SVT 137 273 ff. Köln

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

Introduction

It was true that the concept of the DRG to set up a network of fast diesel trainsets between the large German cities was a success, but the attraction for the traveller must not go away because a couple of minor things. Especially the salon compartments and the bar with limited Mitropa catering were critised. Newly built trainsets must had closed compartments and a dining compartment. The three unit concept, the diesel electric traction and the top speed of 160 km/h must of course remain the same. For the mentioned changes, the second coaches must lengthed and because of that they abandoned the use of the Jakobs bogie. Maintenance was a little bit easier by abandoning the use of the Jakobs bogies. Linke-Hofmann-Busch in Breslau built the SVT type "Köln". Between 1936 and 1938 14 trainsets entered service. The trainsets had the numbers SVT 137 273 up to 278 and SVT 137 851 up to 858.

Construction

The bodies of the trainset units were welded and built with joists. To achieve a very low air resistance at high speeds, the front ends were rounded off. In comparison with the SVT of type "Hamburg" and "Leipzig" the windows in the cabins were smaller. For further lowering air resistance the SVT got skirtes at the bottom of the units. To switch from the a-unit to the b-unit the trainsets 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 bogies were of type "Görlitz" with a couple of modifications. The both end bogies were not powered. The axles had sheet springs and helical springs. The end bogies had a diesel engine and a generator. In each end bogie was a 12 cylinder fourstroke V watercooled diesel engine of type "GO 6" from Maybach. The engines had a strengthened crankshaft. The engines, equiped with a turbo, had a power of 441 kW at 1400 rpm. Two SVT trainsets were for experiments provided with Maybach engines of type "G 6" with a power of 478 kW. The engines were hanging in a frame which itself was hanging in the frame of the bogie. The fuel was carried in three large tanks with a capacity of 2650 liter. To carry over the energy from the generators to the electric motors there was a main generator of type "aG 311/28" from Siemens/Schukert. The power of these generators was 400 kW at 770 volt. The second bogies of each endcar were powered bogies. Both powered bogies were equiped with AEG motors of type "GBM 780", these motors were DC motors. These driving motors could be change in series or parallel, these possibility was especially used at climbing routes.

The power of one electric motor was 180 kW at 1700 rpm by a voltage of 750 volt. They could conduct up to three coupled trainsets of SVT "Köln" from one trainset. The SVT "Köln" was the first trainset of the DRG which had in the Scharfenberg couplers contacts of the firm Fabeg. Because of that, different types of SVT trainsets could be coupled together. So you could see a SVT of type "Hamburg" with a SVT of type "Köln".

The bogies of the middle coaches were of type "Görlitz". The bogie frames were welded. The axles had sheet springs and helical springs. Because there were a couple of problems with the drum brakes of the other SVT trainsets, and the disc brakes were still in the experimental stage, the DRG installed the old shoe brakes. They used express train brakes of type "Hikss" from Hildebrand-Knorr with a valve of type "Hikst". Besides electrical operation of the brakes, the brakes could also be operated pneumatically. For emergency stops each bogie had induction brakes with magnets of type "DD 135" in the powered bogies, and type "DD 125" in the other bogies.

Typical for the interiors of the SVT "Köln" were the decorations. The wooden dividing walls between the compartments had photos of German landscapes and townscapes. The windows in the compartments were large enough to enjoy the outlooks. The whole thing made a reliable impression and gave out a high level of comfort. The heating of the trainsets occured by a oilheated boiler. The hotwater was pumped around by an electric pump. The temparture was adjusted by a thermostat which was dependent on the temperature of the water. The high air pressure system was made by two Knorr compressors of type "VV 48/75 G" who generate both a pressure of 10 bar. Both worked parallel. With the high air pressure system things like the brakes and horns were operated. The electrical boardnetwork was fed by 110 volt DC. When the train stood still an AFA batery of type "4 Ky 285 h/43" with a capacity of 200 Ah was used for the boardnetwork. The SVT trainsets of type "Köln" were equiped with Sifa an Indusi.

The colouring changed during the years in the different services. When the trainsets entered service they had bogies which were black coloured and the skirts were aluminium coloured. Above the skirts was a black coloured band, above these band was an ivory coloured band and under the windows was a voilet coloured band. Just below the windows was a black coloured band and along the windows was an ivory coloured band. The roof was aluminium coloured. The colouring of the trainset M 490 001 (SVT 137 852) which was after the war in Czechoslovakia is very difficult because there is only black-and-white documentation of this trainsets. It's sure that the colour along the windows was ivory, and that there was a white strip under the windows, the rest of the trainsets had a dark colour. Looking to the era in which the train operated at the CSD, this colour was presumably red.

In service

When the SVT "Köln" entered service the SVT network of the DRG covered 13 000 kilometer. The trainsets SVT "Köln" pleased very good after a year. But it wasn't all sunshine, sometimes the engines had failures because heavy rain fall. Due to the change in lubricating oil there was more dirt in the engines and bogies. And at the shoe brakes there was lots of pollution due to dust of braking. Later the helical springs must be strengthened and the sheetssprings must strengthened too. So there were sometimes problems with these trainsets.

The SVT trainsets of type "Köln" had their service on the lines Berlin-Köln (FDt 15/16), Berlin-Nürnberg-München/Stuttgart (FDt 551/552 and FDt 711/712) and Dortmund-Basel via Frankfurt/Main and Darmstadt (FDt49/50). Between Berlin and Nürnberg the SVT was riding in double traction. But the service of these trainsets was not very long, when the war broke out, the trainsets were took out of service, and they only rode for the Wehrmacht and the government. At the end of the war most of the SVT trainsets were set aside. Because of the war the SVT collection was mixed up. SVT 137 273, 137 278, 137 852 stayed in the Russian occupation zone. SVT 137 852 was going to the CSD in 1949 and entered service as trainset M 490 001 on the line Praha-Bratislava. The SVT 137 855 was going to the former Sovjet Union and entered service at the SZD as trainset DP-14. The SVT 137 274 stayed in the American occupation zone and was as "technical interesting object" transported to Fort Eustis in Virginia. Nine trainsets stayed in the western occupation zones and were later handed over to the DB.

In service at the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DDR)

The DR in the former DDR brought the SVT trainsets into service in a colouring which barely differed from the original colouring. At the beginning of the seventies, when all the numbers had to change because the introduction of computerized numbers, all SVT trainsets who were in service got a new livery. The skirts became grey, the band under the windows became wine red with just above the skirts an ivory coloured band. Along the windows was an ivory coloured band and the roof was gray. After the war the trainsets SVT 137 273 and SVT 137 278 stayed in the DDR. The DR put them into service from Bw Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof as train FDt 66/65 between Berlin and Hamburg. The from the CSD returned SVT 137 852 came in 1953 back to the DR. In the meantime all SVT trainsets were stationed in Bw Berlin-Karlshorst. The from the DB bought trainsets got their original numbers and livery back. These trainsets had their service in the international traffic on the lines: Berlin Warschau-Brest ("Berolina"), Berlin-Praha-Wien ("Vindobona"), Berlin-Praha-Budapest ("Hungaria") and Berlin-Rostoch-Warnemünde-Kopenhagen ("Neptun").

The SVT trainsets of the DR were modernized in 1963 and they got in 1965 new diesel engines of type "12 V 170 DR" from CKD Praha. These engines had a power of 470 kW. The suck in of air was done by a special installation on the roof, who simultaneous let the exhausts get away. To these installation owed the SVT trainsets her striking front.

The seats arrangement in the middle coaches was modified in 0+4, so that the SVT trainsets have 8 compartments first class with 48 seats and 9 compartments second class with 72 seats at their disposal. The dining compartment was modified too, and in the luggageroom was room for Mitropa and customs personal. The old oilheated heater was replaced by a new heater of type "HETO 40 S". They got also new bateries of type "3 Gt 195" and the instruments were all equiped with energy saved UV lighting. Furthermore the trainsets required some modifications for the services to Denmark, which they were carried by ferry. With the entering of SVT type "Görlitz" (VT 18.16/175) the SVT of type "Köln" was more and more pushed away from the international traffic. Now and then the trainsets were used for trains who were break down. With the renumbering, the trainsets got the following numbers: SVT 137 273 became 182 003-4/503-3/004-2, SVT 137 278 became 182 005-9/505-8/006-7, SVT 137 853 became 182 007-5/507-4/008-3, SVT 137 856 became 182 009-1/509-0/010-9. Now and then the SVT trainsets were only used for special rides. For example there was on 6 Oktober 1975 a special ride for the Deutsche Modeleisenbahn-Verbandes to Beeskow, here were riding the trainsets 182 003-4/503-3/004-2 and 184 001-6 (VT "Ruhr") with a 173 002-7. Between 1972 and 1982 all trainsets were set aside, a couple of trainsets were used as office cars at building activities. So was the 182 009-1/509-0/510-9 standing in Jüterbog in 1981. In 1992 this trainset was handed over as museum train to the Bw Leipzig Hbf Süd.