Notes

MRCE Dispolok, formerly Siemens Dispolok, is one of the first and largest locomotive leasing companies in continental europe. While their fleet is now more and more shifting to the [Siemens ES 64 F4, german class 189][br189], one of their original mainstays and, while the 189s are delivered, still the largest part of their fleet is the Siemens ES 64 U2, known in Austria as [class 1116][itl] and with DB as [class 182][db] and, after their official austrian nickname, generally called Taurus. Most customers are freight railroads and don’t really need the locomotives 230 kph (243 mph) top speed, but a number of them were used, together with DB’s own 182s, in ICE replacement services earlier this year.

ES 64 U2 - 026 here, back in freight business, was the first to get repainted in the new paint scheme that was created after MRCE took over Dispolok, featuring mainly black, some silver applications, and a white (required in the Netherlands) and red (required in Italy) front, regardless of whether the locomotive can even run in either country (this one can’t). While this paint scheme fits the boxy 189 rather well, it can be debated whether it really is that great on the Taurus.