DRG Class SVT 877

The DRG Class SVT 877 Flying Hamburger – or in German Fliegender Hamburger – was Germany's first fast diesel trainset; and it is credited with establishing the then-time fastest regular railway connection in the world. Correctly named the "Baureihe SVT 877" (later "DB Baureihe VT 04 000 a/b"), the diesel-electrical powered train was used to carry passengers between Berlin and Hamburg. Its service began in 1933.

Development and technical data

The Flying Hamburger, a trainset consisting of two cars – each having a driver's cab and passenger room – was ordered by the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft 1932 at the Waggon- and Maschinenbau AG Görlitz (WUMAG). The trainset was delivered in 1932 and put into service in 1933.

New features were the streamlined hull that has been developed in the wind tunnel, the lightweight construction and the diesel-electrical propulsion. Each of the two wagons had a 12-cylinder diesel engine from Maybach with a direct current generator directly coupled to it. The electrical engine was a Tatzlager-traction motor. Both engines developed together a power of 604 kW.

The train had a pneumatic brake developed by Knorr and an electromagnetic rail brake. At 160 km/h, it needed 800 meters to come to a halt.

The trainset had 98 seats in two saloon coaches and a four-seated buffet. The Flying Hamburger was the prototype for the later trainsets of the DRG Class SVT 137, which were called "Hamburg", "Leipzig", "Köln" and "Berlin".

As a sign of its exclusivity, the Flying Hamburger was painted cream-coloured and violet – like the coaches of the Rheingold Express train.

The success of this design led Henschel to develop the streamlined and steam-powered "Henschel-Wegmann"-train in 1935 which boasted comparable performances on the routes between Berlin and Dresden.

Employment by the Deutsche Reichsbahn

From 15 May 1933, the trainset traveled regularly between Berlin (Lehrter Bahnhof) and Hamburg's main station. To accomplish these 286 kilometers, the train needed 138 minutes – an astonishing average speed of 124 km/h. This performance was only equaled 64 years later, as the Deutsche Bahn began to use ICE trains between the two cities in May 1997.

During World War II, the diesel trainsets saw no service. After 1945 they were confiscated by the French occupation army and were used in France until 1949. The Deutsche Bahn put them into service again up to 1957, but with a red painted hull and a new type number (VT 04 000). Only the driver's cab, the engine room and the saloon are preserved, the other parts were scrapped; the existing remains are preserved in the Transportation Museum in Nuremberg. A set of the Series SVT 137 is completely preserved.