Starting in 1948, i.e. before the founding of the Bundesbahn, work began on the design of a lightweight two-axle railcar. The first prototypes were in service from 1950. Series production began in 1952. A total of 557 railcars of the series version and a similar number of sidecars were built for the DB. The vehicle was also procured by foreign railroads. The last vehicle was in service with DB until 1983. The twin-engine VT 98s procured in series from 1995 onward were in service until 2000.
The model was based on an idea by Flogo, but the drive and dimensions were changed.
At the beginning of the 20th century, battery-electric mobility made its debut on the Deutsche Reichsbahn. The best-known representative of this type are the Wittfeld accumulator railcars, which were used until 1907.
Starting in 1930, the Reichsbahn procured prototypes of the newly introduced class of “small locomotives.” These vehicles were intended to facilitate shunting operations at smaller stations. Maintaining a steam locomotive there was far too costly. In addition to the prototypes with internal combustion engines, some storage locomotives were also built.
The later production vehicles of the battery-powered small locomotives were largely based on the Köf II in terms of propulsion and design. The AEG prototypes, on the other hand, consisted of a chassis with a roof. In other words, a prototype reduced to its pure functions. AEG locomotives were powered by two Tatzlager motors. Such a bizarre “gazebo” is preserved with the Ka 4013 in the Railway Museum Bochum-Dahlhausen.
The prototype of my model received a cab somewhat reminiscent of the Einheits-Köf in 1941. The decommissioning by the Bundesbahn took place on 01.02.1973 at the Bw Haltingen. After that, the locomotive was still in service for almost 20 years in Basel for the logistics service provider Interfrigo. The vehicle is preserved in the Bavarian Railway Museum in Nördlingen.
The motorization of my 9 knob wide model is done by circuit cube. The black saucers used only appear with the set 76417. In addition, a few hoses need to be cut.
Winner 2021 in the category Electric Locomotives of the Brickmodelrailroader.
For the buffer stop some custom parts are needed. Some hose rigid 3mm have to be cut to size. Two pieces of rail must be sawed off to 5L. Two filler pieces need to be made in the 3D printer (STL attached). The Sh0 signal needs to be made as a sticker or print.
For the transport of skis with the excursion railcars of the Reichsbahn a corresponding trailer was designed, but not realized. In the mid-50s, the Bundesbahn took up this idea and had a corresponding vehicle built. Even though the trailers were actually used with the VT90 and ET91 observation railcars, the larger number served to transport bicycles and luggage with the single-engine VT95 railbuses. Photos are avaiable in the histroic forum of “Drehscheibe-online”.
Behind this type designation is a rare trailer for the single-engine Uerdingen rail bus VT95. With this, some bicycles or luggage could be taken along, even if the railcar was traveling without a sidecar, which had a luggage compartment.
The quaint verhicle was in service between 1952 and 1961. Only in the Passau area did two trailers survive until 1968.
Even though I made the model hinged. Unfortunately, bicycles cannot be transported in it. At least a few suitcases fit inside. And, since the railbus was sometimes mocked as a piglet cab (“Ferkeltaxi”), it can also be used as a pig trailer.
From the beginning of the 1930s, the types of barriers were standardised in Germany. The result was the “Reichsbahnschranke”. The file contains a basic model that can be adapted to the respective localities.
For the “Oc TRAIN ber 2020” competition of the BrickModellRailorader, a diorama was created that centered on the Klv12 motorized railcar of the Deutsche Bundesbahn. This trolley was used by the railroad maintenance depots for inspection trips and minor maintenance work. With a VW industrial engine derived from the Beetle engine with 28 hp, the trolley travels up to 70 km/h.
Between 1953 and 1962, the companies Draisinenbau Dr. Alpers Hamburg, FKF-Werke Fa. Schmitt and Beilhack GmbH produced a total of 696 units of the Klv12. Between 1958 and 1961, a further 79 units of the similar but four-door Draisine Klv12 were also built.
Due to its size, the model is not motorized in the instructions. Using some 3D printed parts and a circuit cube, I built a powered version.
