Compartment coach

The disadvantages of this design were that passengers could not use the toilet or visit the dining car and that train staff had to climb along the outside of the coach on running boards in order to check tickets.

Countless four-, six- and eight-wheeled vehicles of this type were used in Germany and especially by the Prussian state railways.

Four- and six-wheeled compartment coaches were initially used in all train categories on main lines.

From 1895, especially in Prussia and Saxony (but also to a lesser extent in Baden, Bavaria and Alsace-Lorraine), eight-wheeled compartment coaches were built.

After 1900 they were made of a brass alloy based on a patent by the Julius Pintsch AG firm.

After 1900, rising wood prices forced a switch to steel construction and then to lower value materials during the First World War.

Prussian state railways coaches were equipped with standard bogies with two and later three spring systems.

Of the 21,000 compartment coaches of all types that were built, 14,000 were handed to other countries after the First World War as reparations.

Length over buffers (LüP) is 18.55 m, unless otherwise stated Under the newly formed German Imperial Railways, the Deutsche Reichsbahn, measures were taken to rationalise wagon maintenance from 1920.

Once of these was the removal of the centre axle on many of the six-wheeled compartment coaches, because it had been established that this had no negative impact on the riding qualities.

The window sections of second class coaches were painted in Stadtbahn blue-green (RAL 6004) as on the Berlin S-Bahn.