The Waggonbau Bautzen

Self Propelled Railway Vehicles manufactured at Bautzen

The design of vehicles at this time was only aimed at practical requirements. The locomotive at the left side shows already some signs of modern design: Rounded bonnets, round front windows. The machine at the right shows only flat sheet covers. The first requirements were low manufacture costs, maintenance friendly, and liability.

Erster Schienenbus The first railcar - a street bus at bogies. Manufactured some time around 1920.

Offener Motorwagen
Not bad - this open two-axle street car. The entrance was possible about the full length of car. Even today a nice tram for sight seeing tours.

Triebwagen 1939 Diesel electric railcar - build in 1939

This type of two axle rail car was manufactured at Bautzen from 1962 in large scale production for short distance traffic of Deutsche Reichsbahn. It was equipped with one underfloor Diesel engine of 200 HP. A hydraulic clutch was arranged between Diesel engine and the electro-mechanic gearbox (later an automatic transaxle from the Turbinenwerk Dresden). The control of the propulsion equipment was designed to couple some units and to use a control-car at the other end of the train. The railcar was a very popular vehicle for many decades of service.

The Waggonbau Bautzen designed this 4-axle-Diesel-Railcar in 1966 for medium distance traffic of Deutsche Reichsbahn. The picture shows the second 'updated' version with two underfloor Diesel engines (200 PS each) and automatic transaxles. The maximum speed was 120 km (75 miles)/h. But for some reasons, the Deutsche Reichsbahn didn't order any further railcar of this type and the existing rail cars were used for extra-tours only.
An external office has been engaged to design exterior and interior. This designer team - with lack off any aerodynamic knowledge - proposed the curious roof at the front side and the management followed this proposal against the intention of the engineers. The interior followed the spirit of the time - the picture shows the 1st class compartment.