ISSUE APRIL 2023
Welcome to a brand-new issue of the BRAWA News Express!
In the actual issue of the News Express, BRAWA presents 8 brand-new models in gauge H0 which are not in the New Items Brochure 2023. The special thing about the News Express is that the models will be delivered to the stores in the near future.
Further information and details about the models are available on the relevant product pages. You can download the actual issue of the News Express here and on our download page. We hope you enjoy discovering the numerous details.
Classics of local transport
The conversion programmes for 3yg- and 4yg coaches allowed the German Federal Railway to address the shortage of coaches caused by the war for the first time from the mid-1950s. However, the construction programmes were limited initially to developing urban rapid transit and express train coaches. Following this, the German Federal Railway created capacity for developing new commuter coaches (n-coaches).
The constantly growing demand for increased traffic volume and the fact that the 3yg had only been designed for a short service life, led to the appearance of the first prototypes for the new n-coaches in 1958. Based on the findings of the preceding new developments and prototypes, three basic types emerged with five 1st class compartments in the centre of the coach and two large 2nd class cabins (AB4nb), three large 2nd class cabins (B4nb) and two large 2nd class cabins and baggage compartment with space for the train conductor (BD4nf). Although prototypes had also been trialled with side panels made from aluminium, standard steel and corrugated side walls, metal panelling made from stainless steel (V2A) was eventually chosen for mass production. Since the coach paintwork corrosion protection was not required for this material, the n-coaches were abraded under the windows using a peacock eye pattern. This abrading pattern and the silver surface of the V2A quickly earned the n coach the distinctive nickname “Silberlinge”.
Passenger Coach ABnrb704 DB
Ep. IV, road-no.: 50 80 31-45 301-4
Except for a few models fitted with lightweight design Minden-Deutz bogies, the n-coaches were fitted with block brakes (MD42), which were replaced with disk brakes (MD43) in later series. In order to change passengers as quickly as possible, the otherwise common end entrances were abandoned and positioned approximately a third of the way along the coach as double entrances with hinged-folding doors. The basic design of the n-coach proved so successful that between 1960 and 1980 a total of about 5000 coaches were constructed by different coach manufacturers as well as at the Karlsruhe and Hannover refurbishment facilities (Aw).
At first, conditions in the extremely cramped conductor’s space in the BD4nf were less than ideal, and it was soon nicknamed the “rabbit hutch” by staff, leading to discontent and safety concerns. As a result, Aw Karlsruhe rebuilt the conductor’s cab, producing a control car in 1972 with a fully-fledged conductor’s cab without any through access to the next coach. These changes meant that the Karlsruhe version differed significantly from the previous “rabbit hutch” with its passageway between the coaches.
Passenger Coach Bnrzb725 DB
Ep. IV, road-no.: 50 80 22-33 515-4
From the mid-1980s, the Federal Railways started to modernise coaches that were in some cases already 20 years old. Following several design studies, the positive features of the individual programmes were combined at Aw Hannover in the new Hannover design. New features also consisted of the mint green paintwork or new sliding windows with plastic frames. This design, which was also installed by PFA Weiden or OFV Verona using alternative interior colours, can still be found in modern n-coaches that have been painted in the DB AG corporate colours.
Other conversions were performed on the control cars. The two designs that had been introduced earlier were only suitable for either diesel or electric traction, depending on the control panel installed. For this reason, a new conductor’s cab was designed at Aw Wittenberge, based on the DB standard driver’s cab of the BR 111, so that the control cabs could be deployed with greater freedom. Numerous “rabbit hutches” and also Karlsruhe versions were subsequently converted to the Wittenberge model. In order to meet the demand for push-pull trains, DB AG also included standard 2nd class coaches in the conversion programme.
Passenger Coach Bnrzb725 DB
Ep. IV, road-no.: 50 80 22-34 308-3
The BRAWA models of the passenger coaches take into account the corresponding construction type differences for all variants – for example, the car floors are equipped differently with the type of heating used in each case and the roofs with a fine reproduction of the weld seams are also executed differently. The cars come with numerous other details such as axle bearings in metal axle brackets, reproduction of the tangentially corrugated wheels made of metal, accurately fitted windows in true-to-epoch implementation, multi-part interior furnishings, and sharply contoured engraved details.
The new passenger coaches are already available from specialist dealers.
Control Car BDnrzf739 DB
Ep. IV, road-no.: 50 80 82-34 028-4
TANK CAR Uerdingen
30 m3 lightweight tank wagon in Uerdinger design – thanks to general technical advances in lightweight construction and welding technology, the management at the National Railway (Reichsbahn) decided to dispense with the actual vehicle frame when designing new tank wagons. Instead, the tensile and impact forces would, as far as possible, be absorbed by the boiler. Through the extensive use of welding technology, the goal was to reduce the raw-material requirements and manufacturing costs while at the same time obtaining more robust vehicles. For this reason, the wagon factory in Uerdingen received an order in 1938 to develop a lightweight tank car with a cargo volume of 30 m3. As early as 1939, the three prototypes were handed over to two private goods-wagon rental companies as well as the state’s economic research association (Wirtschaftliche Forschungsgesellschaft (Wifo)) for testing.
Following a small intermediate series in 1940, series production of the 30 m3 Uerdinger-type lightweight tank wagon began in 1941. The largest customer was the German air force (Luftwaffe) with approx. 2,200 units, followed by the Wifo and many smaller companies, which resulted in a total of around 3,700 cars being built. In the post-war period, the wagons acquired by the Wifo and Luftwaffe were redistributed to other wagon operators in both German states. In the following decades, the wagons were primarily used by larger companies in the mineral oil industry, and also by smaller private companies as well as DB and DR themselves. Some of the wagons also remained abroad, where they were operated by new owners. In 2016 one of these wagons was still in use in internal interfactory traffic at Haltermann in Hamburg.
In 1939/40, the Köln-Deutz (Cologne-Deutz) and Uerdingen wagon factories each constructed a quadruple axle tank wagons in a lightweight design. Directly related to this, Westwaggon also manufactured the prototype of the tub-style tender, with which the war locomotives belonging to the BR 42 and 52 were coupled. The development was primarily driven by the military since it was necessary to transport enormous amounts of crude oil and fuels for replenishment purposes. As was the case with all war designs, the lightweight design was fully utilised in order to maximise the potential of the available steel quota. However, it soon became apparent that this was done to the detriment of the durability.
At this point, both manufacturers were developing wagons with self-supporting tanks. Whilst Deutz left it at puffer beams, the Uerdinger design also boasted solebars manufactured from bevelled profiles that were intended to contribute in absorbing longitudinal compression forces. The main data of both versions was identical: The length over buffers amounted to 12.40 m, the bogie pivot distance amounted to 6.60 m and the tank contained 63 m3. As a result of the compact design, this amount lead to axle and metre load problems, meaning that it was not possible to completely fill the tank on all routes. Pressed sheet metal bogies with a 2.00 m wheel base were used as the running gear. The wagons that were built up until 1945 were deployed at "Wifo" (scientific research community) and oil associations in order to supply the German Armed Forces.
After 1945, various European companies reproduced the wagons in a more advanced form, as did Tatra in Prague in 1946. In 1955, SEAG supplied almost 500 units of the wagons developed from the Uerdingen design to the United States Transportation Corps (USTC). Due to the war, many wagons were lost or remained in the territories of other European state railways. The wagons located in the catchment area of the western occupation zones made their way to VTG, which emerged from the former "Wifo" in 1951. In addition to this, mineral oil companies deployed further wagons in the form of P wagons and emerged as main tenants of the VTG wagons. The wagons that stayed with DR remained in the inventory of the state railway and were only leased out on a long-term basis, primarily to PCK Schwedt/ Oder in this case. The last wagons were only removed from the inventory in the 1990s and were being used as maintenance cars or station wagons. In this guise, they could still be regularly seen after the turn of the millennium.
The BRAWA Tank Cars Uerdingen are equipped with numerous details true to the original:
- Bogie with three-point support
- Individually mounted wheelchocks
- Individually mounted brake systems
- Metal wheels
- Finely engraved bogies
- Brake blocks in wheel plane
- Individually mounted axle brake rod
- Free standing handle bars
The 2-axle version will already be delivered to dealers at the end of the 2nd quarter of 2023. The 4-axle version will follow at the end of the 4th quarter.
Transportation talent for Bulk Goods – with masses of Details
Open Freight Car Otmm70 DB
In order to achieve a larger loading space of 40 m3, the undercarriage and the wheel base of the previous Otmm wagons were extended by 500 mm. The first of these wagons with a capacity of 40 m3 was built by the Paderborn railway repair shop on a trial basis in 1961. The design stood the test, and so the railway repair shops of Kaiserslautern and Weiden built more than 16,000 Otmm 70/Ed 090 wagons between 1961 and 1970, also using profiles of old but usable Omm 37 wagons. The wagons – referred to as Fc 090 from 1980 onwards - ran as single wagons and in block trains with bulk goods of all kinds. A shortage of hinged roof wagons led to the fact that they were also covered with tarpaulins and used for the transport of cereals. Consequently, 1,500 wagons were equipped with hinged roofs in 1978/79 and referred to as Tdgs-z 932. Many other wagons received a load alteration switchover and were referred to as Fcs 090 or, after being adapted for further operation from 1991 onwards, as Fcs 092. In 1994, the DB AG took over even more than 8,500 Fc(s) 090 wagons which were decommissioned until 2007. In 2012, around 2,600 of the Fcs 092 wagons were still in service, another 786 wagons were used as Fcs-x 092 in coal transport.
The BRAWA model of the Open Freight Car Otmm70 DB is already available at your specialist dealer. It comes with numerous details e.g. metal axle holders, bogie with three-point support, individually mounted brake system, brake blocks in wheel plane, individually mounted axle box cover, free standing ladders, individually mounted railing and replica of the supports in the funnel.
Open Freight Car Otmm70 DB
Ep. III, road-no.: 648 003
Container Car Uacs<sup>946</sup> „Südzucker“ DB
After an initial series of EKW 49’s that were converted to KKd 49’s, the Deutsche Bundesbahn (West German Federal Railway) quickly began developing its own entirely new powder wagons. The findings from the conversion and operation of the KKd 49 were immediately incorporated into the new design. The result was the KKds 55 wagon type, which was intended for the transport of alumina. The vehicle frame rests on two type 931 Minden-Dorstfeld bogies. Since the basic structure of the powdered goods containers is integrated into the wagons’ loadbearing structure, they do not require internal longitudinal beams. Advantageously, this made it possible to pull the container bottoms down a long way over the track.
The four silo containers of the same size included an emptying device with a dispersal base in each container. Compressed air was used to unload the cargo from the containers. The small series (only 24 units) that was ordered from the Talbot wagon factory was delivered to the DB from 1954 onwards. As well as transporting alumina, aluminium oxide was also loaded into these wagons. In addition, they were also leased to corresponding companies as private wagons. Due to the small total quantity, the wagons were all taken out of service by 1998.
The BRAWA model of the Container Car Uacs946 "Südzucker" has a lot of details true-to-original e.g. individually mounted axle brake rod, brake blocks in wheel plane and individually mounted steps, container cover and valves. The model provides a true-to-original brake unit and is equipped with NEM-standard short-coupling.
The delivery to specialist dealers will take place at the end of the 2nd quarter of 2023.
Container Car Uacs946 „Südzucker“ DB
Ep. IV, road-no.: 21 80 090 5 002-1 [P]
RPP: Recommended retail price (incl. 19 % VAT), prices are subject to change. Subject to modifications in design and shape. Colour deviations are possible.
AEG and Südzucker are registered trademarks.