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Standard design coaches
Standard design coaches
Hechtcoaches
Bauart 28-37 coaches
Skirted coaches
Hechtcoaches
The "Hechtcoaches" are devided to type:
The so called "Hechtcoaches" were the first express train standard design coaches. These coaches were built in the following types: "Bauart 1921", "Bauart 1922", "Bauart 1923" and "Bauart 1926".
The coaches were characterised by the coach ends. The ends where the entrance doors were located became smaller towards the end. So the coach ends were smaller than the middle of the coach. These coaches were built of iron and fastened together with rivets. As predecessor of the Hechtcoaches can be seen the Prussian luggage coach of type Pw4ü-16, these coach had the same constructed coach ends and doors.
Construction
The frame of the Hechtcoaches was constructed to proposals of Wumag from Görlitz. The frame got metal support at the sides and in the middle, these support took care of the push and pull forces. The sidesupport was strenghened with transverse profiles. The ends of the coach were bent, so that the coach ends were smaller than the middle of the coach. The construction of the coaches was done with metal profiles where against metal plates were fixed. After 1926 this plates were made of steel who were fastened with rivets. Inside the sidewalls were finished with wood. The roof got shape with bent metal profiles. On these profiles were the roofs fastened, the Hechtcoaches got the so called "Tonnen" roofs.
Bogies
 | | American bogie |
During the development of the Hechtcoaches there were two bogies eligible for using with the Hechtcoaches. This were the so called "Regeldrehgestell" and the "American" bogie. Three axle bogies were not eligible for using with the Hechtcoaches because the advantages were not counterbalanced against the disadvantages. The "American" bogie had helical springs, and the "Regeldrehgestell" had sheet springs and helical springs. They thought that the "American" bogie had lots of advantages, especially on flat railway lines. So they choosed for the "American" bogie. In the following years they tried to improve the bogies because the maintenance costs were very high. | | "Regel" bogie |
 | | Gorlitz type I bogie |
In 1923, Wumag built a whole new bogie. The axles had sheet springs who were set up horizontal. The bogies were two axle but were as long as an three axle bogie. By lengthen the bogie, they tried to avoid meandering of the coaches. In November 1923 the first testruns were made with this new bogie. In January 1924 the bogie was mounted under a 1/2 class express train coach and was tested in regular service. A half year later, a couple of changes followed, this leaded to bogie type "Görlitz I" . Because of the good experiences with this new bogie Wumag was going further with the development of this bogie.
The bogie frame was strengthened and a couple of changes followed. Because of that this bogie were type "Görlitz II Schwer". The bogie was first mounted under 12 express train coaches Bauart 1926.
 | | Gorlitz II Schwer bogie |
Brakes and couplers
By tests with different braking systems, braking system of type "Kunze-Knorr" was tested as best system. The Reichsbahn equiped all coaches with this braking system from Bauart 1923. To operate the high air pressure brakes in emergencies, each coach was equiped with an emergency braking system. For international services it was necessary to built in other braking systems too, like Wsbr, Avsbr 02, Hnbr, Evbr etc.
The Hechtcoaches were equiped with hooks and screw couplers. In 1923 the Reichsbahn demanded the installation of strengthened hooks from 1-1-1924.
Interior
 | | First class interior |
The interior of the coaches followed mostly the Prussian-Hessian model. The first class compartments (see photo) had four seats. The compartmens were furnished so that next to the window, the seat was one seat wide and at the opposite side next to the window the seat was two seats wide but it was counted as one seat. On this way, the first class compartment could have six seats instead of four seats. It is not clear if the first class compartments were strictly four seat compartments or if it were actually six seat compartments. The first class compartmens were furnished with carpet on the floor, upholstered armrests, headrest and red coloured pluche upholstery. The first class compartments were located in the middle of the coach, whilst they were in former days located at the end of the coaches. The second class compartments had six seats. These seats were in comparison with the first class compartments six separate seats with on each row three seats. The second class seats were all provided with soft furnishings, they had upholstered headrests and armrests. The third class compartments had wooden benches. The armrests and wallupholstery were wooden too. Fourth class was not present in FD and D trains. In the luggage coaches were dog kennels made for passengers with dogs. From 1922, the committee for standard design coaches decided that the kennels had not anymore as high as the coaches, but a height of 700 to 800 mm was sufficient. In this way there was room for more dog kennels, in favor of the hunters who made use of the train very often. For example in 1921 the DRG carried 2.015.404 dogs. Also in some passenger coaches were special compartments exclusivly for people with dogs.
The first express train coaches were equiped with the in 1913 introduced battery lighting. The batteries in the coaches had to be recharged often. Soon this system leaded to problems especially in the international services. In 1924 they changed to a system that worked with a dynamo.
The express train coaches had two toilets to their disposal, at each side of the coach one toilet. The toilet was provided with flowing water. From 1922 there came towels as well as mirrors in the toilets. The coaches from Bauart 1926 got a new flushing system to flush the toilets.
Exterior
The first Hechtcoaches had 3 mm thick windows, from 1925 they used 4 mm thick windows. The windows were placed in a metal casing. To ventilate the coaches they used extractor fans of type "Wendler". The coaches from Bauart 1926 got for the very first time double ceilings. Between the roof and the ceiling were the extractor fans placed, but by means of these double ceiling they effectuated a good air circulation.
All Hechtcoaches got gangway bellows who were withstood weather influences.
Colouring
The EisenbahnZentralAmt in Berlin set up in 1920 a new colour scheme for passenger coaches, luggage coaches and postal coaches. These coaches were green on the outside. The bogies, couplers, air pipes and other installations got the colour black. Luggage coaches were inside painted gray.
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