Prototype: 4 German State Railroad (DR) type DBv bi-level cars, 2nd class. Built starting in 1952. Use: Commuter service. Model: Total length over the buffers 451 mm / 17-3/4". Four-Part Bi-Level Unit Train The first modern railroad bi-level cars ran in Germany starting in May of 1936 on the Lübeck-Büchener Railroad (LBE), which fell victim to the nationalization of the LBE at the beginning of 1938 as well as World War II that followed later. The bi-level idea did not come back extensively into use in East Germany until shortly after the end of the war and then due to the marginal economic conditions. Building on the old plans, the now Görlitz People's Plant for Car Construction (formerly WUMAG) developed two and four unit bi-level trains for the German State Railroad in 1952. The four-part, 73.4 meter / 240 foot 9-3/4 inch long unit trains, designated as the type DBv offered seating for 901 passengers initially. The seats were cushioned with foam rubber and covered with artificial leather. These car sets ran on two-axle end trucks as well as on three-axle Jakobs trucks between the cars. The car bodies were done with lightweight, all-steel, self-supporting construction. Eight generously configured entry areas provided access to the trains, whereby the entry areas for the end cars were done with even roomier dimensions for storing luggage. Diaphragms protected the corridor connections between the cars. These four-part bi-level trains were built in several series until 1970. These unit trains were used with shuttle train equipment in commuter service and later also in S-Bahn service. The last units ran in Germany until 1995. They were also sold in large numbers to other railroads of the former Socialist Economic Area and were used in part way past the turn of the millennium.
