The DRG Class E 79 (originally ordered as Bavarian Class EG 4) was one of the goods train electric locomotive classes procured by the Bavarian Group Administration of the Deutsche Reichsbahn for the line from Freilassing to Berchtesgaden. The two engines, delivered in 1927, were scrapped however as early as the start of the Second World War.

After the First World War the volume transported on the line from Freilassing to Berchtesgaden rose sharply. As a result, the Bavarian Group Administration ordered two more locomotives in 1923. The two engines were built by the firm of J. A. Maffei in Munich, whilst the electrical components came from Pöge Elektrizitäts AG in Chemnitz. Originally the engines were to have entered service as nos. EG 4 22 101 and 22 102, but due to problems with the delivery of the electrical components the locomotives were not ready until 1927. As a result, they were given the numbers E 79 01 and 02 by the Deutsche Reichsbahn based on their renumbering plan.

The two locomotives were station in Bw Freilassing. They did not perform particularly well in service; no. E 79 01 being especially prone to damage. Another problem was the procurement of spares for the small number of units in this class. As a result, both locomotives were quickly retired, in 1939 and 1940 respectively.

• Bäzold, Dieter; Fiebig, Günther (1984). Eisenbahn-Fahrzeug-Archiv 4: Elektrische Lokomotiven deutscher Eisenbahnen (1st ed.). Düsseldorf: Alba-Verlag. ISBN 3-87094-093-X. And the 5th edition (1984), Berlin: Transpress Verlag.

• Postcard photograph of an E 79

v t e Classes of Bavarian locomotive and railcars
Early locomotives	Adler Jupiter and Juno Vesta and Venus Vulkan and Mars Merkur and Diana A I A II A III A IV A V B I B II B III B IV B V B V (artic) C I C II
Passenger and express train locomotives	B VI B VII B VIII B IX (old) B IX B X B XI Zw B XI Vbd C V AA I S 2/5 (Vauclain) S 2/5 S 2/6 S 3/5 N S 3/5 H S 3/6 P 2/4 P 3/5 N P 3/5 H
Goods train locomotives	C II C III C IV Zw C IV Vbd C VI E I E I (Vauclain) BB I G 3/4 N G 3/4 H G 4/5 N G 4/5 H G 5/5
Tank locomotives	D I D II D II (old) D III D IV D V D IX D XII Pt 2/3 Pt 2/4 N Pt 2/4 H Pt 2/5 N Pt 2/5H Pt 3/6 Gt 2×4/4 R 3/3 R 4/4
Branch line locomotives	D VI D VII D VIII D X D XI BB II PtL 2/2 (Maffei) PtL 2/2 (Krauss) PtL 3/3 PtL 3/4 PtzL 3/4 GtL 4/4 (GtL 4/5 - DRG 98.10) (GtL 4/5 - DRG 98.11)
Narrow gauge locomotives	LE Pts 3/4 Gts 4/4 Gts 2x3/3
Electric locomotives	ES 1 EP 1 EP 2 EP 3 EP 4 EP 5 EG 1 EG 2 EG 3 (EG 4) (EG 5)
Railbuses	Krauss railmotor MCi MBCi MCCi MBCL MPL D4ieIT (D4ieIT variant - DRG ET 85)
Bavarian Ostbahn locomotives	A 1 – A 12 A 13 – A 24 A 1 – A 2 B 1 – B 66 B 67 – B 78 B 79 – B 90 B 91 – B 96 B 97 – B 109 C 1 – C 12 C 13 – C 64 D 1 – D 12 D 13 – D 14
Royal Bavarian State Railways

v t e Classes of German electric locomotives
Current class numbering	101 102 103 104 105 109 110 111 112 112 (old) 113 114 114 (old) 115 116 117 118 119 120 127 128 132 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 146.1 146.2 147 150 151 152 152 (DB) 155 156 160 163 169 171 175 180 181 182 182 (old) 183 183 (old) 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 193 193 (old) 194
Pre-1968 class numbering	E 03 E 04 E 05 E 10 E 10.12 E 15 E 16 E 17 E 18 E 19 E 21 E 32 E 36 E 40 E 41 E 44 E 50 E 52 E 60 E 61 E 62 E 63 E 69 E 70.2 E 71 E 72 E 73 E 75 E 77 E 79 E 80 E 91 E 91.3 E 92 E 93 E 94 E 95 E 244 E 310 E 320 E 344 E 410
DR classes	204 211 212 218 230 242 243 244 250 251 252 254
Older DR classes	E 04 E 05 E 11 E 17 E 18 E 21 E 42 E 44 E 77 E 94 E 95 E 251
see also Category:Deutsche Bundesbahn locomotives, Category:Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) locomotives, Category:Deutsche Bahn locomotives