Freight car of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

This article deals with the development of the freight cars of the Deutsche Reichsbahn from their foundation in 1920 to the division of Germany in 1949.

General history of development

Between 1920 and 1945, freight wagons went through several stages of development, the manufacturing technology changed fundamentally and the construction of the freight wagons followed step by step. The Deutsche Reichsbahn referred to these stages of development as types and divided the freight wagons it had procured into

• Association or standard design
• Exchange design
• Welded construction
• War design

Furthermore, freight wagons that had been procured by the former German State Railways according to their design guidelines up to around 1914 were designated as regional designs, and those that had come to the Deutsche Reichsbahn from foreign railways as part of the Nazi annexation and war policy, were designated as foreign designs. Car types of these types are not the subject of this article.

During the occupation from 1945 to 1949, vehicle construction in Germany initially came to a standstill; the wagon factories were busy with repairs, if they were still operational. The individual freight car types of the welded design and the war design that were further modified during this period are listed in this article.

Covered freight car based on sample sheet A2 of the German State Railroad Association

Association design wheelset bearing, here on a stake wagon (A4) built in 1922 with 10-layer and 1000 mm long leaf springs , slide bearings , bracket suspension and brake

Association or standard design

Until around 1927, the Deutsche Reichsbahn continued to purchase freight cars based on the drafts of the German State Railroad Association (DWV), the so-called association types . Since the wagons had already been procured by all regional railways and, unlike locomotives and passenger wagons, no standardization of the design was required, the Deutsche Reichsbahn also designated them as a standard design. In addition to detailed improvements, the design of some car types has been further revised. So were z. B.

• In the case of the open freight wagons according to sample sheet A5 and the hinged-cover wagons according to sample sheet A6, the wheelbase is uniformly extended to 3.5 m in order to achieve better running properties and to create space for the installation of the compressed air brake
• In the box framework of the open freight wagons according to sample sheet A10, the diagonal drawstrings were replaced by diagonal struts next to and trusses under the doors in order to obtain a more stable car body ;
• the last series of the hinged-lid wagon was already built in the larger dimensions of the corresponding wagon of the interchangeable design.

The equipping of new and retrofitting of older wagons of the association design with the Kunze-Knorr-Bremse made it possible to drive freight trains with compressed air brakes at a maximum speed of 65 km / h. At the same time, brakes were no longer needed, saving around 20,000 jobs.

More detailed information can be found in the article Association design .

Exchange design

The Deutsche Reichsbahn began early on to ensure a larger number of standardized parts in their wagons in the interests of replacement . For this purpose, the General Wagon Standardization Committee (Awana) formed in 1920 developed the relevant standards in addition to DIN . The standardized parts with low manufacturing tolerances could be freely exchanged between the vehicles , which enabled more effective maintenance. While the freight wagons built in this way are commonly referred to as interchangeable designs, this term is only used for the Donnerbüchsen in the field of passenger coaches . In freight car construction, the use of individual interchangeable components or assemblies is documented from 1923. However, the complete standards were only available in 1927, which is why this year is usually given as the actual start of replacement construction.

These wagons in interchange design based on the highly successful coaches of the association type . Of the original eleven types, only eight were produced in significant numbers as replacement. Three types were out of date:

• the short, open freight car with removable shelves (sample sheet A1 ), of which only 32 were built,
• the turntable wagon (sample sheet A5 ), the tasks of which were taken over by the four-axle rail wagons and of which only 26 were therefore made, as well as
• the short, open coal wagon (sample sheet A6 ), which was no longer standardized in replacement construction.

All of the riveted replacement cars were fitted with the Kunze-Knorr brake . Many were constructed in such a way that they could be converted to the Soviet broad gauge ( secondary symbol r ). These cars were marked with white buffer sleeves. The number of units built did not even come close to that of the association design, as the global economic crisis caused a reduction in the volume of transport and the need for freight wagons was correspondingly low.

Welded construction

Starting in 1933, riveting was gradually switched to welding . The superstructures became lighter and in some cases the loading weight could be increased accordingly. The Deutsche Reichsbahn defined the welded wagons as freight wagons in which almost all components are connected to one another by welding. At about the same time, the multi-part Hildebrandt-Knorr-Bremse was ready for series production, so that most of the welded cars could be equipped with it.

Of the eight standard types of riveted replacement design, only four were manufactured in significant numbers in welded design. Many have been optimized for speeds of 90 km / h (secondary symbol s). Some of these high-speed goods wagons were equipped with steam heating lines (secondary symbol h), which enabled them to be used in passenger trains. In addition, some new types were created in the 1930s.

Due to the rapidly increasing transport tasks during the war, the need for freight wagons rose again, because the railways in Germany were involved in the war like never before. The Deutsche Reichsbahn proved to be an indispensable partner of the National Socialists, both in the context of vehicle, crew and supply transports as well as during deportation to extermination camps . For this reason, the welded freight wagons were built again in significantly larger numbers than the riveted ones, although without reaching the number of units of the union types again. In the first years of the war, many types of construction were refined, which accelerated production and somewhat reduced steel consumption.

In contrast to the following war design , the welded wagons were solid constructions , which is why they were used by both German railroad companies for decades without major modifications .

War design

During the war, the four most important types of freight wagons were completely redesigned, sometimes with slightly changed dimensions, in order to be able to produce them in a way that saves steel, is faster and cheaper. This was mainly achieved by omitting as many steel parts as possible or replacing them with other types of steel or wood. The wagons built from 1943 were on average around 20% lighter than their predecessors, but at the same time designed for a higher payload. They were equipped with the Hildebrandt-Knorr-Bremse and, with the exception of the open car, were approved for a speed of 90 km / h. The price for the use of inferior steel and profiles that were too weak were, however, high wear and tear and progressive corrosion , so that permanent deformations soon set in.

Regular types of freight wagons

The following table contains the standard goods wagons built for the Deutsche Reichsbahn, broken down according to wagon types and designs. Are given generic character and class district with which the cars were called at Deutsche Reichsbahn. Ancillary generic symbols that only applied to a significant part of the wagons are - without claiming to be exhaustive - put in brackets within the generic symbol. Supplementary explanations are included in brackets, if necessary; the applicable sample sheet numbers are also given for wagons of the association design.

Design type:	Association or standard design	Exchange design	Welded construction	War design
Car type:
Covered freight cars	G (h) Kassel or Munich (A2)	Gr Kassel	G (rh) s Opole	Gmhs Bremen
Covered, spacious freight cars	Gl Dresden (A9)	Glr (hs) Dresden Glhs Dresden (7.7 m axle base)	Glhs Dresden (from 1937: Ghs Oppeln) Glrhs Dresden	Glm (g) hs Leipzig
Covered, spacious freight cars with front doors	-	Glt (rhs) Dresden	Gltrhs Dresden	-
Hinged lid trolley	K Elberfeld / Wuppertal (A7)	K Elberfeld / Wuppertal	K Wuppertal (only 2 test cars ) Kmr Wuppertal (only 8 test cars )	-
Crate car	V (h) Altona / Hamburg (A8)	V (r) Altona / Hamburg	V Hamburg (only small series)	-
Open freight wagons for a load weight of 15 t	O Hall (A1, with wooden walls) O Nuremberg (A6, with iron walls)	O hall (only small series)	-	-
Open freight wagons for a load weight of 20 t	Om Breslau or Essen (A10)	Om Koenigsberg	Om Breslau (Hollow Beam) Om Essen	-
Open freight wagons for a load weight of more than 20 t	-	-	Omm (r) Linz Omm (r) u Villach	Ommu Klagenfurt Ommf Graz (only 2 test cars )
Stake car	R Stuttgart (A4)	R (r) Stuttgart	R (r) Stuttgart Rs Stuttgart	Rmms Ulm
Rail car	S Augsburg (A11)	Sm Augsburg	Sm Augsburg Smr Augsburg (only small series) Sm Augsburg (only 2 test cars )	-
Four-axle rail car	SS Cologne (A3, 15 m loading length) SSl Cologne (Ce168, 18 m loading length)	SSl Cologne	SSla Cologne	-
Turntable wagon	H Regensburg (A5)	H Regensburg (only small series)	Hm Regensburg (only 2 test cars)	-

Covered freight cars

Car type	Generic symbol	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR
Covered freight cars	G (h)	Kassel or Munich	15 t	Association type	1910	G (h) 10	G (h) 04 and 05
	Size	kassel	15 t	Replacement construction	1927	Gr 20	Gr 04
	G (rh) s	Opole	15 t	welded	1938	Gm (rh) s 30	Gm (rh) s 07
	Gmhs	Bremen	20 t	War design	1943	Gmhs 35	Gmhs 11

Exchange design: Gr Kassel

The interchangeable boxcar was the successor to the association wagon according to sample sheet A2 . In order to be able to use the same underframe as the Om-Wagen (see below) , the car body had to be shortened compared to the first-aid car, so that the loading length was only 7720 mm. Other noticeable differences are

• the use of a high-arched barrel roof instead of a flat roof,
• the brakeman's cab on the base ,
• Diagonal struts in the side panels next to the doors for additional stabilization of the car body,
• the suspended sliding doors running in the upper door rails.

In addition, the covered freight wagons of the interchangeable design were equipped with lane change drives for the transition to Russian broad gauge. The wagons were lined up by the Deutsche Reichsbahn together with some of the G-wagons of the association design in the Kassel class district. A total of around 8,300 cars of this type were built in 1927/28.

The "short Oppeln" was the most built boxcar of the Deutsche Reichsbahn.

Welded construction: Gs Opole

The box wagons, which were built using welding technology from 1938, differed from their predecessors in that the wheelbase was increased to 6 m while the length of the vehicle was the same and the resulting necessary, characteristic, pointed trusses. As a result of the smaller car body overhangs and the stiffer chassis, better running properties were achieved, so that the maximum permissible speed could be set at 90 km / h. ( Subsidiary symbol s ). The welded boxcars were assigned to the newly created class district Opole. Today this type of wagon is often referred to colloquially as "short Oppeln", in contrast to the "long Oppeln" (see below) that emerged from 1934  . The short Gs Opole were built in large-scale production at the beginning of World War II , and around 28,100 cars were built by 1945, 6150 of which were equipped with hand brakes.

War design: Gmhs Bremen

Gmhs 35862

This car, built from 1943 onwards, was developed according to the requirements of the war for a loading weight of 20 tons. It had an axle base of 7000 mm and a loading volume of 60.7 m³ with a dead weight of 9.7 t (with handbrake). The underframe was made of rolled profiles and had no truss. The side walls were provided with diagonal struts over two side panels next to the doors and, like most of the boxcars built from 1927, had a barrel roof. The Gmhs Bremen were approved for a top speed of 90 km / h and had a steam heating line. A total of 7,200 units were built by the end of the war, and 6,190 units from 1948 to 1950.

Spacious box wagons

The Gl wagons have the greatest variety among the standard freight wagons of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. What they all have in common is the trapezoidal truss. Some of them were later converted so that they could be used as short-coupled Leig units in express cargo transport .

Car type	Generic symbol	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Number u. Length of leaf springs	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR	Remarks
Covered, spacious freight cars	Eq	Dresden	15 t	Association type	1914	11/1100	Eq 11	Eq 12
	Gl (r) Gl (rh) s	Dresden	15 t	Replacement construction	1927 1935	11/1100 9/1650	Glr 22 Glm (rh) s 28	Gl (rhs) 12
	Glhs	Dresden	15 t	Replacement construction	1933	9/1800	Glhs 25	Glhs 12	7.7 m wheelbase
	Gl (e) hs from 1937:  G (e) hs	Dresden from 1937:  Opole	15 t	welded	1934 1936	9/1800 9/1650	Ghs 31 Gmehs 31	Ghs 07	24.2 m² loading space
	Glrhs	Dresden	15 t	welded	1937 1942	9/1650 7/1400	Glmrhs 38	Glrhs 12
	Glm (g) hs	Leipzig	20 t	War design	1943	6/1200	Glm (g) hs 36	-
Covered, spacious freight cars with front doors	Glt (r) Glt (rh) s Gltrhs	Dresden	15 t	Replacement construction	1927 1935 1936	11/1100 9/1800 9/1650	Glt (r) 23 Glt (rh) s 23 Gltmrhs 26	Glt (rhs) 13
	Gltrhs	Dresden	15 t	welded	1937 1942	9/1650 7/1400	Gltmrhs 46	Gltrhs 13

Gl Dresden of the exchange design with hard suspension

Replacement types with hard suspension: Gl Dresden

The main dimensions and the running gear with the 11-ply and 1100 mm long leaf springs of this spacious boxcar are similar to the dressing wagon according to sample sheet A9 . The changed roof shape and the diagonal strut on the car body in the subfield next to the door were new. For the first time, variants with front doors in different designs were built for the weather-protected transport of motor vehicles (subsidiary symbol t). Most of the cars were suitable for broad gauge.

Replacement and welded types with soft suspension: Gls Dresden

In the first half of the 1930s, the Deutsche Reichsbahn wanted to accelerate express freight traffic by placing more freight wagons on express trains. To achieve smoother running at higher speeds, the Gl carriages intended for this purpose began to be equipped with softer suspension. The new leaf springs were longer (initially 1,800 mm, later 1,650 mm) and had 9 layers. All wagons also received steam heating cables ( subsidiary symbol h ). In the case of the riveted wagon types, the diagonal strut next to the door was also extended downwards and was only connected to the vertical box strut below the wagon floor, which means that the wagons can be immediately distinguished from their predecessors.

For testing purposes, two types with different main dimensions were created in limited numbers (highlighted in color in the table above):

• From 1933 650 riveted cars with 1,800 mm long leaf springs and an axle base increased from 7,000 to 7,700 mm were built. Thanks to the softer suspension and the short overhang of the car body, they had excellent high-speed properties and could be approved for 90 km / h. All had a handbrake and were classified as a class Glhs in the class district Dresden. The problem was that there was no space for the wagons on most of the track scales because of the large wheelbase, so each wagon axle had to be weighed individually.

Glhs Dresden with 24.2 m² loading area

• After this experience, a completely new freight car was developed. Tests on the basis of the Gl car with a 7,000 mm wheelbase had shown that the overhang was shortened by about one meter and that it was very fast driving. This resulted in a 2,000 mm shorter wagon with a length over buffers of 10,800 mm and a loading area of ​​24.2 m², which is new for Germany. Starting in 1934, the wagons were the first German type of freight wagon to be manufactured in large numbers using welding technology. Mainly 1,800 mm long, but also 1,650 mm long leaf springs were used in the last cars built. From 1934 to 1937 a total of 1633 copies with hand brakes were made, which were initially also referred to as Glhs Dresden. By raising the limit for the sub-category l from 24 m² to 26 m² in 1937, they were no longer counted as Gl cars and were classified in the newly created category district of Opole. To distinguish it from the later shorter wagons (see above) of the same class district, this wagon is now often called "Long Opole".

In 1935, large-scale production of high-speed Gl cars with and without bulkhead doors finally began. It remained with the original main dimensions (loading area 29.4 m², wheel base 7,000 mm) with the large overhang at the ends of the car, which, however, was no longer an obstacle to approval for 90 km / h due to the improved suspension. In the wagons with bulkhead doors built in 1935, existing 1800 mm long leaf springs were installed, all others received 9-layer and 1,650 mm long leaf springs. In 1937 the transition to welding technology took place. In order to save steel, from 1942 the Gl-wagons were only equipped with the 7-layer and 1,400 mm long leaf springs already used in the short "Gs Oppeln".

In 1951, the DB increased the loading weight from 15 to 20 t for all wagons with 9-layer 1650 mm long and 7-layer 1,400 mm long leaf springs and therefore added the auxiliary symbol m to the generic name .

War design: Glmhs Leipzig

The Leipzig class district was specially set up for the spacious boxcar of the war design. In contrast to its predecessor, the welded Glrhs Dresden, the Glmhs Leipzig did not have any trusses. The wheelbase was lengthened to 8.0 m, while the length of the car body was shortened to 10.7 m, so that the running properties could be improved with almost the same loading area. With a dead weight of only 10.2 or 10.1 t (wagon with / without handbrake), the wagon was designed for a loading weight of 20 t. All "Leipzig" were equipped with Hildebrandt-Knorr-Bremse and steam heating lines and approved for a top speed of 90 km / h.

Since there was no need for this type of car during the war, only four test cars were built until 1945. However, the Glmhs Leipzig formed the vehicle construction basis for the MCi-43 makeshift passenger car , which was manufactured in large numbers during the Second World War - more than 5,000 units .

In 1948, the DR procured 250 more "Leipzig" in the French occupation zone , which received unloading hoppers for the grain transported in bulk because of the important grain transport on the Upper Rhine towards Switzerland. The wagons therefore had the generic sign Glmghs. Shortly after delivery, 240 of these cars were put together in pairs to form Leig units.

Hinged lid wagon of the interchangeable design, class district Wuppertal formerly Elberfeld

Hinged lid wagon: K Elberfeld / Wuppertal

The riveted hinged lid wagons of the interchangeable design were longer (length overhang without handbrake 8,100 mm; with handbrake 8,800 mm) and, at 4 m, had a larger wheelbase than the hinged lid wagons of the association design built according to sample sheet A7 . The side walls were now divided into two fields by a vertical strut on either side of the door. Around 1000 cars were built between 1927 and 1933.

In 1935, the Deutsche Reichsbahn acquired two more welded test cars with the same main dimensions. However, this type of wagon was no longer built in series, as self-unloading wagons were increasingly used to transport moisture-sensitive bulk goods such as lime or salt instead of the hinged-lid wagons, which were difficult to unload. With the renaming of Barmen - Elberfeld in Wuppertal in 1930, the generic district of Elberfeld was also renamed in Wuppertal .

In 1941 eight test cars were built, which did not represent a further development of earlier types, but were based on the Omm car . Like these, they had a wheelbase of 6 m and longitudinal beams on the outside. The wagons had a length over buffers of 9,100 or 9,800 mm (without / with handbrake) and a loading space of 28.6 m³ with a loading weight of 20 t. All cars were equipped with a Hildebrandt-Knorr brake and had eight roof flaps.

Car type	Generic symbol	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR	Remarks
Hinged-top trolley	K	Elberfeld from 1930: Wuppertal	15 t	Association type	1913	K 15	K 21
	K	Elberfeld from 1930: Wuppertal	15 t	Replacement construction	1926	K 25	K 21
	K	Wuppertal	15 t	welded	1935	-	-	only two test cars
	Kmr	Wuppertal	20 t	welded	1941	Kmr 35	-	only eight test cars

Crate car: V Altona / Hamburg

As the successor to the association wagon according to the A8 sample sheet , the riveted interchangeable crate wagon was created in 1927. In contrast to the short association wagon, its main dimensions and technical characteristics corresponded to the interchangeable boxcar. Around 360 cars of this type were built, most of which were equipped with gauge changing wheel sets.

After two test wagons built in 1935, a small series of 25 welded wagons was put into service in 1936/37 as the last type of crate wagon of the Reichsbahn. Despite running gear with soft suspension, these wagons, unlike contemporary boxcars, did not extend the wheelbase, so that the maximum speed limit was 65 km / h.

With the incorporation of the former Prussian city of Altona into Hamburg, the class district of Altona shed wagons in Hamburg changed from 1937 .

Car type	Generic symbol	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR
Crate car	Vh	Altona from 1937: Hamburg	15 t	Association type	1913	Vh 14	Vh 23
	V (r)		15 t	Replacement construction	1927	V (r) 23	V (r) 23
	V		15 t	welded	1935	V 33	V 23

Open freight cars

Car type	Generic sign	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR	Remarks
Open freight wagons for a load weight of 15 t	O	Hall	15 t	Association type	1911	O 10	O 29
	O	Nuremberg	15 t	Association type	1913	O 11	O 31	with iron walls
	O	Hall	15 t	Replacement construction	1928	O 20	O 29
Open freight wagons for a load weight of 20 t	Om	Breslau or food	20 t	Association type	1913	Om 12	Om 37 and 36
	Om	Koenigsberg	20 t	Replacement construction	1927	Om 21	Om 41
	Om	Wroclaw	20 t	welded	1935	Om 30	Om 37	Hollow beam design
	Om	eat	20 t	welded	1937	Om 31	Om 36
Open freight wagons for a load weight of more than 20 t	Omm (r)	Linz	24.5 t	welded	1939	Omm (r) 32	Omm (r) 42
	Omm (r) u	Villach	24.5 t	welded	1941	Omm (r) 33	Ommr 39 Omm 43
	Ommu	Klagenfurt	26.5 t	War design	1942	Omm 34	Omm 44
	Ommf	Graz	26.5 t	War design	1944	-	-	only two test cars

Various O (m) cars of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

Open freight wagons for 20 t payload: Om Königsberg, Breslau and Essen

The open wagon of the Königsberg district with a loading weight of 20 t was manufactured as a replacement from 1927. The riveted car can hardly be distinguished from the last version of the first aid car built from 1923 on, according to sample sheet A10 . That is why the literature incorrectly mentions 1923 or 1924 as the first year of construction. The 9.100 mm long undercarriage with a 4,500 mm wheelbase over buffers (with handbrake: 9,800 mm) was also used for the boxcars (see above) and interchangeable crate wagons as well as for numerous private goods wagons (see below) . From 1935 to 1939, the Om wagons were manufactured using welding technology without a handbrake . The welded wagons were initially built in hollow beam, then in profile beam design and classified in free number ranges in the generic districts of Wroclaw and Essen, which until then had only been occupied by first aid vehicles.

In 1938 the production of these cars was stopped in the German Reich in favor of the Omm cars. In some occupied areas , however, during the Second World War , since the wagon factories located there were not yet ready for welding technology, another 4,300 riveted Om wagons were built and also assigned to the Königsberg district.

In total, more than 23,000 Om wagons were built for the Deutsche Reichsbahn between 1927 and 1941. They were retired from the DB in the 1960s, while they were still indispensable for the DR in the 1970s.

Rostock port , front: two Omm wagons (formerly Linz)

Ommr car Linz

Ommru car Villach

Omm wagon of the war design, here with small modifications of the later DR

Open freight wagons for more than 20 t payload: Omm Linz and Ommu Villach

At the end of the 1930s, open wagons required a higher payload and a larger payload. Therefore, in 1937/38 the Omm wagons were redesigned with a payload of 24.5 t and a loading area that was 1 m longer than the Om wagons. This resulted in a loading length of 8,720 mm and a length over buffers of 10,100 mm (without handbrake). All Omm cars were fitted with Hildebrand-Knorr-Bremse and some with hand brakes.

Striking external features are the axle distance of 6 m and the spatial, pointed by tapering bottom truss . A total of 73,850 wagons were built in four designs:

Years of construction	Construction of the base	Drop sides	number	Generic name
1939-40	Sheet metal construction, internal fish-belly solebar	1.00 m high, removable	1,750	Omm Linz
1940-41	Light-weight profiles, internal fish-belly solebar		4,380
1941-43	Standard mold steel, external straight solebar		18.605
1941-45		1.55 m high, firm	49,115	Ommu Villach

The Ommr Linz were particularly suitable for the transport of (military) vehicles. In addition to a reinforced floor, special fastening devices, the "armored hooks", were available for this purpose. The platform railing of the wagons with handbrake was designed to be foldable or lowerable in order to enable the ends of the wagons to be driven over during loading and unloading. The wagons of the Villach district, which were primarily intended for bulk goods, were unsuitable for the transport of military vehicles due to their solid walls and therefore had the sub-generic sign u in their generic name. Cars with hand brakes had the traditional brakeman's cab.

War design: Ommu Klagenfurt

This freight car, built from 1942, had a loading weight of 26.5 t. As with the previous Omm wagons, the wheelbase was 6,000 mm. A truss was dispensed with, instead the sagging was to be prevented by a strong wooden top chord over the wooden doors. The side wall height was 1,548 mm, the front walls were designed as head flaps. The Ommu Klagenfurt was only approved for a top speed of 65 km / h.

Stake car

Car type	Generic sign	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR
Stake car	R.	Stuttgart	15 t	Association type	1913	R (o) 10	R 61, Ro 63
	R (r)	Stuttgart	15 t	Replacement construction	1926	R (r) 20	R (r) 61
	R (r)	Stuttgart	15 t	welded	1934	R (r) 30	R (r) 61
	Rs from 1943:  Rm (r) s	Stuttgart	15 t from 1943:  20 t	welded	1938	Rm (r) s 31	Rm (r) s 61
	Rmms	Ulm	24.5 t	War design	1942	Rmms 33	Rmms 62

Early designs with a 7 m axle base: R Stuttgart

The riveted stake wagon , built from 1926 onwards, was lengthened by 600 mm compared to the A4 bandage wagon , so that the underframe was the same as that of the Gl wagon (see above) . It can be easily recognized by the trapezoidal truss . The load weight was still 15 t. Most of these wagons were equipped with wheelsets for the transition to broad gauge .

From 1936 to 1938 these stake wagons were manufactured using welding technology only without a handbrake . They had a spatially diagonal truss. They were the only ones of the welded cars built in large series that were still equipped with the Kunze-Knorr brake .

Rms Stuttgart with 8 m wheelbase, after removing the stanchions and storage baskets, it was last used as a slag wagon

Late design with 8 m wheelbase: Rs Stuttgart

This newly developed, welded stake car, built from 1938 onwards, had an enlarged wheelbase from 7,000 mm to 8,000 mm. They were equipped with a spatial diagonal truss. Their stable construction enabled a top speed of 90 km / h. The other constructive innovations were aimed at the needs of the Wehrmacht; For example, the drop sides, made entirely of steel, also served as a drive-on ramp at the front. As with the “SSla Köln” rail car built in 1934  (see below) , the brakeman's cab was dispensed with in favor of a foldable brakeman's cab. For strategic reasons, the secondary generic symbol r was initially not written to the wagons that were actually suitable for broad gauge, as the wagons were not supposed to leave the Reich territory. The initial loading weight of 15 t was increased to 20 t in 1943 and therefore the subsidiary symbol m was added. Almost 24,000 of these solid vehicles were built in various wagon factories by 1943. More than 1000 units came to DB AG in 1994 and were taken out of service by the end of 1997.

War design: Rmms Ulm

The car, equipped with 22 stakes, had a load weight of 24.5 t, an axle base of 8000 mm and a truss. The length over the buffers was 12,000 mm (without handbrake). The side and front walls could be folded down so that driving over them was possible; It was also possible to drive over from one stake car to the other via the folded end walls. The dead weight could be reduced to 10.9 t (with hand brake). From 1942 to the end of the war, 12,547 copies were produced almost exclusively at WUMAG in Görlitz . This company delivered another 40 copies to the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the Soviet occupation zone in 1948 .

In the 1960s, the DR had cable trolleys, trolleys with hand and air brakes, and trolleys with only air brakes in a ratio of 1: 3: 5. Since no cable trolleys are documented at the DB , it can be assumed that the cable trolleys come from Görlitz post-war production.

Two-axle rail car: S Augsburg

As early as 1892, the railroad tracks in Prussia had reached a length of 15 m. The two-axle "rail cars" with their loading length of about 13 m ( exactly: 12988 mm) were therefore not suitable for rail transport, but were suitable for the transport of other rolled sections. Common to the designs from 1914 onwards was the wheelbase of 8 m as well as the presence of short steel stanchions and liftable front panels. The association type A11 car, built from 1914, had 150 mm high loading bumps, which protruded 94 mm above the car floor. From 1936, their height was reduced to 120 mm or 64 mm above the floor of the car in order to enable the (originally not planned) loading of vehicles. The production of the welded types was too expensive compared to the Rs Stuttgart stake car ( see above ), so that the production of two-axle rail cars was discontinued in favor of the stake cars.

Car type	Generic sign	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR	Remarks
Two-axle rail cars	S.	augsburg	15 t	Association type	1914	S (m) 14	P 64
	Sm		20 t	Replacement construction	1927	Sm 24	Sm 64	195 pieces
	Sm		20 t	welded	1937	Sm 34	Sm 64	502 pieces
	Smr		20 t	welded	1939	Smr 35	-	20 pieces with fish belly straps
	Sm		20 t	welded	1942	-	-	only two test cars

Four-axle rail car: SS Cologne

At the time of the German State Railroad Car Association, in view of the common rail length of 15 m, rail cars according to sample sheet A3 with 15 m loading length were widespread, while wagons with 18 m loading length were still considered a special design. The riveted rail cars of the interchangeable design already had a uniform loading length of 18 m. Their most noticeable innovation, however, was the fish belly carrier . All four-axle rail cars up to the interchangeable type had a brakeman's cab .

Instead of a brakeman's cab, the welded four-axle rail car of the SSla Köln was given an open brakeman's position with a fold-down stage railing ( secondary type a ) to enable long objects to be transported over the head end. Apart from the structural changes caused by the welding technology, it corresponded to its riveted predecessor. From 1939, due to the lack of raw materials, steel St37 was used, which made it necessary to redesign the carriage undercarriage. This less strong steel meant that the car had to be equipped with 4 instead of 3 cross members and accordingly 8 instead of 7 side stanchions. In addition, the slewing ring was omitted from this car.

The Linke-Hofmann company in Breslau was the leader in the construction of the four-axle rail cars . Production for the German railways therefore ended at the end of the Second World War.

Car type	Generic sign	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR	Remarks
Four-axle rail car	SS	Cologne	35 t	Association type	1913	SS 15	SS 65	15 m loading length, 12 stakes
	SSl		38 t	Special design	1912	SSlm 16	SSl 65	18 m loading length, 14 stakes
	SSl		40 t	Replacement construction	1928	SSlm 25	SSl 65	18 m loading length, 14 stakes
	SSla		40 t	welded ( St52 )	1934	SSlma 44	SSla 65	18 m loading length, 14 stakes
				welded ( St37 )	1939			18 m loading length, 16 stakes

Bogie wagon: H Regensburg

Car type	Generic sign	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR	Remarks
Turntable wagons	H	regensburg	15 t	Association type	1913	H 10	H 68
	H		15 t	Replacement construction	1925	H 20	H 68
	Hm		20 t	welded	1943	H 18	-	only two test cars

Freight wagons of the special types

Four-axle boxcars

In 1934, four-axle boxcars (GGhs Dresden) were procured for express freight traffic, which with 41.7 m² had a loading area that was significantly larger than that of the two-axle Gl-wagons. The GGhs ran on Görlitzer design bogies and were approved for a top speed of 120 km / h. However, since they were disproportionately expensive to build and maintain - with a dead weight of 22,550 kg, the permissible load weight was only 15 t as with the two-axle vehicles - a test series of three cars remained.

For the 1936 Summer Olympics , five special transport wagons for riding horses and racing horses (GGvwehs Dresden) were built in addition to the stable wagons taken over by the Prussian State Railways. The comparatively short wagons with a length of 11,940 mm had bogies of the Görlitz design and offered space for four horses and their companions.

Unloading work on a GGths Bromberg freight car that was transferred to the PKP after 1945

GGths 10 020

From 1942 four test cars and a small series of spacious freight cars with a loading weight of 51 t were built. They had a loading length of 16,620 mm, a dead weight of 21.8 t and a length over buffers of 18,000 mm. They were equipped with a steam heating line and approved as express freight cars for a speed of 120 km / h. Since there was no great demand, only 75 series cars of the type GGths with front doors and two of the type GGhs without front doors were built that were suitable for vehicle transport. The Bydgoszcz district was specially created for these cars

Car type	Generic sign	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR	Remarks
Four-axle covered freight cars	GGhs	Dresden	15 t	welded	1934	GGhs 41	GGhs 15
	GG (t) hs	Bromberg	51 t	welded	1942	GGhs 42 GGths 43	GG (t) hs 15	Variants with and without front doors
Four-axle stable wagon	GGvwehs	Dresden	3.5 t	welded	1935	GGvwehs 44	GGvwehs 15

Ferry wagon of the interchangeable design, Trier class district

Covered and open ferry wagons

In 1924, a connection between Zeebrugge in Belgium and Harwich in England was established as the first railway ferry line across the English Channel . In order to enable direct freight traffic between Germany and Great Britain, after joining the Belgian-English ferry contract in 1925, the Deutsche Reichsbahn hired its own freight cars for ferry boat traffic.

By 1934, 300 boxcars (Gfh) and 40 stake wagons (Rfh) were built. The two riveted wagon types were structurally the same as the interchangeable wagons, but had to meet the smaller English clearance profile . Gfh and Rfh wagons therefore had the same length over buffers (12,800 mm) as the Gl and R wagons ( see above ) of the interchangeable design, due to the narrower car body, a loading area of ​​22.9 and 22 respectively, which was about a quarter smaller, 5 m². In addition to the Kunze-Knorr-Bremse and the handbrake, the wagons also had a suction air line for the vacuum brake, which is common in England, and the hand lever shunting brake prescribed there. Since freedom of movement in the interior of the car was restricted by the narrower car width, the covered cars were given two opposing sliding doors on both sides, which opened up a loading opening 4.1 m wide.

As an experiment, another four covered ferry boat wagons (Gfhs) of welded construction were procured in 1940, which had the same main dimensions as the riveted wagons, but were approved for a top speed of 90 km / h just like the contemporary G-wagons. In 1942 two welded ferry boat stake cars (Rfhs) followed, which had a lowerable stage railing instead of the brakeman's cab that had previously been used and whose wheelbase was extended to 8 m. The common feature of the welded test car was the exterior of the longitudinal girders, level with the side wall. In contrast to their riveted predecessors, they were equipped with the Hildebrand-Knorr brake and the Hardy air-suction brake. The series production of these cars was no longer possible because of the ongoing war with Great Britain.

The Trier generic district was originally set up for the ferry wagons and was renamed Saarbrücken in 1935 when the Saar area returned to the German Empire. The sub-generic “f” in the generic symbols for ferry boats was replaced by “b” in 1943.

Car type	Generic sign	Genus district	Loading weight	design type	First year of construction	Generic sign u. Type number of the DB	Generic sign u. Class number of the DR
Covered ferry wagons	Gfh from 1943:  Gbh	Trier from 1935:  Saarbrücken	15 t	Replacement construction	1927	Gbh 21	Gbh 03
	Gfhs from 1943:  Gbhs	Saarbrücken	15 t	welded	1940	GmbHs 32	-
Ferry boat stake car	Rfh from 1943:  Rbh	Trier from 1935:  Saarbrücken	15 t	Replacement construction	1928	Rbh 21	Rbh 62
	Rfhs from 1943:  Rbhs	Saarbrücken	15 t	welded	1942	Rbmhs 32	-

Refrigerator truck

Riveted types and their predecessors

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the German railways only had thermal insulation wagons, which were insulated but had no cooling equipment and were primarily used to transport milk and milk products. This enabled temperatures between +4 and +16 ° C to be reached. From the turn of the century, newly built refrigerated trucks increasingly received ice tubs or bunkers, which, despite their poor insulation properties, made it possible to transport sea fish and, in exceptional cases, meat. A standardization as a first aid vehicle did not take place. When it was founded, the Deutsche Reichsbahn took over around 1,500 thermal insulation and refrigerated cars of various types.

After two test wagons from the Wismar and Uerdingen wagon factories, the series production of two-axle refrigerated wagons with contemporary insulation and ice cooling began in 1922 (and thus not yet in interchangeability) . This technology guaranteed temperatures between −18 ° C and +4 ° C, which means that the wagons, unlike the heat insulation wagons, were also suitable for the long-term transport of sea ​​fish and frozen meat . Up to 1926, 175 Uerdingen type cars and 405 Wismar type cars were built, including the test cars, although the individual delivery series differed slightly in terms of their main dimensions and equipment.

In addition, the Bavarian group administration of the DRG procured 28 short beer wagons from MAN between 1930/31, which were built on the underframe of the Gr Kassel, and 16 further refrigerated wagons intended for the transport of milk and bananas based on a design by the Wismar wagon factory.

Welded beer, meat and sea fish refrigerator trucks

From 1936 onwards, developed by the Reichsbahnzentralamt in Munich in cooperation with the Rathgeber wagon factory, welded and with a significantly different car body shape, around 3,150 refrigerated wagons were built, which, depending on the equipment, were used to transport beer, sea fish or meat. They had a standard wheelbase of 7,000 mm and could run quickly. The generic name was initially Gkhs Berlin regardless of the intended use . In 1943 they were renamed Tnohs (beer refrigerator truck ), Tnhs (meat refrigerator truck ) and Tnfhs (sea fish refrigerator truck ).

Makeshift refrigerated wagon based on the Gls Dresden

On the basis of the Gls wagon with 7-layer and 1400 mm long leaf springs (see above) , around 200 welded refrigerator wagons were built in 1942, which were used to transport beer. They were not suitable for frozen food and without meat hooks, with steam heating lines and approved for 90 km / h. In their generic name Tnohs , the symbol “n” stands for “not suitable for frozen food” and “o” for “without meat hooks”. At the DB, these cars were later carried with the type number 39.

Other wagons with the designation Tnfhs were intended for the transport of sea fish. Like all sea fish refrigerated trucks, they did not have roof fans or meat hooks. The symbol "f" stands for "only sea fish".

Two- and four-axle universal refrigerated wagons

To simplify the use of refrigerated trucks, universal refrigerated trucks with separate storage containers for water and dry ice were created from 1942/43 , which were suitable for the transport of all refrigerated goods with the exception of sea fish.

The basic design and dimensions of the two-axle T (e) hs Berlin universal refrigerated wagon corresponded to the welded meat refrigerated wagons built from 1936, with the exception of structural changes to save labor and raw materials due to the war. The most obvious difference, however, was the roof with a trapezoidal cross-section, in which three transverse dry ice containers were built. The water ice bunkers at the ends of the wagon could also be filled through their side hatches. A total of around 1700 two-axle universal refrigerated wagons had been built by the end of the war.

The prototype of a four-axle universal refrigerated wagon running on two bogies (TThs Berlin) was also created based on the same construction principles. This car had two independent cargo holds that could be cooled separately from one another. This car was approved for a top speed of 120 km / h. The prototype was only followed in 1948 by a series of 21 cars procured by the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the Bizone .

Large semi-trailer "Oldenburg 574", built in 1928 by Orenstein & Koppel

Open and covered large goods wagons

The coal - coke - and ore transport over long distances was in 1924 with the open of the four-axle hopper wagons formed trains are handled much more efficiently. Some of the saddle wagons were fitted with hinged lids for the transport of moisture-sensitive coke or burnt lime and from 1933 had the generic designation KKt, as did 50 covered hopper wagons specially built for the transport of grain .

Talbot ballast wagon according to sketch 370a, built according to the principles of interchangeability from 1928

Talbot ballast wagon according to sketch 371, built from 1938

Hopper car: Ot Mainz

The already in 1926 and built as a service freight cars queued Talbot -Schotterwagen (the mold after it are hopper cars with meterable discharge ) were produced in 1928 in a revised form according to the principles of the replacement construction in large quantities. In the following years the design was revised several times.

In the Saar region , wagons with a funnel-shaped loading space and floor flaps had been used for sudden, equidistant unloading to transport coal since the early railway era. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Prussian State Railroad had also included this type of wagon in its sample sheet collection in variants with a loading weight of 10 or 12.5 t .

As a successor to this Prussian “coal funnel wagon”, the Deutsche Reichsbahn procured a further series of such wagons in 1925 in a contemporary design based on the association design and with a loading weight increased to 20 t. The wagons built by the Saarbrücker Waggonfabrik Lüttgens both with and without a handbrake had two side flaps on each side of the car in addition to the bottom discharge openings. As with their Prussian predecessors, the front wall adjoining the brakeman's cab was vertical on the cars with hand brakes . The cars carried the generic designation Otm Mainz.

As a further development of the wagons delivered in 1925, Waggonfabrik Uerdingen built another series of 30 hopper wagons in 1930 with larger main dimensions and a load weight of 26.5 t. This type of car (Otmm Mainz) was designed exclusively with a handbrake.

The welded type hopper wagons (generic symbol Otmm) built from 1943 onwards had a loading weight of 26.5 t, bottom flaps and diagonally offset flaps in the walls.

Kübelwaggon F-zz ¹³¹
(formerly Ok Nürnberg / Okmm ³⁸ )

Kübelwagen: Ok Nuremberg

Special bucket wagons were developed in 1933 for the transport of coal and coke from the inland ports to the smelters in the Ruhr area .

Heavy goods vehicle: SSy Cologne

Information can be found in the article Flat Car .

Low loader wagons: St Augsburg / SSt Cologne

In small series or as single copies, low loader wagons of various sizes and loading weights were built.

Private freight wagons

A wide variety of private freight cars existed , e.g. B. Basin wagons for live fish , beer and wine wagons, heatable fruit transport wagons , dust wagons , tank wagons and pot wagons , for which assemblies of the railway's own standard freight wagons were used as far as possible.

In terms of numbers, the tank wagons were the most important, of which the companies employed a great variety. In the 1930s, the transition to welding technology also took place here, combined with an enlarged wheelbase from 4.00 m to 4.50 m.

During the war, the mineral oil tank wagons, which were procured in large numbers by the state railway, came to the fore. There were two different designs for both the two-axle and four-axle tank wagons:

• Uerdingen type , with continuous sheet metal side members and frame side members under the boiler, as well
• Deutz design, the boiler itself is a load-bearing part of the car, with nothing other than the braking system being mounted between the bogies.

Bogies

The development of the bogies was just as affected by the effects of the war as other areas. For example, the first new welded pressed sheet metal bogies were built in 1940 at Westwaggon in Cologne-Deutz; with 2.0 m wheelbase for the four-axle SSla rail car (see above) as well as for various tank cars and with 1.8 m wheelbase for the SSy heavy truck.

From 1943 this design was simplified and manufactured as war- style bogies in a number of over 35,000 pieces, these were used, among other things, for flat cars , tank cars and tub tenders .

Painting and designation

Initially, the bodies of most of the freight cars were painted in the red-brown iron oxide-based paint used by the German State Car Association. There is disagreement about the exact color, but many contemporary sources say that it appeared more red than brown. Wolfgang Diener mentions RAL 13 in the painting and designation of freight wagons , which was later referred to as RAL 8013, but is no longer included in the current RAL color catalog . According to the same source, in 1935 the color was changed to red-brown according to RAL 8012 , which made the freight cars appear more brown than red, especially compared to the previous color. The base was uniformly black. From December 1941 the iron roofs were painted in black-brown and no longer in green-gray (RAL 7009).

As with the regional railways, all freight wagons were given the wagon number and the class description . Since 1921, the Deutsche Reichsbahn grouped all freight wagons with the same or similar uses in class districts; these were given the name of a Reichsbahndirektion . Almost all freight wagons of the Deutsche Reichsbahn were marked with the lettering "DR" from around 1942 - see wagon identification from 1937 .

Bibliography and sources

• Helmut Behrends , Wolfgang Hensel , Gerhard Wiedau : Güterwagen-Archiv 1, Länderbahnen and Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft. Transpress, Berlin 1989, ISBN 3-87094-127-8 .
• Stefan Carstens , Rudolf Ossig: Güterwagen, Volume 1: Covered Wagons. MIBA-Verlag, Nuremberg 2000
• Stefan Carstens, Hans Ulrich Diener : Freight Cars, Volume 2: Covered Cars - Special Designs. MIBA-Verlag, Nuremberg 2000
• Stefan Carstens, Hans Ulrich Diener: Freight Cars, Volume 3: Open Cars. MIBA-Verlag, Nuremberg 2003
• Stefan Carstens: Freight Cars, Volume 4: Special design open wagons. MIBA-Verlag, Nuremberg 2003, ISBN 3-86046-073-0 .
• Stefan Carstens: Freight Cars, Volume 5: Stake, Rail and Flat Cars. MIBA-Verlag, Nuremberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-89610-248-5 .
• Stefan Carstens: The DB AG freight cars. MIBA-Verlag, Nuremberg 1998, ISBN 3-86046-030-7 .
• Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, Hauptwagenamt (Ed.): The freight cars of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, their design, order and use. VDI-Verlag, Berlin 1933
• Deutsche Reichsbahn, Reichsbahn advertising office for passenger and goods traffic (ed.): The Reichsbahn freight cars. Berlin 1939
• Deutsche Reichsbahn, Reichsbahn-Zentralamt Berlin, Department 28: The freight cars of the standard design. Berlin 1945
• Wolfgang Diener: Painting and designation of freight cars. Abend, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-926243-11-2 .
• Roger lattice man: war designs. In: Eisenbahn-Magazin 8/92. Alba, Düsseldorf 1992
• Gottfried Köhler , Heinz Menzel : freight car manual. Transpress, Berlin, 1966
• Service regulation 939 Part 4 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. 1963 and subsequent years.
• Theurich: 160 years of wagon construction in Görlitz , ISBN 978-3-88255-564-6 .

Web links

• German freight cars from 1910 to 1945 - website with a lot of useful, but also a lot of false information
• Forum discussion with many references to the color of the freight car
• DB AG freight wagons, including wagons taken over by DB and DR