Franz Kruckenberg's Schienenzeppelin
( Rail Zeppelin )
Prototype Rail Zeppelin at Hannover Hbf -
Anonymous
On June 21, 1931, Franz Kruckenberg's
Schienenzeppelin (Rail Zeppelin) set a railway speed record that would
stand for 20 years! Traveling on a track between Hamburg and Berlin, the
prototype high-speed railcar sped along at 230 km per hour for
approximately 20 km.
The Rail Zeppelin was never put into production,
but it attracted attention wherever it went. A BMW airplane engine was
used to power a four-blade wooden propeller that pushed the light-weight
railcar through the air. The construction of the body was similar to the
then-popular Zeppelin airships and the interior was spartan; this train
was not luxurious.
The failure of the Rail Zeppelin has been
attributed to everything from the dangers of using an open propeller in
crowded railway stations to competition between Kruckenberg's
Flugbahngesellschaft company and the Deutsche Reichsbahn's separate
efforts to build a "Fliegende Zuege". The Schienenzeppelin was, however,
an important part of the evolution of high speed passenger rail
transport and continues to attract the attention of railroad fans and
hobbyists.
Märklin GmbH, a German company established in 1859, has been making
models of the Rail Zeppelin since 1932. The variety includes:
1. 8876 Z-Scale
This is the only version that is the prototypically correct length. The
H0 versions are two inches too short and have four axles; modifications
that were required to facilitate getting around model railroad curves
that are much too sharp for scale.
The Z-scale version was issued as a one year item in 1982 to commemorate
the 10th anniversary of Z-scale model railroading.
2. 3077 & 8377 H0-Scale
The 3077 was made from 1975 to 1990. Like the Z-scale unit, it has a
separate motor to power the propeller while the railcar is propelled by
a conventional motor that drives the two front axles. The 8377 was
identical except it was made for use on two-rail DC systems (vs. the
three-rail system Märklin uses for most of its H0 models.
3. 3477 H0-Scale
The 3477 was issued as a one year item in 1995 to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of H0-scale model railroading. It is virtually identical to
the 3077, except:
- the 3477 has a bright finish and interior
details
- the 3477 has a Delta
circuit that allows it to be used with "conventional" (analog) Märklin systems as well as Digital Märklin
systems
- the 3477 has a silver- plated two-blade
propeller (the 3077 has a plastic four blade propeller)
4. SZ970 0-Scale (Clockwork)
The first SZ970 was issued about six months after the real Rail
Zeppelin's record speed run. The SZ970 was powered by a clockwork
mechanism almost identical to that used in the clockwork cars, planes, and trucks that Märklin sells today. The SZ970 was sold first sold with a two
blade propeller and then with a four blade propeller. Photos of the
prototype suggest both types of propeller were used in Kruckenberg's
test runs.
5. SZ12970 0-Scale (Electric)
The SZ12970 is almost identical to the SZ970, except that it is powered
by an electric motor. It's likely that it was also first sold with a
two-blade prop and then with a four-blade prop. The four-blade prop unit
also had a red light on the rear of the train.
6. SZ12971 1-Scale (Electric)
We haven't been able to find much information on this model, but there
is one on display in
Märklin's museum in Göppingen, Germany.
It's a little more to scale than the 0-gauge unit, which is very stubby
looking. This model may also have been sold as a clockwork unit, but we
haven't seen one.
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Märklin does not have a Rail Zeppelin in their current H0- or
Z-Scale product lines. There is, however, a 1-Gauge replica of the
SZ12971 that was issued as a limited production item in 2006. The
replica, identified as catalog number 16075, has the same external
appearance as the SZ12971. Internal components have been updated
to include a digital decoder and two-rail operation. (Click
here
for more info.)
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Märklin 16075 Replica of SZ12971
(1-Gauge) Model
Märklin 8876 Z-Gauge (1:220 scale)
and 3477 H0-Gauge (1:87) Models
Märklin 3477 (foreground)
and 3077 H0-Gauge (1:87) Models
Märklin 8876, 3077, 3477,
and SZ970 Rail Zeppelin Models
Märklin 16075 1-Gauge and
8876 Z-Gauge Rail Zeppelin Models
YouTube now has videos showing the
prototype Rail Zeppelin as well as an interesting Kraftwerk music video
that combines footage of the prototype and the Marklin 3077 HO-scale
model:
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