During the years 1962-63, the German State Railways, Deutche Bundesbahn (DB) took delivery of 5 pcs of Panorama cars type AD4üm for service in their special train, the Rheinpfeil for traffic on the route Dortmund-München and the Rheingold on the route Amsterdam-Geneva. In 1962, three dome cars were built as type AD4üm-62 by the Wegemann factory in Cologne. In 1963, two more cars were built for the Rheinpfeil company. In 1967, all of the five cars where redecorated in the TEE design, and were given new UIC-numbers 618081-80-001 up to 005.
The type labeling was also changed to ADümh 101. The lettering of the labeling was to be understood as follows: A= First class, D=car with luggage compartment,
ü=Coach corridor type between the car ends. m= Car length exceeded 24 m and equiped with s.c. "Gummiwulstübergänge" and electrical heating or central train heating. h=the car was equipped with electric generator for chariging of it´s internal powersource.




Märklin model 4090 of DB prototype ADüm.




Here shown with car no 61 80 81-80 005-3 for the Rheinpfeil route
between München and Dortmund.




Märklin model 43880 of DB prototype AD4üm in Rheingold design.




Close up on the RHEINGOLD logo.

Here shown with the car no 10 551 and with signs for the route between
Dortmund and Basel.

The cars are constructed as a framework, and were initially made for a top speed of 160 km/h. The top speed was later rased to 200 km/h for use in Switzerland, for curve exceedance for two of the cars of type AFS2 (Tågkompaniet), after installation of discbrakes. In Sweden and Norway, the maximum speed was limited to 160 km/h, due to technical standards of the tracks. In Sweden, the cars were allowed to be used in curve exceedance traffic. The frames for these cars, were labeled with the letter B. The cars were equiped with Minden Deutz type 50 bogies with stronger springs.



The car has the following general data:

Length over buffers: 26400mm
Width: 2825mm
Hight: 4485mm (initially)
Hight: 4270mm (after change to European standards)

Other data, see the drawing below.


The cars interior was disposed as follows:

On the first floor, there where two compartments with six seats in each compartment, and one secretary compatment, where passangers were offered the service, of haveing letters typed on a typewriter. In the "basement", there were space for the the Postal department and room for the airconditioning system of type Jettair.
In the car end, opposit to the comparment end, there was a bar. When the car was used in the Rheinpfeil and Rheingold trains, this end was always connected to the restaurant car in the trainset.
The Panorama department, on the upper floor, was equipped with 22 seats.
The glas in the windows of the Dome is 19mm thick. The glassurfaces are coated with three layers of gold-film, to reduce the heatinlet from the sun.
The glassurfaces are constructed so, that it can stand collisions with bricks in speeds exceeding 200km/h. The cars were equiped with two types of domes. The cars type AD4üm-63 four glass windows for it´s full length, with metal profil between the glass discs. The car AD4üm-62 had 8 glass windows for full dome length. This two types of window arrangment, can also be seen on the Märklin Models.

Both types of Tågkompaniet cars, AFS1 and AFS2, were equipped with magnetic brakes. The brakes are activated, when the preassure in the braking systems is less than 300kPa. The brakes are magnetised by the assistance of the built in car batteries.
The Tågkompaniet cars type AFS2 were equipped with discbrakes.

The Tågkompaniet type AFS2 cars were also equipped with emergency brake override, and electro pneumatic brakes. This equippment is mandatory, for traffic over the Öresund bridge, Stora Bält bridge and on the German highspeed tracks. The Tågkompaniet cars type AFS1 were also equipped with brake shoe.


APFELPFEIL

The Panorama cars, were from 1976, used by the company Apfelpfeil, as type ADM 101. The cars numbers was 518009-42 911 to 915. The company declared bankruptcy in 1979, and ended their traffic with the panorama cars.



Märklin model 42995 with bigger typ windows in the Dome.




Märklin model 42995 shown with the smaller type windows in the Dome



Close up on car no 51 80 09-42 914-4

Close up on car no 51 80 09 -42 911-0

Märklin model of Car TKAB 203 AFS2 with MOOSE from kit 26727
Earlier history of Protptype:
1962: DB type ADüm 62. Car no 10553 in Rheingold design.
1967: DB type ADümh 101 Car no 61 80 81-80 003-8
1976: Apfelpfeil IAO Type ADm 101 Car no 51 80 09-80 09-42 913-X
1981: Mittelthurgaubahn type ADümh 101 Car no51 80 09-80 203-5
2003: SBB subsidiary THURBO. Type ADüm 101. Car no: XX-XX 09-70 202-X




Close up on Car TKAB 202 AFS1 with Polax Fox.
Earlier history of Prototype:
1962: DB type ADüm-62. Car no 10 552 in Rheingold design.
1967: DB type ADümh 101. Car no 61 80 81-80 002-0
1976:Apfelpfeil IAO type ADm 101.Car no 51 80 09-42 912-X
1981: Mittelthurgaubahn type ADümh 101. Car no 51 80 09-80 202-X
2003:SBB subsidiary THURBO. Type ADüm 101. Car no: XX-XX 09-70 202-X



Close up on Car TKAB 203 AFS2 with Moose.
Earlier history of Prototype:
1962: DB type ADüm-62. Car no 10 553 in Rheingold design.
1967: DB type ADümh 101. Car no 61 80 81-80 003-8
1976:Apfelpfeil IAO type ADm 101.Car no 51 80 09-42 913-X
1981: Mittelthurgaubahn type ADümh 101. Car no 51 80 09-80 203-5
2003:SBB subsidiary THURBO. Type ADüm 101. Car no: XX-XX 09-70 203-X




Close up on Car TKAB 205 AFS1 with Brown Bear.
The design was later changed. See photos below.
Earlier history of Prototype:
1963: DB type AD4üm-63. Car no 10 555 in Rheinpfeil design.
1967: DB type ADümh 101. Car no 61 80 81-80 005-3
1976:Apfelpfeil IAO type ADm 101.Car no 51 80 09-42 915-X
1981: Mittelthurgaubahn type ADümh 101. Car no 51 80 09-80 205-X
2003:SBB subsidiary THURBO. Type ADüm 101. Car no: XX-XX 09-90 205-X

TÅGKOMPANIET SELLING THEIR DOME CARS

The cars were used by Tågkompaniet until 2003, when the Company Connex
started to operate on the old Tågkompaniet route.

June 10 2005, four of the cars were pulled by the Tågkompaniet loco Da no 15,
to the ferryport in the Swedish city of Trellborg for further ferry transport over the Baltic to Germany.


Sven Malmberg, one of the founders of Tågkompaniet AB, was at the helm himself in the Tågkompaniet Da loco.
He also accompanied the delivery to Germany, to personally hand over the cars to their new owners.



Märklin Model 3030 of Loco type Da. Loco no 864. The Model first delivered from the Märklin factory in 1958.





One of the cars was accquired by Dr Günter Stier representing the FEK (Freundkreis Eisenbahn Köln) The other three cars accquired for use by the Vulkaneifelbahn and AKE Eisenbahntouristik, represented by Mr Jörg Petry.

Three of the cars, TKAB 203, 204 och 205 were transported by the ScandLines ferry Sassnitz to the German city of Sassnitz, and the fourth, TKAB 202, by the ferry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the port of Rostock.
The cars transported to Sassnitz were assisted by a DB 03 loco when leaving the ferry.
After the arrival to Germany was two of the cars, acquired by AKE were transported directely to Werk Raststatt, Stuttgart, where one of the cars (81-900004-4, old no 10552) to put it in condition for traffic use.
In december 2006, the car was ready, and was in traffic status with it´s new no 81-80002-7. It was also redecorated in the "original"Rheingold colours.
One of the cars, TKAB 205 AFS1 is kept as spare-part bank, and later on, be transported to the DB musem and seve as a Restaurant.

The fifth car, TKAB 201 AFS 1, stayed in Sweden as was acquired by the Swedish Company TGOJ.
The internal design was changed. The two first class compartments, in the bottom floor was removed, and was made to one open space. The Panorama department received new chairs. The exterior was changed to blue and white and received the new no P1.

In 2008, the car was sold to the Swedish company NetRail, and was leased to Veolia(Sweden). Veolia used the car in traffic between Malmö and Stockholm.

In May 2013, the car was sold again. This time to the Dutch company Grawaco BV. (GWR)
They use the car for company representation.



The car as it looked in May 8, 2013 without the Veolia logo, under delivery to Gravaco in
the Netherlands.






The latest interior of the Panorama car.







This model of the VEOLIA PANORAMA CAR in H0-scale, is hade made by Berne Carlsson, Sweden, on a Lima car base. Length over buffers: 303mm




Tågkompaniet Car 202 i Trelleborg waiting for ferry transport to Germany.



Car 202 to be switched on board to the Ferry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Trelleborg port.


Loco type DB 03 pulling the Cars from the ferry. Car seen is TKAB 205 AFS1 in it´s white and blue design.




Unloading the cars in the German Ferryport Sassnitz. Cars seen from left to right:
TKAB 203 (Moose), TKAB 204 (Lynx) and TKAB 205 in new design.




TÃ¥gkompaniet Car 202 during switching in Trelleborg for transport on to the Ferry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.




Switching work in action in the Port of Trelleborg. Cars seen from left to right: TKAB 205, TKAB 204 och TKAB 203.



Loading car 202 on board to the Ferry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.



THE SITUATION FOR THE DOME CARS IN JANUARY 2013
With reference to information from Mr Lothar Doebert at the DB museum in Nürnberg, the historic Intercity Trains with the Panorama Dome Cars is no longer in service.
The former organization which organized the the trainrides, will end it´s activities by the end of 2012. Hopefully the DB museum will take care of them in the future?
At present, one of the old non restored cars is in the hands of the DB museum in Koblenz. Let´s hope we can see it restored in the future!




Photos: Peter Hallberg, Sven Malmberg, Berne Carlsson and Jocum Ressel Arcive.