The Bavarian Group Administration carried out a large electrification programme around Munich in the 1920s. In the course of this programme, electric locomotives were procured for express train services from 1926. These were equipped with four traction motors and a single-axle drive (system “Buchli”) instead of the previously common rod drive. The locomotives were used around Munich. From the mid-1960s, the locomotives were used in subordinate services.

Our locomotive was built in 1927 and came to the Deutsche Reichsbahn and then to the Bundesbahn as E16 08. In 1968 it was renumbered 116 008-4 and was withdrawn from service in 1978. After it was taken out of service, it was intended for the collection of the Nuremberg Transport Museum. In 1988, we received the locomotive as a permanent lending to look after it and to supplement our own collection.