5 decoder for DCC, Motorola®, M4 and Selectrix operation
• Switchable synchronized smoke unit, smoke output synchronized with the LokSound
• Automatic registration with command stations supporting RailComPlus® or mfx®
• Universal electronics with plug-in pickup shoe and slide switch for changing between two-rail and three-rail operation
• PowerPack storage capacitor for uninterrupted power supply
• High-quality speaker with passive radiator and large sound chamber for superb sound and perfect bass reproduction
• Digitized original sounds of a 16 Tsch N 26/26 diesel engine (type 5 D 49)
• Wheel squeal triggered by curve sensor when running slowly through curves
• Direction-dependent headlight change (lamps switch on one after another), headlights on the train end can be switched off, upper headlight can be dimmed (Class 132, 232, 234, 241 353); cab and driver’s desk lighting, engine room and entrance area lighting; high beam function on 241 449
• Brake sparks during hard braking
• Separately applied grab rails, finely detailed, type-specific pierced grilles in the sloped roof sections
• Extremely finely detailed, multi-colored cab with driver figure
• Sprung buffers, standard coupler pocket with close coupling mechanism
• Minimum radius = 360 mm
• Length over buffers = 239.3 mm