Gas Tank Car 6-axle ZZd "Ammoniakwerk Merseburg" DRG

Info about the original

In 1941, the Heidelberg company Waggonfabrik Fuchs delivered the first 6-axle gas tank wagons to the National Railway. With a length over buffers of 14.6 metres and a tank volume of 42.5 m³, these vehicles were a good deal larger than the acid tank wagons, which were based on the same design. The wagons utilised for gas transport were essential for conveying butane and propane. The National Railway sent these wagons to customers in West Germany, including the private wagon leasing company VTG. In the East, the wagons were utilised directly by the National Railway. To prevent excessive heating of the gas loaded in the tanks due to solar radiation, and the resulting expansion and pressure build-up inside the tank, some of the wagons were fitted with a sun shield. On the wagons operated by the National Railway (East), the conversion of the boiler access was documented. This could no longer be done from the sides, but only from the hand-brake platform.