Dining Coach WRge DR

Info about the original

In the early 70ies, the DR planned to improve the gastronomic supply in the domestic express trains. In addition,many of the pre-war restaurant cars still in use were waiting to be taken out of service. The DR therefore considered the procurement of new restaurant cars. Delivery by the wagon building industry of the GDR was not possible for capacity reasons; hence the manufacture in DR repair sheds remained as sole alternative. Although the Mitropa factory in Gotha had constructed six cars fromolder vehicles as "Reko coaches" already in 1960, a new design on the basis of the Bghw coaches manufactured in Halberstadt was decided. These were built as completely new types and did not comprise any used parts. Atotal of fifty vehicles designated as WRge emerged intwo series in 1973 (20) and 1977 (30). They received the typical wine-red Mitropa paint coating with inscriptions in four languages, but without the previously used decorative lines. Both series were only different in two windows in the kitchen section which were supposed to improve the lighting conditions in this area. With a maximum velo city of 140 km/h and a multi-voltage heating, the coaches were capable of being used internationally and thus also reached destinations in the FRG and CSSR. After the modification of the major part of the cars, just five original restaurant cars with the red paint were still in operation in 1989. Although the restaurant cars were to receive the new type number 541, they were completely decommissioned by 1993. Due to their short length and the robust furniture and implements, many of them found a new home with museum railway organisations.