SVT 137 149 ff.

Introduction
Construction
In service
Service at the Deutsche Reichsbahn (former DDR)

Introduction

The start of the highspeed trainset VT 877 "Fliegender Hamburger" on 15 May 1933 was a big succes. The result of this was a fast growing network of SVT connections between the larger German cities. The DRG ordered by Waggon - und Maschinenbau AG Görlitz (WUMAG) 13 trainsets of type "Hamburg". Each trainset consisted of 2 units with diesel electric power. They entered service in 1935 and 1936. They received the numbers SVT 137 149 upto 152 and SVT 137 224 upto 232. The second series had a higher weight. SVT stands for: Schnell Verbrennungs Triebszug.

Construction

The trainsets were built as a framework of joists. The frontends were made roundly to achieve a little air resistance at highspeeds. The windows were larger in comparison with the VT 877, so the roof could be higher. The trains got skirts at the bottom. To switch from the a-unit to the b-unit the trains got gangway bellows. A second gangway bellow over the first gangway bellow made a closed unit and caused no whirlwind between the two units.

The train got three two axle bogies. The engines were built in the bogies. Both endbogies were of type Görlitz III without power. These bogies were modified for this trainset. The axles had sheet springs and helical springs. In 1938 the bogies without power were replaced for a new type of bogie. Each bogie without power had a diesel engine with a generator. The diesel engine was a V12 engine of type "GO 5" from Maybach. The engine had a capacity of 302 kW at 1400 rpm. To complete the installation there was a system added which stops the engine when the oilpressure reached a certain level. The petrol was stored in three tanks, each with a capacity of 330 liter. The range of these tanks was approximately 1000 km. Later at the DR in the former DDR the engines were replaced for diesel engines of type "12 v 170 DR" of CKD from Praha. At the DB the engines were later replaced by engines of type "GTO 56" from Maybach. The VT 04 501, which was transformed to diesel hydraulic transmission, had two diesel engines of type "GTO 56" in both endbogies.

There was a generator of type "aG210/26b" from AEG to carry over the power from the diesel engines to the electric motors. The capacity of the generator was 270 kW at 1400 rpm. The Jakobsbogie was of type Görlitz III "leicht". This bogie was the driving bogie with two DC electric motors of type "Dx 1681". The tension of both motor was 800 volt. This resulted in a power of 21 kN at 78 km/u and a starting power of 53 kN at 18 km/u. The trainsets were equiped with drum brakes of type Hikp. Each bogie had 8 brake cilinders with a diameter of 120 mm. For a very short brakeway there were induction brakes of type Jores-Müller. When the bogies were replaced for new ones, the drum brakes were replaced by disc brakes.

The trainsets were equiped with Scharfenberg couplers to made coupling easier. With this facility a trainset of type "Hamburg" could easy be coupled with for example a trainset of type "Köln".

The seats arrangement was similar to the arrangement of seats as in D-train coaches. Behind the cabin and machine room was a 3,60 m long luggage room with a surface of 9,6 m2 and an entrance compartment. In the second class were 5 1/2 compartments with a seat arrangement of 2+1 and a 522 mm wide middle corridor. The entrance doors to the second class were 650 mm wide. The b-unit had a 3 metre long restauration with buffet, a kitchen with a refrigerator, sinks, electric cookers and a warmwater tap. By a revolving door one came in the second class salon compartment. Next came a second entrance compartment and the second machine room and the cabin. The windows were 1200 mm wide with 4 mm thick glass in frames of nickeled brassprofiles. The windows in the cabin were made of 8 mm thick Sekurit-security glass. The heating of both trainunits was made by a warmwater heating of type Narag. The electric boardnet of 110 V DC was feed by a helpgenerator. When the train stood stil, a AFA battery of type "4Ky 285" with a capacity of 200 Ah took this function over. The SVT was equiped with SIFA and INDUSI of type three frequency-resonance. There was an intercom installed for onboard communication.

A restored trainset SVT 137 225 in excellent condition (Berlin-Wannsee, 7 July 1991)

The trainsets who were standing in the American and British occupation zones were green coloured. The SVT 04 101 in the American zone had the number USA 666 and a white band beneath the windows. The SVT 04 102 had a white band with at both sides of the train two red crosses.

The DR brought the trainsets into service in a colouring which differed a little from the original colouring. At the beginning of the seventies all SVT trainsets got a new livery and new computer numbers. Beneath the windows they got a wine red band with an ivory coloured band near the couplers. Ivory coloured bands along the windows and a grey coloured roof. Trainset 183 252 became a museum train and got his original livery back.

In service

After the SVT trainsets had entered service from Raw Wittenberge, they were assigned to the Bw Berlin-Grunewald and Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof. One SVT belonged until the end of 1936 to the Bw Hamburg-Altona. In the years 1938/39 there were a couple of changes in the stationing of these trainsets. For example the SVT trainsets were stationed in the depots Bw Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof, Berlin- Grunewald, Leipzig Hbf West and Hamburg-Altona. The SVT trainsets "Hamburg" had there service on the following routes: Berlin-Hamburg (FDt 37/38), Berlin-Köln (Fdt 15/16 and FDt 17/18), Berlin-Frankfurt/Main (FDt 571/572) and Berlin-Nürnberg-München/Stuttgart (FDt 551/552 and FDt 711/712). As well as between Berlin and Nürnberg and Berlin and Hamm the trains were riding in double traction.

On the route Hannover-Hamm the trains reached a topspeed of 132,2 km/h. With this topspeed they got the title "fastest train in the world". In the second world war the trains were taken out of service and they only have to ride for the Wehrmacht and the government. As a result of the war, the SVT fleet was mixed up. The trains with the numbers SVT 137 225 and 226 were in the Russian occupation zone and were later handed over to the DR in the former DDR. Five trainsets were located in the western occupation zones (SVT 137 149, 152, 227, 231, 232). Six trainsets were standing in the former Sudetenland (SVT 137 150, 151, 224, 228, 229, 230) and were handed over to the Czech railways. They put them into service as "Blitzzüge" with a topspeed of 130 km/h between Praha and Bratislava to Ostrava. The trainsets got the numbers M 297 001 t/m 006.

Service at the Deutsche Reichsbahn (former DDR)

The following SVT trainsets were handed over to the DR in the former DDR: SVT 137 225 and 226. The DR demolished the a-unit of trainset SVT 137 226, which was in a bad condition. The DR transformed the b-unit to a coach for the 3-unit SVT 137 234 (SVT type "Leizpig").

The VT 04 102 upto 107 and the VT 04 501 were handed over in 1958/59 to the DR, which put them into service under the old numbers. The trainsets were stationed in Bw Berlin-Karlshorst. The trainsets were put into service in foreigner services as Ext 54/55 "Vindobona" as well as in the domestic services between Berlin-Bautzen and Berlin-Neubrandenburg.