Modellbahn Union Ferryboat spine wagon Rbmms 55 HO gauge

The prototype:              
The ferry boat stake car of the type Rbmms 55 is, in addition to the Tcefs 845 ferry boat car and Tbnhs 30 ferry boat refrigerator car, another example of the special features required in the field of international freight transport when operating railways.        
 
 
 
In 1954, the Fuchs company received an order from the DB to build 25 Rbmms 55 ferry boat stake cars. This happened before the procurement of normal new stake wagons for the Federal Railroad. In order to be able to use the car in traffic to Great Britain, the smaller British clearance dimension had to be taken into account. The result was a width of the car of only 2216mm with a length overhang of 12500mm. Another feature of the wagons for UK traffic is the suction air brake commonly used there. The empty weight of the car was 12000kg, the top speed 100km / h. The maximum payload was 26 tons, later 27.5tons.

Built according to UIC guidelines and delivered in 1956, the cars were given the road numbers 435000 to 435024. The landing gear was later used again for the Tcefs 845 ferry boat car, then without the stake basket. The 580mm high side walls were foldable for loading. On the long sides, the wagons were provided with stanchions made of pressed sheet metal, the front sides were equipped with stanchions made of profile steel. Ferry eyelets also indicate the area of application.

 
 
In addition to the traffic to Great Britain, the cars were used throughout Germany and Europe, on ferry connections to Scandinavia, but of course also in "normal" domestic German traffic. Above all, goods that were not sensitive to the weather and goods for export were loaded.    
 
 
 
In 1962, the DB ordered 30 more wagons from LHB to replace the existing Rbh 21 wagons, and another order for 100 wagons was made in 1963-1965. The total inventory was therefore 155 copies. By 1968 the wagons were gradually renamed to Lfs-t 569 with the numbers 414 0 000 - 414 0 159. At the beginning of the 1980s, the name was then changed to Lfms-t 569. The inventory was complete until 1984. Due to the decline in demand in traffic to Great Britain, the wagons were mainly used in construction train service for transporting sleepers from the mid-1980s. The last Lfms-t 569 retired in 1995.
 
The Model:
Having the Tcefs 845 ferry boat wagon already available in H0 and the N gauge model of the Rbmms 55, it was obvious that Modellbahn Union would also have the stake wagon to follow in H0 gauge, especially since the successful basis for the wagon, the chassis of the Tcef, was already in place. 
The result is a model that stands out on any layout with its unusual proportions. The detailing of the model is convincing in all areas.
 

 
 
 
In the chassis, all details of the two braking systems have been implemented. The maneuvering steps are set individually, coupling hooks and brake hoses can be fitted on request. The close coupling mechanism ensures safe driving characteristics, the NEM shafts allow the use of all H0 couplings. If you want to drive through very tight radii, you can easily bend up the coupler handles under the buffers. 
Swap axles are available for the AC railroader.  
     

 
 
 
Moving upwards the stanchions are the most striking feature of course. These are included with the model in two versions, with or without DB embossing. All stanchions are removable, including the bracket shown, and can be exchanged for brackets without stanchions. This solution has the great advantage that all components turn out to be much more filigree than would be the case with brackets permanently attached to the car. The stanchions hold by simply plugging them in. By the way, it is prototypical to drive with all possible combinations of stanchions, be it with missing stanchions, only with the stanchions on the end walls and so on. 
The stanchions are made of slightly flexible plastic so that, on the one hand, a long service life is guaranteed and, on the other hand, the plug-in parts still hold even after frequent changes. 


     

 
 
The side walls show very good and sharp printing. The "lots of text" that characterizes a ferry boat car makes the model even more interesting. Depending on the version, the addresses vary according to the epoch.    
       
 
It becomes particularly interesting when you devote yourself to the topic of loading. The size of the loading area is 12.7 x 2.3 cm, and in terms of cargo, everything from cars to boxes to tubes is allowed that could ever have found its way from Germany to neighboring countries and back.
And of course, the composition of trains is a great topic on this model. In principle, everything from continental Europe and England from the 1960s to the 1990s is permitted for locomotives, both as individual wagons and in block trains.      
 
       
 
 
 
 
Summary:
The model of the Rbmms 55 is a successful addition to the freight wagon fleet in general and the subject of ferry wagons in particular. Together with the seemingly endless design possibilities in terms of loading and the long service life of the original, every model railroader is sure to find a place for this freight wagon to be used.