| “Eilzug” / “Fast Passenger Train” Car Set.
E 554 “Eilzug” / “Fast Passenger Train” Münster – Lünen – Dortmund – Essen-Altenessen – Düsseldorf – Colognen – Gerolstein – Trier – Saarbrücken. This “Eilzug” / “Fast Passenger Train” consists of a type D4ü “Hechtwagen” / “Pike Cars” baggage car, a type A4üe “Hechtwagen” / “Pike Cars” passenger car, 1st class, a B4üwe “Schürzenwagen” / “Skirted Car” passenger car, 2nd class, and two type B4n “Silberlinge” / “Silver Coins” passenger cars, 2nd class. The cars look as they did in the winter of 1964/65.
Source: www.maerklin.de
Great “Hechte” / “Pike” in the “Eilzug” / “Fast Passenger Train”. The “Eilzug” / “Fast Passenger Train” concept introduced in 1902 in Bavaria designated as a rule a fast train run over medium distances with few, short stops at the most important stations. Over the years it was customary to use older express train passenger cars in “Eilzug” trains, hence the use of the “Hechtwagen” / “Pike Cars” in the Fifties and Sixties that were formerly used in high quality express train service. The Der “Eilzug” train was particularly interesting for commuters, who streamed daily in and out of the large metropolitan areas. Many “Eilzug” runs were therefore done in the large metropolitan areas themselves on short routes and also in the surrounding areas on less frequented branch lines routes; the latter were popularly known as “Heckeneilzüge” / “Hedge Fast Passenger Trains” and had for all intents and purposes a long-distance service function. The modernization of the German railroad had no more use for the name “Eilzug” / “Fast Passenger Train”. The “City Bahn” / “City Railroad”, the “Interregio” or even more the Regional Express epitomizes best the task of the “Eilzug” / “Fast Passenger Train” of the past. |
