Express Train Passenger Car.

Prototype information

In the 1930s, both the German State Railroad and the car building industry were working on improving aerodynamics; these efforts were not devoted solely to locomotives. Express train passenger cars were also given streamlined forms. The driving motivation was primarily an increase in travel speeds. Decreased coal and water consumption was also on the state railroad's wish list. Innovations on the ends of the cars were particularly noticeable. Here the side walls extended 150 mm / 5-7/8" out to the buffers. In addition, the doors were no longer recessed, but were mounted flush with the sidewall. Side wall skirting that covered the upper area of the trucks gave this family of cars its name, "Schürzenwagen" or "skirted passenger car". Due to the additional equipment, the weight of the first design increased by approximately one metric ton over the weight of the standard car, which was technically identical. As with other designs, various car types were built from the basic design. Initially, the German State Railroad received 3rd class skirted passenger cars. They had nine compartments offering seating for 72 passengers. After 3rd class seating was discontinued, they were in service for the DB as 2nd class cars, before they had to make way for the modern 26.4 m / 86' 7-3/8" cars.