Jump to content
 

DB double-deck push-pull sets


jonhall

Recommended Posts

I keep being tempted by the idea of a 2 or 3 coach modern DB double deck push-pull in the modern red livery. I realise there are a number of different protoypes out there, but what of the models - whats available? which ones are good? are there any to avoid? I know that some manufacturers went in for shorter coaches for trainsets - is that still the case?

 

Thanks,

 

Jon

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Jon, if you're looking for the most recent Dosto types, you should have a look at those from Hobbytrade: http://www.hobbytrade.de/ . These are available in four Deutsche Bahn versions for Hamburg, Berlin, Nuremberg and the Black Forest lines, though not all variants may be available at this time. I have a set of these in CFL livery – which are distributed exclusively via the GAR railfan association from Luxembourg – and am very fond of them. Hobbytrade have also announced a limited edition of a four-coach formation as found on the RE 2 line in North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes a specific type of "Train Café" coach.

 

Two things you should keep in mind is that on the networks represented by the different releases of these coaches, it is more common to see formations of four to six of these latest-generation Dostos. Also, there's the question of which region your scenario would be set in – Dostos from the Nuremberg, Berlin and Black Forest networks having low entries throughout, while those from Hamburg and Westphalia have high entries on the intermediate coaches.

 

Of course, you could always "neutralise" any of these coaches with a bit of paint and re-letter them to match your intended region, as I guess you could always argue that an additional lot of new Dostos would have been ordered for use on "your" network. That's what I keep thinking about for complementing my 143, actually...

 

Which locomotive would you want to run with those coaches, if I may ask?

Link to post
Share on other sites

The more important question would be what era and which region you want to model.

 

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Bahn/Liste_der_Bauartunterschiede_von_Doppelstockwagen

 

For example the DBuz are quite necessary for a Berlin layout up to the present day but in H0 scale only available from Piko in lesser quality. Fleischmann does 2nd generation double deck cars with matching 761 control car (http://www.bahnbilder.de/name/galerie/kategorie/Deutschland~Wagen~Dosto+Steuerwagen+761.2.html) which are limited to a few routes in western and southern germany nowadays too. They have high-entrance doors above the bogies (except the control cars). The newest types are more widespread in use in germany, although high-entrance door cars are mostly unknown in the eastern states of germany, where low-entrance cars with the doors next to the bogies are to be found. In big stations like Hamburg where several different regional lines meet you can spot a good mixture of low-entrance and high-entrance trains with their different types of control cars.

 

Felix

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Tillig also used to carry 2nd generation Dostos which I seem to remember were also marketed by Roco for some time. These were 1:87 scale overall. The downside to the Fleischmann Dostos, on the other hand, is that they have been downscaled to 1:93.5 in length, which of course throws off their overall dimensions.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The Piko coaches were previously available as higher end models, but lately have been sold as Hobby models with details omitted.  As Dominik points out, the Fleischmann models are shortened, as are the Trix/Märklin ones.  There is not a comprehensive selection available, there are a lot of variations within the prototypes, and the models only really scratch the surface.

 

Hobbytrade are definitely the best, I'd put the earlier Piko releases (not the current Piko Hobby incarnations) as a notch above the Sachsenmodelle/Tillig ones, especially in running qualities.  However, your choice may be limited by your area, the Piko model on really being suitable for ex-DR lines (though a few of the prototype have strayed).

Link to post
Share on other sites

OK, so basically a minefield, and potentially an expensive one! This would be a slightly impulse buy, I keep going to German rail events and seeing odd coaches on secondhand tables, I had a sneaky suspision that some were too short, and had hoped it might be a simple case of looking for (or avoiding) certain manufacturers, if I saw an item at a price I was willing to pay (which in turn rather depends on the exchange rate! ). Any idea what the omitted details on the Piko hobby versions are, i.e. what do I look out for?

 

Thanks to all who responded.

Jon

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Any idea what the omitted details on the Piko hobby versions are, i.e. what do I look out for?

 

I'd have to see whether there may be any detailed listing, but basically, the Hobby versions of Piko's ex-DR Dostos have some bogie details such as PZB transceivers omitted, and also feature less elaborate paintwork and lettering. For example, different parts of the technical inscriptions on the solebar should be written on in three colours (white, red and yellow), but if I'm not mistaken, Piko use only white on the Hobby coaches. I do not currently know whether this may also be the case on Hobby coaches, but at least some of the Hobby loco models from their range have body shells which are not actually painted in the relevant base colour. Instead, the bodies are made of coloured plastic, with only the lettering being printed on.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Thats a great price!

I paid approximately that for a 2 car set, more than two years ago!

The four car set illustrated above also looks to have head & tail lights, mine only had tail lights rather bizzarely, I thought.

Again, if its the same as the 2 car, you have to fit TWO 21 pin decoders to control said lights.

Other than that, it seems an 'okay' model - probably the modern Piko version is technically superior but at a much higher price (ouch!).

HTH,

John E.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Could we have a Dosto of the type Horsetan shows in N gauge pretty please??? :angel:

 

I think Kuhn do an un-modernised version with manual sliding doors in the earlier grey/mint livery but nothing later than that.

 

You HO guys have it easy!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I've examined the Rivarossi H0 DR dostos (2- and 4-car variety, type DBz and DBv, formerly DB7 and DB13, respectively) and they are very nice indeed. The intermediate corridors 'bellows' are moulded plastic, but cunningly done.

 

I have some of the DDR-era Schict dostos (2 x 4-car DBv and 1 x 2-car DBz) all acquired at shows or certain online auction sites for cheap - I think the total for my 10 cars came in under even Menzel's excellent price for the Rivarossi 4-car set! (Though I am sorely tempted by a set at that price, I could probably make use of a control-car set. Hmmmm.....)

 

The old Schict dostos are basically decent mouldings for their age, but the bodies are overwidth by at least a scale 50cm (The Rivarossi model is correct scale width.) The bellows on the Schict ones are folded black paper and don't look too bad.

 

4461187_1_l.jpg

 

I upgraded one of my Schict 4-cars using cast bogies and new paper bellows supplied by MARC models (who make an etched kit for the similar, Görlitz-built Polish PKP-operated dosto 4-car sets) - chap was quite happy to supply me just the bogie sideframes and a set of bellows. The salvaged bits off that 4-car (most s/h examples have lost either bogie sideframes and/or bellows) brought the other 6 cars up to a complete condition. New wheelsets also required if intending to run on Code 75 track.

 

Decals for the Ep4 DR scheme for the DBz/DBv type are available from Andreas Nothaft.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Could we have a Dosto of the type Horsetan shows in N gauge pretty please??? :angel:

 

I think Kuhn do an un-modernised version with manual sliding doors in the earlier grey/mint livery but nothing later than that.

 

You HO guys have it easy!

Not that easy. This is one of very few photos I have found showing 18.201 hauling Doppelstock - my projected exhibition train is precisely that: for exhibition only!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not long after the wall came down I got a 2 car set of the Schict model. It was a small special run with advertising logos and I think it cost me about 24 marks.

I added Keen couplings with Roco working bits and changed the plastic wheels to metal. At the time I could not find any transfers so just put on DR. One day I will do a bit more work on it.

Bernard

post-149-0-47375300-1443779084.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

The CFL double deckers are appropriate for Germany (a rake of one of each coach type, driving composite - second - composite) attached to a CFL 4000 class loco at least as far as Trier and probably all the way to Koblenz. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...