Modellbahn Union Railbus VT95 pre-series H0

VT95 pre-series - the prototype

The VT 95 light rail buses, a fascinating idea, were developed in 1949 by the Waggonfabrik Uerdingen and Büssing for Deutsche Bahn. The railbuses were used on branch lines as a cost-effective alternative. The first ten VT 95 and five sidecars were put into operation in 1950. The railbuses had a short wheelbase to avoid complex chassis designs. They were later converted to Scharfenberg couplers. The VT 95 were used in southern Bavaria and northern Germany, but examples were also delivered to Luxembourg.

The fate of prototypes - overtaken by the production run

However, the range had a comparatively short life and most of the vehicles were retired in the 1960s. A VT 95 was converted into an Indusi test vehicle and is now the only German survivor of the pre-series vehicles in Gerolstein waiting for a possible refurbishment. Another vehicle is in Luxembourg at the museum railway in Fond-de-Gras.

The VT 95 railbuses have made a significant contribution to the development of rail transport and are seen as pioneering for economical operation on branch lines.