► Photothread: Vehicles on rails

[barbarossa28]

Yes, you are right. The ZIS-5 is really a bit to small.

Another possibility for the "Büffel" could be that the vehicle was heavily damaged by an accident or enemy fire and was later repaire with foreign rail wheels. The tattered apearance and the not original rear superstructure could point to that possibility.

Regards, Holger.

[peeved]

This one might also fit the "German horse-drawn wagons" thread (current eBay.de auction).
Markus

[barbarossa28]

Some rail trucks can be found on my website:

Büssing-NAG type 500 A

http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_ ... 500_a.html

Mercedes-Benz type L 4500 A

http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_ ... 500_a.html


Magirus L 365

http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_ ... 5_365.html

Regards, Holger.

[SIS 5]

Hi all, hi ilfil,

here a pic of the vehicle on rails You posted 10 May 2009, taken from the backside: Faun tractor type ZR (source: Janusz Piekalkiewicz: Die deutsche Reichsbahn im Zweiten Weltkrieg).

Regards

Bert

[Wolfsangel]

Hi Sis5

your picture of the rear of this truck clearly shows this truck conversion also includes a (Westinghouse or similar) railway air brake system. The air hose hanging down is the same (by all appearances) as can be found on any modern railway wagon or locomotive in the 20th (and 21st) century. This means the truck must also have been fitted with an air compressor pump, and a compressed air reservoir, and an air brake control in the driver's cab.

This is a more sophisticated conversion than just fitting rail wheels, buffers and couplers, and means the driver could control the brakes on all the wagons its connected to, the same as a locomotive driver can do with his locomotive.

Checking other photos in this thread, the vehicle has a brake pipe air hose on the front also, but in the other photos its less noticeable as its been 'hung' on its 'stopper' (to prevent damage, dust, water, ice, etc, getting into it) when not in use). The 'stopper' or 'hanger' for the rear one is the smaller object hanging next to the air hose.

[ilfil]

Very good, SiS-5, this picture of Faun ZR from the rear is real hen's teeth! I recall when I've found it in the same book it made me happy for days. On it is fairly well visible how the vehicle was equipped for railroad work. Interesting, I still use to wonder about something. ZR was built as a tow truck for heavy loads and this suggests powerful engine was used on it. But apparently it was little weak in its loco role, when towing more cars at first place, because on most pictures two ZRs are coupled in pairs for railroad work, what's usual mostly for smaller and not so powerful trucks.
Let's continue with the classics anyway:



The picture was taken somewhere in Russia, if judging from the marking on the flatcar and from the look of that tank car in the background. Also it wasn't taken in the midsummer for sure, note the the winter jacket on the radiator.

[Bill Murray]

A few allied vehicles on rails as I mentioned earlier.
Bill

[Leo Niehorster]

These trucks were taken over from the Deutsche Reichsbahn, which had used these trucks for shunting (sorting) one or two wagons at locations where small locomotives were not available or viable. (This system is still used today here in Germany.)

The Heer used them for similar purposes, as well as the fact that the gauge (wheel spacing) was easier to change on the trucks than on a locomotive. I would think that the trucks were positioned back to back to avoid having to turn a truck around. As indicated, engine power was not comparable to a locomotive, but then these trucks were never designed for that purpose. Using them in reverse would not normally be a viable option — the tandem coupling could also ameliorate the power problem.

The Heer was one long series of improvisations. It's what makes it so interesting.

Cheers
Leo

[Wolfsangel]

Hi Leo

the back to back would ensure that a drivers cab was always facing in the direction of travel, as you say.

Also presumably the vehicle would have had several forward gears, but perhaps only one or two reverse gears (I'm guessing here, maybe it had many reverse gears). Having only one or two low reverse gears would be fine for shunting purposes (where only very low speed is needed) but would be very inefficient for hauling a load over any distance. So presumably, the truck facing the wrong way was not used to help haul the train.

With diesel and electric locomotives, electric connecting cables are used when two or more locomotives are joined to ensure that all locomotives behind the lead locomotive respond the same as the lead locomotive, when being driven. It seems highly unlikely this type of system would have been used with these trucks, for many reasons.

The fact that the trucks have train brake pipes suggests that they may have been used to haul wagons outside shunting yards, as very little need for a train brake pipe within a shunting yard, due to very low speeds, and short distances.

It may have been the case , particularly when hauling a number of wagons over a distance, for the rearward facing truck's engine to be 'idling' as this would power the air pump in that truck to compress air into its air reservoir, which would give the driver more compressed air with which to slow and brake his train, particularly given the air reservoir on these trucks would probably be quite small, and when being depleted would take time to recharge with air, particularly important when travelling over a long downhill gradient.

Another reason the rearward facing truck might be operational (and manned) is so the truck's brakes (as opposed to the train's air brakes) could also be applied (when needed) to assist with slowing or stopping the train.

Given the rrelatively low weight of these trucks,I doubt they could haul more than a few, or perhaps half a dozen loaded wagons at most, and only at quite low speed as wheel slip would be a problem, when accelerating from a halt, and when slowing a moving train to a stop. (Locomotives have less of a problem as they generally weigh a great deal more and dont have manual gears or clutches as such)

and thanks for the fascinating pictures


(I've never driven a truck converted to rail use, but have spent a couple of years driving diesel locomotives)

[Bill Murray]

Another early allied vehicle on rails.
Bill

[SIS 5]

Hi,

here another pic of the Faun tractor on rails from the site:

http://www.forum.mdiecast.com/index.php ... t&id=28338

Regards

Bert

[Leo Niehorster]

Faun ZRS
The railway version of the Faun ZR was designated "ZRS" (for Zugmaschine/Rad/Schiene).

Form Trucks and Details

Neben der auffälligsten Ergänzung für den Schienenbetrieb, den Puffern und Eisenbahnkupplungen vorn und hinten, bedurfte es noch einer Reihe weiterer Veränderungen gegenüber der Straßenversion ZR: Neben den Achsschenkeln wurden auch die Bremstrommeln verstärkt, es gab eine Sperre für das Ausgleichsgetriebe und die Lenkung konnte mit Hilfe zweier Feststellstangen im Geradeauslauf arretiert werden. Um ein Durchdrehen der Hinterräder auf vereisten Schienen zu vermeiden, wurden Sandstreuer montiert. Und dies sind nur einige der Veränderungen gegenüber der reinen Straßenversion. Zum Transport der jeweils nicht benötigten Räder, der abgeschraubten Streurohre und von Unterlegklötzen für die Wagenheber musste der hintere Aufbau geändert werden. Er bestand aus einem nach hinten leicht abfallenden, sehr modellbaufreundlichen Kasten mit je einer Doppeltür auf jeder Seite.

An der ZRS aus Speyer befindet sich auf der Rückseite des Kastenaufbaus eine Aussparung für eine riesige Seiltrommel.

----------------------
My transliteration / please excuse any "non-railway" terminology.
It was not a modification, but a standard production model. Besides the more obvious clues, (buffers, railroad couplings, brake pipes, wheels, etc.) other mechanical differences from the Faun RS were reinforced axle-pivots, strengthened brake drums, a differential lock, bars to lock the steering in a straight forward direction, railway type horn, etc. They were also fitted with sand boxes to assist in traction and braking. Furthermore, the rear body was modified to carry the unneeded wheels, steering rods, blocks for the jacks, etc.

The ZRS from Speyer has a opening in the rear of the body for a large winch.


Cheers
Leo

[SIS 5]

Hi Leo,

thank You for the correction. In the book "Taschenbuch Deutscher Zugmaschinenbau" by Wolfgang Gebhardt there is the designation Faun ZRS 567 for the tractor (for Zugmaschine/Rad/Schiene), for road and rails. Sorry for the not complete designation.

Regards

Bert

[SIS 5]

Hi all,

here another curious vehicle on rails, made by the Austrian firm Austro-Daimler (source: Knipping/Schulz: Reichsbahn hinter der Ostfront 1941 - 1944).

Greetings

Bert

[sir dude]

This one from ebay. Most likely Yugoslavia or the Balkans during WW2.
Adrian.