Hobbytrain - H23764 - Flatcar, Sgkkms - Deutsche Bundesbahn - 2-Pack

Specific Item Information: The DB ordered from 1998 over 200 container wagons Sgkkms 698. The wagons were purchased specifically for the transport of over 3m high jumbo swap bodies. The loading area has therefore been lowered to allow transport of the containers in international traffic. The cars are in operation with one or two swap bodies, one or two 20-foot containers or a 40 ?? Loaded container.

Prototype History: The DB ordered from 1998 over 200 container wagons Sgkkms 689. The wagons were purchased specifically for the transport of over 3m high jumbo swap bodies. The loading area has therefore been lowered to allow transport of the containers in international traffic. The cars are in operation with one or two swap bodies, one or two 20-foot containers or a single 40-foot Loaded container.

As per UIC classification, Sgkkms stands for:
S: Special flat wagon with bogies
g: For containers up to 60 feet
kk: Maximum load on class C route: 50 t ≤ m < 60 t
m: Loading length: 15 m ≤ l < 18 m
s: Permitted in trains up to 100 km/h

Road Name History: Deutsche Bundesbahn was the Western Germany DB before reunification. After World War II, Germany (and the DRG) was divided into 4 zones: US, British, French and Soviet. The first three eventually combined to form the Federal Republic of Germany (the West) and the Russian zone became the German Democratic Republic (the East). German territories beyond the Oder were ceded to Poland except for the northern part of East Prussia, which was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1945.

From 1949, the new governments assumed authority for railway operations. The DRG's (or DR's) successors were named Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB, German Federal Railways) in West Germany, and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR, German State Railways) in East Germany kept the old name to hold tracking rights in western Berlin.

Unlike the DRG, which was a corporation, both the DB and the DR were federal state institutions, directly controlled by their respective transportation ministries. Railway service between East and West was restricted; there were around five well-controlled and secure checkpoints between West and East Germany, and about the same number between East Germany and West Berlin. Four transit routes existed between West Germany and West Berlin; citizens of West Berlin and West Germany were able to use these without too much harassment by the East German authorities.

The DB started in 1968 with changing the locomotive and passenger car serial numbers to the UIC norm. In 1970 the DR followed. The DB started experimenting with the Intercity trains in a new livery (bright orange).

In 1989, the Wall fell. Train frequency rapidly increased on the existing East/West corridors; closed links which had formerly crossed the border were re-opened. On 3 October 1990, Germany was reunified; however, this was not immediately the case with the railways. Administrative and organisational problems led to the decision to completely re-organize and reconnect Germany's railways. The so-called Bahnreform (Railway Reform) came into effect on 1 January 1994, when the State railways Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn were formally reunited to form the current German Railway Corporation (Deutsche Bahn).

From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Hobbytrain was an Austrian firm, that was acquired by Wolfgang Lemke GmbH in 2002. It produces HO and N scale models.