VES-M hall
The mechanical engineering testing and development center in Halle (VES-M Halle) was a testing department subordinate to the mechanical engineering main administration of the Deutsche Reichsbahn .
She worked closely with what was then the " Institute for Railways " and later with the Central Research Institute for Transport (ZfIV). From January 1, 1960, Erwin Kramer instructed the VES-M Halle to house the Vehicle Research Institute in Halle (FZA) founded in 1952 , the Research Institute for Electric Train Conveyance (VAEZ) founded in 1956 with the electrical test field in Dessau and the research institute founded in 1956 for motor vehicles (VAEMF) in Dessau.
Among other things, all of the rolling stock used on the DR tracks , both from our own and from third-party production, was thoroughly checked here. This special department of the Deutsche Reichsbahn carried out load tests with measuring trains on the open track, driving tests on the Berlin outer ring and other tasks.
A number of outstanding locomotives were converted to carry out the trial runs on the VES-M.
- In 1960, the conversion of the Baden express locomotive IV h 18 314 into an express locomotive with a top speed of 150 km / h was completed.
- Even the fastest operational steam locomotive 18 201 , which was designated 02 0201-0 by the DR from 1970, was at the disposal of the VES-M until the DR and DB were merged; it is specially designed for high-speed testing. It was converted from the 61 002 in 1961 and has a drive wheel diameter of 2,300 mm, which enabled a top speed of 182.5 km / h.
- In 1964 and 1965, the quadruple coupled express train locomotives 19 015 and 19 022 were converted for use as brake locomotives.
An E 18 electric locomotive and, from 1992, an electric locomotive of the DR class 212 were used for high-speed journeys, as the E 18's performance was no longer sufficient.
The "Germanization" of diesel locomotives from Soviet (BR 200) and, most recently, Romanian production (BR 119) was also prepared here. For the test operation, diesel locomotives of the DR class 130 were used instead of the steam locomotives .
In addition to the testing of new vehicles, the modernization of existing locomotives and wagons was designed and supported by VES-M. This includes in particular the reconstruction and re-boilering of steam locomotives from the 1920s to 1940s.
The first head of the VES-M from 1960 was the locomotive designer Max Baumberg , previously head of the FVA Halle. After his retirement in 1971, Horst Stöß took over the management.
Another test field were the technical systems of the DR, u. a. the shunting technology.
Since the seventies, people in Halle have been working on the scientific problems to be solved in shunting technology and its shunting equipment (RTE). The Central Machine Management Office (ZM-Halle) supervised major design changes, tests and approvals of the shunting technology. They were supported by the working group of the shunting technicians of the Reichsbahn directorates under the direction of the main administration for mechanical engineering, technical systems. This working group accepted the new track brakes in the production facilities and also after major repairs. This working group also changed and developed the railway accident regulations / accident investigation documents (Buvo) for shunting technology based on actual analyzes. The shunting technology symposia at the Dresden University of Transport Technology (HfV) supported the investment in converting the shunting yards. The transition from manual control to semi-automatic and fully automatic operation of the marshalling yards was started as a result of the politically wanted and highly emerging rail freight traffic in the GDR.
On January 1, 1994, the test operation of the Central Machine Technology Center (formerly VES-M) was transferred to other test offices. After that, only basic services were carried out in Halle.
In 1996 the Halle location was finally given up. The test center in Dessau with the electrical test field, most recently as a research and technology center (FTZ), was closed on December 31, 2003. The shunting technicians went to the BZA Minden.
In the DB Museum in Halle (Saale) 2008, a permanent exhibition on the VES-M Halle opened.