The DB Class V90 (after 1968 the DB Class 290) locomotive is a German diesel-hydraulic locomotive for shunting and freight hauling.

The DB Class V90 locomotives are similar to DB Class V 100 (Class 211 & 212) locomotives, they stemmed from a need for a heavy shunting locomotive - it was originally planned to create a heavy shunting variant of the V 100 (ballasted and with reinforced frame) to be produced, but this did not come to pass due to the designs stability problems.

Originally the locomotives were deep red (RAL 3004), in the mid-1970s a new ivory / ocean blue (RAL 5020 - RAL 1014) colour scheme was introduced, in the second half of the 1980s an eastern red (RAL 3031) color scheme was used and since the late'90s, the locomotives are found in the current traffic (RAL 3020) red of Deutsche Bahn AG.

From 1995, large numbers of locomotives of the class were fitted a different type of radio remote produced by Krauss-Maffei (KM). The remote device is carried by remote train driver (German:Lokrangierführer LRF ) in a so-called "Belly Box" (see Remote control locomotive for details) and operated in a manner similar to that of a toy car or model aircraft remote control. This type of control is used in shunting operations and was previously used with smaller shunting locomotives such as the DB Class V 60 and DB Class Köf III (DB class 331 to 335). The rebuilt locomotives of the 290 series form Class 294, rebuilt locomotives of the 291 series form Class 295.

[Quellen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DB_Class_V_90]

livery Dortmunder Eisenbahn; only fictional for German class 294 - repaint by Paul S.