DML schwerer panzerspahwagen

Jul 13, 2006 2 Replies

These late-war armored trolleys were equipped with individual diesel motors, but ordinarily were hitched together in (IIRC) ten-car trains. That said, diesel fuel was in short supply in the final year of the war, so they generally had a steam locomotive mounted at the center and the diesel units were switched off. The diesel motors could only get the cars up to about 25 mph, so the steam engine also provided a welcome speed advantage. Dragon offers three versions--one with a Panzer III turret, a troop carrier with a fixed superstructure, and a command car (same thing with a frame antenna). Schiffer's second photo book on German armored trains has a few pictures, and Aber offers a photoetch and machined brass update set that includes parts to hitch the cars together.

Gerald Owens

While I'm thinking rail can anybody tell me more about the DML schwerer panzerspahwagen, are these things self-propelled? They look to be from the box cover, would they also be added to a train? Could I get away with adding one? The more I think about this loco the more loco i get!!


Hullo Gerald. thx for the info, explains a lot. I have one of them built up already, thinking I might use it with the loco, maybe as a caboose sort of.

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