BlueBrixx
BlueBrixx Observation Trolley Rheingold DB (8w) Set 104286
BlueBrixx's Observation Trolley Rheingold DB is a BlueBrixx-Specials model built from 1,019 blocks, measuring 50.5 Γ 6.7 Γ 11.9 cm assembled. Designed by Pascal. No stickers or printed parts.
The only German train with a dome
The raised glass section on this carriage is an Aussichtswagen β a dome car β and the Rheingold of 1962 is the only German train that ever had them.
The idea came from America, where dome cars had been running on scenic western routes since the 1940s. The Bundesbahn wanted the Rheingold to be the best train in Europe, and its route ran down the Rhine gorge past castles and vineyards β which is a view worth building a carriage around.
Five were built. They were never entirely practical: the dome sits high, and overhead wiring and tunnel clearances on much of the German network are not generous, so the cars were restricted to routes that had been checked for them. Air conditioning under a glass roof in summer was another problem, solved imperfectly.
They ran on the Rheingold and the Rheinpfeil until 1976, when the domes were removed from service as the trains were reorganised. Several survive; one runs on charter trains to this day.
The Rheingold
First run in 1928, reintroduced in 1962, and the train the German railway used to show what it could do β a bar car, a restaurant, and a route chosen for the view rather than for speed. The beige-and-blue livery on this model is the 1962 scheme.
In the BlueBrixx range
Set 104283 is the BR 103 locomotive in matching Rheingold livery β the two are designed to run together. Sets 101043, 102535 and 102788 are the station buildings.
Specifications
Pieces: 1,019 Β· Designer: Pascal Β· Series: BlueBrixx-Specials Β· No stickers or printed parts
Model dimensions: 50.5 Γ 6.7 Γ 11.9 cm (19.9 Γ 2.6 Γ 4.7 in)
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