Starting in 1997, the paint scheme was changed once again to traffic red and the bibs on the ends of the locomotive were replaced by a narrower bar. After an overhaul at Opladen from an accident, road number 151 004 then gleamed in September of 1997 as the first unit in the new paint scheme. Starting in the fall of 1998, the class 151 units were equipped with the DBS 54 single-arm pantograph, which almost all units were then given in succession. Use of the locomotives in passenger service ended with the founding of DB Cargo, Inc. on January 1, 1999 and the assignment of all class 151 units to the new group. The DB Cargo lettering on the sides showed that they now belonged to the DB freight division. Starting in November of 2003, all class 151 units were based in Nürnberg, whereby other facilities participated in their servicing.

Prototype: German Railroad, Inc. (DB AG) DB Cargo class 151 heavy freight locomotive. Traffic red paint scheme. Road number 151 070-0. The locomotive looks as it did in Era V around 1998.
Model: The locomotive is completely new tooling. The running gear with the main frame and locomotive body are constructed of die-cast zinc. The locomotive has many separately applied parts of centrifugally cast brass. It also has an mfx digital decoder with up to 32 functions, a built-in buffer capacitor with adjustable parameters, controlled high efficiency propulsion, and extensive sound functions such as running sounds, vent blowers, locomotive whistle, other announcements, and warnings. The locomotive can be operated with AC, DC, Märklin Digital, and DCC. It has powerful motors with propulsion to all axles. The current buffers have adjustable parameters. There are pantographs that can be raised and lowered with servomotors in digital operation. The white and red LED headlights / marker lights change over with the direction of travel, will work in conventional operation, and can be controlled digitally. The engine room lighting can be controlled. There is white LED lighting in the cabs that changes over with the direction of travel as well as approaching train lamps, which change over with the direction of travel.The cab doors can be opened, there are interior details, and one cab has a figure of a locomotive engineer. There is also engineer control desk lighting. The locomotive has metal grab irons and many other separately applied parts such as signs, windshield wipers, whistle, and much more. The buffer beams have sprung buffers and separately applied brake lines. The locomotive has a factory-installed, remote controlled Telex coupler on the rear and a prototype coupler on the front. Each of the couplers can be replaced by the other type of coupler (included with the locomotive).Minimum radius for operation is 1,020 mm / 40-3/16. Length over the buffers 60.9 cm / 24.Weight approximately 6.9 kilograms / 15 pounds 3 ounces.