Märklin Fritz Homann Wagon

[dave750t]

I wonder if anyone can help provide some more information about this HO wagon.

I bought it because I have a family connection with the town of Dissen, where Homann are based but I've no idea of the era of this item of anything else about it.  I assume it's some sort of refrigerated wagon. Any idea what the little tower thing at one end is?

 

The Märklin catalogue number is 4891.

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by dave750t
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[Fat Controller]

The little tower was intended for a brake-man to ride in, dating from before the days of continuous brakes. There would be several throughout the length of the train; though air-brakes have been virtually universal throughout mainland Europe since WW2, there were several nations that built vehicles so-equipped into the 1960s.

 

[rekoboy]

The wagon represents a private owner vehicle in use on the DRG network in the 1920s. Fleischmann has also a further Homann van and a Homann tanker in the range which are based on vehicles restored by railfans in Osnabrück. The firm still exists, has about 3,000 employees across Europe making salads and salad dressings.

[sncf231e]

I think this car was already running before the DRG period. The date on the Märklin gauge 1 version is 26/11/1906. So it ran in the Prussian period and that is why I ran it in a train with a Prussian locomotive in this video:

 

Regards

Fred