The Köf II – The Indispensable Shunter In the 1930s, the German railways faced a challenge: using large steam locomotives to shunt just a few wagons at small stations was far too expensive. There was a need for a small, simple locomotive that could be used immediately without long startup times. This led to the development of the Köf II. The letters in the name represent its technical design: the K stands for Kleinlokomotive (small locomotive), the ö for the fuel Öl (diesel), and the f for Flüssigkeitsgetriebe (hydraulic transmission). Thanks to this hydraulic transmission, the loco was easy to operate and very reliable. Its low center of gravity and compact build made it ideal for tight curves on industrial sites. Although early versions had an open cab, almost all locomotives were later fitted with an enclosed cab to protect the driver. The Köf II was so successful that the last units only disappeared from active service with the DB in the 1990s.
The Brawa 0470 is an H0 scale model of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) Köf 6403, finished in the classic black and red livery from Era III. In the model railway world, this model is known as a small technical masterpiece.
Since the real locomotive is very small, Brawa chose a heavy die-cast zinc chassis for this model. This extra weight is crucial; it ensures the loco not only has good power pickup on points and dirty rails, but also possesses the pulling power to move a realistic string of wagons.
Key features of the model:
Detailing: Very fine representation of the drive chains, brake rods, and the rivets on the hood.
Lighting: Equipped with directional headlights.
Versatility: Thanks to its compact dimensions, this model is extremely suitable for small fiddle yards or automating a switching puzzle on a local branch line.
With the 0470, Brawa has created a model that, just like the original, looks modest but delivers top performance on the layout.
