Background and overview
The traction system of class DF200 diesel-electric locomotives built in 2005 and onward were changed into new one employing Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) and these locomotives were classified into -100 subclass. 23 vehicles were delivered over the period from 2005 until 2011.

Car body
Its body features double ended boxcab style constructed by steel. Their body skin features weatherproof high-tension steel sheet for anti-corrosion improvement. Its roof plate is detachable for mounting/dismounting equipments fitted inside its body. The both ends are no gangwayed, feature dogleg streamline shape, and have two rectangle shaped headlights above its windscreens. They also have two tail lights and two headlights in left and right below its windscreens. Hinged doors for the train crew are located at the right front and toward middle of the vehicle. Airtightness and heating capacity are reinforced for the cold resistant.
Inside of the vehicle is divided into 3 rooms. A room at the centre is equipped with radiators to cool the coolant of the prime mover. Two rooms located at the both end of the centre room are equipped with a prime mover, a traction alternator, a traction system, and an auxiliary power supply unit. Thus, two heat exhaust fans are fitted on the roof at the center of the body. Two rectangular louver windows for the ventilation are fitted on the outside wall and two vertically long louver windows for radiators are fitted between louver windows for the ventilation. It is also equipped with fuel tanks, air reservoir tanks, and braking resistors with snow guard shutters for prevention from snow entering under the floor. Its livery is light and dark grey with scarlet accent. The obstacle deflector is painted in gray. "JRF" and "RED BEAR" logos are applied on the side of their body.

Bogies
Bogies are FDT100 for outer and FDT101 for centre. Their bogies feature bolster-less secondary air suspension, axle arm type journal box supporting system, and the Z link traction device with low centre pivot. These bogies adopt the yaw dampers to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at 110km/h. An air suspension cover is fitted for antifreezing. Their brake rigging is single tread brake device having brake shoe made of sintered alloy. Their drive unit features single reduction axle-hung. A roller bearing is employed for motor suspension bearing of the nose suspended motor in order to improve meshing precision, provide maintenance free, and prevent galling.

Traction unit and auxiliary equipments
The fleet is equipped with two light weight and high power water-cooled four-cycle V12-cylinder direct injection diesel engine, SDA12V170 of Komatsu, Japan, employing intercooler and supercharger to realize a power output of 1800PS that is 100PS higher than 12V396TE14 of subclass -0. This diesel engine was developed bases on SA12V170-1 of Komatsu employed for the refurbishment of DD51 diesel hydraulic locomotive. These engines share some staple parts namely the cylinder head.
They are also equipped with two revolving field type brush-less alternators, FDM301, which are developed by Toshiba and feature self-ventilation cooling, with a power output of 1550kVA. Three-phase alternating current supplied from alternators is rectified with the diode to supply to the variable frequency drive traction system. Nose-suspended traction motors, FMT100, with a power output of 320kW are controlled by the traction system on axle basis, employing Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT).
Its independent brake which makes brake applications on the head-of-train locomotive employs the electric commanding brake with the rheostatic brake. On the other hand, automatic brake which provides service and emergency braking control for the entire train is controlled by the pressure reduction of the brake pipe depending on the notch command signal.

Operations
DF200-100 diesel electric locomotives, together with DF200-0 and DF200-50 locomotives, entered revenue services of freight train between Obihiro and Goryokaku which was renamed Hakodate freight terminal on March 12, 2011. Freight services hauled by DF200 were extended to Kushiro on the Nemuro line and Kita-Asahikawa on the Souya line in 2008. Finally, they replaced DD51 diesel hydraulic locomotives used on the freight services between Shin-Asahikawa and Kitami, Sekihoku line in 2014. However, some DF200-100 locos were modified to include a countermeasure for noise, classified into -200 subclass and relocated at Aichi depot for the freight services on the Kansai line in Nagoya region.
Remaining DF200-100 diesel electric locomotives are now used on the freight services of the Muroran, Hakodate, Nemuro, and Sekihoku lines.