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28.01.2026 Press Release: Report on the rollout of 103 233 in Koblenz on 23/01/2026

A piece of railway history shines anew: Electric locomotive 103 233 celebrates its rollout at the DB Museum Koblenz

Koblenz-Lützel, 23 January 2026 – On Friday, the official rollout of the restored electric locomotive 103 233 was celebrated at the DB Museum Koblenz-Lützel. As part of a comprehensive overhaul, the historic locomotive received, among other things, a new blue/beige paint scheme. The project stands as an example of a respectful approach to railway history – with the aim of preserving it for the future and making it newly tangible.

To this day, Class 103 is regarded as an icon of German locomotive engineering and a symbol of the golden age of InterCity services. However, decades of operation and exposure to the elements had left clear traces: corrosion damage and progressive material degradation threatened the long-term preservation of the locomotive. Thanks to the great commitment of the DB Museum Koblenz and the partnership-based cooperation with the dealers’ association Die Modellbahnexperten as well as the model railway manufacturer PIKO, this deterioration was successfully halted. As a sign of this cooperation, the logos of Die Modellbahnexperten and PIKO now adorn the sides of the locomotive.

The focus of the restoration was not only on visual enhancement, but above all on the sustainable preservation of the locomotive as a piece of technical cultural heritage. Alongside the prototype, an exclusive H0 model of 103 233 in the new livery is being produced by PIKO and will be available exclusively through the retailers of Die Modellbahnexperten (item numbers #71366 / #71367 / #71368).

As part of the event, a donation cheque in the amount of 13,000 euros was presented to the museum director. The sum is shared equally by PIKO and the retailers of Die Modellbahnexperten and is generated from the sales proceeds of the exclusive models. PIKO Sales Director Jens Beyer emphasized the special significance of the project: “As a manufacturer of model railways, we feel closely connected to the great history of our prototype. Supporting the restoration of 103 233 is therefore a matter close to our hearts. The DB Museum Koblenz is doing outstanding work here, which we are very happy to support.”

The DB Museum Koblenz is closely connected to the DB Museum Nuremberg as an external site and makes a significant contribution to bringing railway history to life. Projects such as the restoration of 103 233 demonstrate how important cooperation between museums, industry and trade is in order to preserve technical cultural heritage in the long term. PIKO supports this commitment out of conviction and with great pleasure, to keep the fascination of railways and their history alive for future generations.