In its original role for hauling local trains, class E 41 proved both reliable and efficient, especially with push-pull trains. Less successful was the usage with
S-Bahn trains, as class E 41 was not equipped with
regenerative braking, which would have helped to reduce abrasion. Class E 41 service stayed largely unchanged until the early 1990s. Since then many units have been replaced by former
Deutsche Reichsbahn units of
class 143 especially in S-Bahn service. Furthermore, since mid-1990s EMUs and newer locomotives as
class 146 replaced even more class 141 units. Since then, many have been scrapped. Unit 141 188 was the first to retire on October 31, 1987; the total number of engines has hence fallen since. The last four remaining units, which finally were held ready hot standby around Frankfurt and used in case of need for defective younger machines were de-commissioned in December 2006. ==Liveries==