The locomotives of the V 300 family were some of the most powerful diesel locomotives ever built for the railways of the former East Germany. At the time of their introduction, these “Ludmilla” diesels were seldom recorded, possibly because their introduction precipitated the demise of many steam locomotives on the main line.
That would only change decades later. Today, these 3,000 hp Co-Co machines from Voroshilovgrad have achieved cult status amongst enthusiasts. The surviving examples are frequently photographed on their travels around Germany.
The author of this book, Thomas Frister, saw the attraction of the “Ludmilla” when the locomotives were first introduced in 1973. He systematically planned operations to capture photographs of the locos all around East Germany. Hauptsache Ludmilla contains a selection of his high quality black & white photographs, documenting both the “Ludmilla” and a railway landscape that is much different to that of today.
The book contains over 140 high quality black & white images, mainly in one-per-page format and each with a detailed caption describing the subject. Hauptsache Ludmilla enables the reader to relive the heyday of the "Ludmilla", including images showing the locos working express passenger trains, or at the front of long freight trains in some of the most spectacular German low mountain landscapes. The book is also a reminder of the operation of Deutsche Reichsbahn in the years before German reunification. 128 pages. German text. Hardback.
Special note: The Today’s Railways Subscriber Price of Hauptsache Ludmilla is £27.95. To benefit from Today’s Railways subscriber prices, why not take out a 12-issue subscription to Today’s Railways Europe or Today’s Railways UK today and receive all the latest news, features and articles every month.
If you already subscribe but can’t see your subscriber prices online, please send an email to orders@platform5.com to activate your Subscriber Account.