At the beginning of the nineteen-fifties, the Deutsche Reichsbahn was suffering from an acute locomotive shortage. Even the smallest of shunting locomotives was in short supply, leading to the commissioning of new Kö II and Köf II shunting locos.
In 1955, LKM Babelsberg delivered the first 150 hp Class V 15 locomotive. The original design saw minor modifications, including the fitting of a more powerful engine, but the V15 remained in production until 1966 until superseded by the very similar Class V22. This newer design only lasted in production for two years before being replaced by the all-new 220 hp Class V23.
From 1970, all DR locomotives were reclassified and these three classes became the 101 and 102 series. This classification system remained in place until German re-unification and in the 1990s the locomotives became Classes 311 and 312.
Today, Deutsche Bahn no longer has any former DR small shunters, but many examples have found new homes with private companies or at museum railways.
Kleinloks der DR: Die Baureihen V 15, V 22 und V 23 contains video footage of these locomotives taken throughout their working lives. Includes archive material from the DR years, later service life with DB and more recent footage of the still operational examples in industry and preservation. 58 minutes running time. German commentary.