DB Class 403 (1973)

Last updated
DB Class 403
DB 403 (Lufthansa Airport Express).jpg
DB Class 403 in Lufthansa livery
In service1972–1993
Manufacturer LHB, MBB, AEG, BBC, Siemens
Constructed1972
Number built3
Fleet numbersET 403/404 001–003
Specifications
Maximum speed220 km/h (140 mph)
200 km/h (120 mph) in service
WeightService: 235.7 t (232.0 long tons; 259.8 short tons)
Traction motors 4 per car
Power outputContinuous: 3,840 kW (5,150 hp)
Tractive effort Starting: 200 kN (45,000 lbf)
Transmission Quill drive
Electric system(s) 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC Catenary
Current collector(s) Pantograph
UIC classification Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′
Braking system(s) Discs
Safety system(s)SiFa, LZB, AFB, Indusi
Coupling system Scharfenberg
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

The DB Class 403 was a series of three electric multiple units commissioned by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in the 1970s, an early predecessor of the Intercity-Express as a high-speed train. The units were mainly used for InterCity services and again by the Lufthansa airline in the 1980s. Due to the distinctive design of its front section, the unit was nicknamed the "Donald Duck". They were designed for operational speeds of up to 220 km/h, a speed which was also attained in extensive test drives, but they were limited to 200 km/h in regular DB service.

Contents

Development

After the development and introduction of the E03 highspeed-locomotive the Deutsche Bundesbahn ordered the railway industry to propose designs for an Elektro Triebwagen [1] (highspeed electric multiple unit) capable to operate with 200 km/h on the planned InterCity network. [2] On 24 May 1970 the Deutsche Bundesbahn decided to order three prototypes and ordered various German companies to build the trains. Linke-Hoffmann-Busch built six driving cars, designated as class 403.0, MBB built three coaches (class 404.0) and three dining cars (class 404.1). The bogies were built by MAN and the electric equipment was built by AEG, BBC and Siemens. [3] All axles of the train were powered and the train featured a tilting mechanism as many new developments in the early 1970s, e.g. the British Advanced Passenger Train. [4] With the twelve cars built three prototype electric multiple units consisting of 1 drivingcar + 1 coach + 1 diningcar + 1 drivingcar were formed:

Thanks to the powered bogies on every car the train could be enlarged with extra coaches. The concept of powered bogies was applied to the InterCityExpress 3, also designated as class 403, some decades later.

Class 403.0Class 404.0Class 404.1Class 403.0
TypeAvmApmARpmAvm
InteriorCompartmentsCoachCoach and RestaurantCompartments
DB: 183 Seats45 (1×4 + 1×5 + 6×6)5118 (1st class) + 24 (Restaurant)45 (1×4 + 1×5 + 6×6)
LH after 1982 refurbishment: 171 Seats39 (1×4 + 1×5 + 5×6 + Luggage)5142 (Bar only)39 (1×4 + 1×5 + 5×6 + Luggage)
LH after 1988 refurbishment: 151 Seats35 (Galley + 1×5 + 5×6 + Luggage)4536 (Bar only)35 (Galley + 1×5 + 5×6 + Luggage)

InterCity

The first train was handed over to DB on 2 March 1973 and trial runs were carried out between 28 November 1973 and 8 August 1974. The tilting mechanism was shut-off because it did not fulfil expectations. [5] The revenue service started on 29 September 1974 as InterCity Riemenschneider, Nordwind, Südwind, Albrecht Dürer and Hermes on the line between Bremen and Munich. [6] Due to the lack of suitable high-speed tracks, the trains were able to reach their maximum velocity between Munich and Augsburg only. [7] The impossibility of reacting to fluctuating passenger numbers soon made the trainsets prohibitive and impractical. [8] They were removed from IC services in 1979 and replaced by Class 111 locomotives, when the IC '79 scheme introduced the 2nd class on previously 1st class-only IC services. [9]

Lufthansa Airport Express

In 1981 Lufthansa wanted to replace the very expensive Düsseldorf - Frankfurt shorthaul flights by rail transport. Deutsche Bundesbahn agreed and eliminated their problem, the Class 403 not bringing revenues, at once. [10] Trials on the proposed route, the West Rhine Railway, were carried out on 13 and 16 February 1981. [11] The trains were re-fitted to Lufthansa standards and got a grey-yellow Lufthansa livery. Instead of a kitchen, airplane like on-board galleys were installed. The seats were replaced by DC-10 business class seats. [12] On 28 March 1982 the ET 403 were recommissioned as the Lufthansa Airport Express , a shuttle service connecting the airports of Düsseldorf and Frankfurt along the picturesque West Rhine Railway via Bonn Hauptbahnhof. [13] Usage ended in 1993 due to increasing corrosion of the aluminium sheets. All trains were finally sold by the Deutsche Bahn in 2001 and have fallen into disrepair. The technical concept of separately driven cars was resumed in the design of the ICE 3, also classified as Class 403.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ICE 1</span> German high-speed train type

The ICE 1 is the first batch-produced German high-speed train and one of six in the Intercity Express family. Revenue service at speeds up to 250 km/h (155 mph) started in 1991. It was raised to 280 km/h (175 mph) in May 1995 and temporary reduced to 250 km/h (155 mph) again, as a result of the Eschede accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DB Class VT 11.5</span>

The trainsets of Class VT 11.5 were diesel multiple units built by Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) in 1957 and used for Trans Europ Express (TEE) services. Perceived as flagships of the DB rolling stock, they carried first-class seating only. When the UIC numbering scheme became effective on 1 January 1968, the power heads of the trainsets were renamed to Class 601 whilst the middle cars became Class 901 according to the DB locomotive classification. They were used for TEE service from 1957 until 1972 and thereafter on German InterCity services.

<i>Helvetia</i> (train)

The Helvetia was an express train that, for most of its existence, linked Hamburg-Altona station in Hamburg, Germany, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in 1952, it was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS). The train's name, Helvetia, is the Latin word for "Switzerland".

<i>Albert Schweitzer</i> (train)

The Albert Schweitzer was a short-lived express train that linked Dortmund Hbf in Dortmund, Germany, with Strasbourg-Ville in Strasbourg, France. Introduced in 1980, it was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and the SNCF.

<i>Roland</i> (train) Train

The Roland was an express train that ran in Germany. For part of its existence, it was also an international train. Introduced in 1939, suspended during World War II, and reintroduced in 1952, it was operated in Germany by the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft (DRG), the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and the Deutsche Bahn (DB), respectively.

<i>Catalan Talgo</i>

The Catalan Talgo was an international express train that linked Geneva, Switzerland, with Barcelona, Spain from 1969 to 2010. It was named after the Spanish region Catalonia and the Talgo equipment it used. It was an extension and upgrading of a predecessor train, Le Catalan, a first-class-only French (SNCF) Rapide train that had been in operation since 1955 but running only between Geneva and the stations nearest the Spanish-French border, connecting with a second-class-only "autorail" trainset to and from Barcelona. The national railway network of Spain, Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE), was using Iberian gauge for all of its main lines, while those of France and Switzerland use standard gauge. As a result of this break-of-gauge, train journeys between Geneva and Barcelona consisted of two separate parts, with travelers having to change from a French to a Spanish train or vice versa at the border—at Portbou on southbound trains and at Cerbère on northbound trains. In 1968, this was resolved with the introduction of the Talgo III RD trainsets, which featured variable gauge wheelsets. At Portbou station, the wheel spacing of each passenger carriage was adjusted by a gauge changer for the difference in gauge, and passengers no longer had to change trains. After successful test runs, the Catalan was extended from Port Bou to Barcelona as a through train on 1 June 1969, becoming the Catalan Talgo and upgraded to a Trans Europ Express (TEE). Most other rail journeys through this border crossing continued to require a change of train at Cerbère station or at Port Bou, as most trains did not use Talgo III RD trainsets.

<i>Blauer Enzian</i>

The Blauer Enzian is a named express train service that currently runs between Frankfurt in Germany and Klagenfurt in Austria. Introduced in 1951, it originally ran via the German North–South railway line between Hamburg and Munich. Labelled as an international Trans Europ Express (TEE) train, it also linked with Zell am See and Klagenfurt in Austria from 1969. Trains were operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and its Deutsche Bahn successor, from 1970 also by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

The Diamant was an express train operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), using different routes over the years. The name Diamant, Dutch for diamond, refers to the city of Antwerp, which is the European centre of diamond trade and has a diamond district. The initial service started in 1962 as a first-class-only FernTriebwagen linking the West-German capital Bonn with Antwerp, using a class DB Class VT 08 diesel multiple unit (DMU).

<i>Saphir</i> (train)

The Saphir was an express train operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn linking the port of Ostend with Dortmund as part of a link between London and the Ruhr. The name Saphir, German for sapphire, refers to the Belgian gemstone industry.

<i>Merkur</i> (train)

The Merkur was an international express train linking Copenhagen, the Danish capital, with Germany. The train was named after the Roman God Mercury, the God of traders and travellers.

<i>Rhein–Main</i> (train)

The Rhein–Main was an express train that linked Frankfurt am Main with Dortmund in Germany and later with Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The train was named after the two rivers, the Rhine and the Main, that join west of Frankfurt. For most of its life, it was a Trans Europ Express (TEE).

<i>Paris–Ruhr</i> Train service

The Paris–Ruhr was an express train that linked Paris in France, with Dortmund in Germany. The train was named after its two termini, Paris in the west and the Ruhr district in the east. For most of its life, it was a Trans Europ Express (TEE).

<i>Rembrandt</i> (train)

The Rembrandt was an express train that linked Amsterdam in the Netherlands, with Munich in Germany and later Chur in Switzerland. The train was named after the renowned Dutch painter Rembrandt. For its first 16 years it was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express, becoming a two-class InterCity in 1983 and finally a EuroCity in 1987.

<i>Erasmus</i> (train)

The Erasmus was an express train that linked The Hague, the Dutch seat of Government, with Munich in Germany. The train was named after the Dutch Renaissance humanist Desiderius Erasmus.

The Bacchus was an express train in Germany, initially linking Dortmund and Munich. The train was named after the Roman God of wine, although for most of its existence it linked two cities famous for producing beer.

The Friedrich Schiller was an express train in Germany, initially linking Düsseldorf and Stuttgart. The train was named after the philosopher and playwright Friedrich Schiller.

<i>Lufthansa Airport Express</i> Former express train service in Germany

The Lufthansa Airport Express was an express train service in Germany, initially linking Düsseldorf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen, and later Stuttgart too. The trains were operated by Deutsche Bundesbahn on behalf of the German airline Lufthansa, and with the airline providing the on-board customer service staff, and its use was limited to Lufthansa customers taking airplane flights into or out of Frankfurt or Düsseldorf airports.

<i>Gambrinus</i> (train)

The Gambrinus was an express train in Germany, initially linking Munich and Kiel. The train was named after the God of Beer Gambrinus.

The Heinrich Heine was an express train operated by Deutsche Bundesbahn, initially linking Frankfurt am Main and Dortmund. The train was named after the German poet and journalist Heinrich Heine.

<i>Van Beethoven</i> (train)

The Van Beethoven was an international train linking the Dutch capital Amsterdam and the West German capital Bonn. The train was named after the Bonn-born composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

References

  1. ↑ Riechers, Daniel (2006) (in German), Neue Züge für Deutschlands Schnellverkehr, Stuttgart:Transpress Verlag ISBN   3-613-71172-9 page 26
  2. ↑ Eikhoff, Dieter (2006) (in German), Alles über den ICE, Stuttgart:Transpress Verlag ISBN   978-3-613-71277-5 page 14
  3. ↑ TEE Züge in Deutschland p. 32.
  4. ↑ La Légende des TEE p. 68.
  5. ↑ TEE Züge in Deutschland p. 32.
  6. ↑ La Légende des TEE p. 69.
  7. ↑ Riechers, Daniel (2006) (in German), Neue Züge für Deutschlands Schnellverkehr, Stuttgart:Transpress Verlag ISBN   3-613-71172-9 page 26
  8. ↑ Eikhoff, Dieter (2006) (in German), Alles über den ICE, Stuttgart:Transpress Verlag ISBN   978-3-613-71277-5 page 14
  9. ↑ Riechers, Daniel (2006) (in German), Neue Züge für Deutschlands Schnellverkehr, Stuttgart:Transpress Verlag ISBN   3-613-71172-9 page 27
  10. ↑ TEE Züge in Deutschland p. 32.
  11. ↑ La Légende des TEE p. 69.
  12. ↑ Das grosse TEE Buch p. 130
  13. ↑ Allen, Geoffrey Freeman (1983). Railways of the twentieth century, Sidgwick and Jackson, p. 212. ISBN   0-283-98769-3

Works cited

Commons-logo.svg Media related to DB Class 403 at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.