TEE Diesel Powered Rail Car Train.

Prototype information

VT 11.5, 601, 602 Many European railroads purchased powered rail cars for Trans-Europ-Express-service (TEE) that fulfilled the highest demands for comfort and that offered 1st class seating only. The DB decided on a powered rail car train based on the „Kruckenberg“-VT 137 155 and the successful V 200. The basic configuration consisted of two powered end cars as well as five intermediate cars. This train could be expanded to a ten-unit consist by adding additional intermediate cars. The drive gear came from the V 200: Each powered end car was equipped with a 1,100 horsepower motor that transmitted propulsion to the wheel sets in the power truck by means of a hydraulic transmission and universal joint shafts. A 296 horsepower auxiliary diesel motor with a generator connected directly to it ensured electrical power exclusively for the galley and the air conditioning. More and more TEE trains were converted to locomotive-hauled trains with the increase in electrification. The last of the TEE trains to be converted was the „Mediolanum“ on August 20, 1972. From 1971 on the TEE sets, designated as the class 601/901 from 1968 on, found new activity in the lntercity network. Between 1971 and 1973 four powered end cars were equipped with gas turbine propulsion to increase performance and were then given the road numbers 602 001-004. With the introduction of 2nd class seating in IC service the class 601 powered rail car trains were again without work during the summer schedule of 1979. Most of these units were now used in tourist service starting in the summer of 1980. These beautifully shaped units ran as the „Alpen-See-Express“ from Hamburg and Dortmund to different South German and Austrian vacation areas, sometimes coupled together in pairs on some parts of the routes. April 9, 1988 was the date of the last use of the former TEE powered rail car trains as the „Alpen-See-Express“.