SVT 137 153 ff. Leipzig

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

Introduction

With the start of the diesel trainsets on 15 May 1933, there began a new era in railtravel. Soon there were many from the first SVT trainset SVT 877 a/b "Fliegender Hamburger" derived trainsets like the two unit SVT trainsets of type "Hamburg". The service of the trainsets was mainly on the lines from Berlin to Hamburg and Frankfurt/M., Stuttgart and München and the line Hamburg-Köln. The seats arrangement in the "Fliegender Hamburger" was criticized , as a result the arrangement was reduced to 2+1 in the trainsets of type "Hamburg". These trainsets had 77 seats and 4 seats in the dining compartment. Because of the big success of the SVT trainsets the seats were often weeks before reserved. There was need for more seats. It appeared that doubling the power of the diesel engines from 301 kW to 4422 kW was resulted in a minor increase in weight. In that way it was easy to construct a three unit trainset. In the development stage the trainset was indicated as trainset type "Breslau", but with the delivering it was renamed to trainset type "Leipzig". This trainset was built by Linke-Hofmann. In 1935 there were built two diesel electric trainsets and in 1936 there were built two diesel hydraulic trainsets. The trainsets got the numbers SVT 137 153 upto 154 a/b and SVT 137 233 and 234 a/b.

Construction

As mentioned before, the trainsets distinguished from each other by power. All trainsets were powered by a 12-cilinder fourstroke V-engine, it was a water cooled diesel engine of type "GO 6" from Maybach. The cooling system was located under the end trailers. The diesel engines were located at both end bogies. The diesel hydraulic trainsets had their powered axles in the end bogies. The diesel electric trainsets had their powered axles in the middle Jakobs bogie. The generators for the electic motors were located in the end bogies. The diesel electric trainsets had a device with which three coupled SVT trainsets could be conducted. Both end bogies were modified Görlitz bogies.

SVT trainset type 'Leipzig', on the photo SVT 137 234 standing in Bw Leipzig Hbf Süd

The units had rounded frontends and skirts. 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 trainsets were equiped with Scharfenberg couplers. The trainsets had drum brakes of type Hikp, and there were induction brakes installed. As a hand brake there was a brake which worked with oilpressure. The trainsets were equiped with "Sicherheitsfahrschaltung" and INDUSI. For lighting there was a 110 volt boardnetwork. Like all SVT trainsets the "Fliegender Leipziger" had crème violet colering with aluminium coloured roofs and skirts, they were decorated with black lines.

In service

The SVT 137 153 was exhibited in Nürnberg with the jubilee of the DRG, the trainsets was here presented to the world but had still no motors! SVT 137 233 was delivered on 2 Oktober 1935 and followed by SVT 137 234 on 6 November 1935. The DRG made of lot of test runs with these trainsets before they entered service. At one of these test runs one trainsets set a speedrecord between Hamburg and Berlin with a speed of 205 km/h on 17 February 1936. On 15 May 1936 the service started on the newly built line between Berlin-Beuthen via Breslau in Oberschlesien.

The service started as train FDt 45 from Berlin-Charlottenburg (19.51), Berlin-Zoo (19.59) and Berlin-Schlesischer Bf (20.20) then it was rode without stops to Breslau (341 km), it stopped then only in Oppeln, Heydebreck and Gleiwitz until the train arrived at Beuthen at 0.37. This resulted in an average travelspeed of 109 km/h. On 22 August 1922 all trainsets with diesel engine were taken out of service. Only a few SVT trainsets of different types were in service after the begin of the second world war, they were only in service for the government or the Wehrmacht. The other trainsets were lined up somewhere and this was probably applied for the SVT "Leipzig". After the end of the war the SVT 137 154 and 233 were in reasonably condition and were standing in the Russian occupation zone. SVT 137 153 became property of the Sovjet railways (SZD) with number DP 15, the SVT 137 234 was gone to the Pole railways (PKP). The first SVT in service after the war in the Russian occupation zone was the SVT 137 273 on 25 August 1949 until 9 September 1949 between Berlin and Probstella as train FDt 79/80.

In service at the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DDR)

On 21 December 1950 train FDt 54/55 between Berlin and Praha was back on track. Trainset SVT 137 154 took care of this service. Trainset SVT 137 233 got a dinning compartment in 1950. The trainset was in service from Bw Berlin-Karlshorst. When the Czech railways were going to ride on the route Berlin-Praha with own rolling-stock, trainset SVT 137 154 was moved to the line from Berlin to Saßnitz and München as FDt 143/144 between Berlin and Erfurt.

During 1955, it came to an exchange of rolling-stock between the DR and the PKP. Because of this exchange, trainset SVT 137 234 returned back to the Reichsbahn. The renovation of this trainset was finished on 5 June 1956. This trainsets was transformed to a four unit trainset with the help of a b-coach of SVT 137 226 "type" Hamburg. From 13 January 1957, SVT 137 234 was riding on the line Praha-Wien as train FDt 54/55 "Vindobona". Trainset SVT 137 154 got on 20 December 1958 as maintainence facility Bw Dresden-Pieschen. From there the trainset was brought into service on the lines to Zittau, Bad Schandau, Leipzig and Karl Marx Stadt and the lines to Rostock and Stralsund. This trainset was set aside on September 1962.

Trainset SVT 137 234 was taking out of active service in 1959 and was rebuilt to a trainset for the DDR government. The severely controlled rebuilding is dated on 19 July 1960. The interior was changed completely. The middle coach got a studyroom, a shower, a toilet and a bedroom with a bed in French style. The a-unit was meant for personal which travelled with them, there were five two-persons compartments and a radio room. The c-unit had besides a kitchen and room for personal, a conference room. The trainset had Bw Berlin-Karlshorst as maintainence facility. On the 1st of June 1970 the trainset was renumbered to 183 251 and was set aside on 6 December 1973. The trainset stood on different places and they want to house a youth club in it at the Ostsee. Finally negotiations led to a take over of the trainset by the German railroad magazine Eisenbahn-Kurier. The trainset was brought to Bw Leipzig Süd, where they had already experience with SVT trainsets of type "Hamburg". The restauration of the trainset was finished in July 1993 and it was exhibited on "Waggon 93".