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#2467

DRG Class SVT 137

Deutsches Reich ·built by Waggonbau Görlitz· from 1935· class of German diesel multiple unit

🚆 multiple unit diesel retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Drg svt 137 225: Appaloosa· CC BY-SA 3.0
  2. 2. 04 056 Bw Süd, SVT 137 225: Falk2· CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. 3. DRG 137 149-232: Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen· CC BY 4.0
  4. 4. DRG SVT 137 225 1: Appaloosa at de.wikipedia· CC BY-SA 3.0
  5. 5. DRG SVT 137 225 innen: Appaloosa at German Wikipedia· CC BY-SA 3.0
  6. 6. DSB IC4, MS and DRG Class 137: Leif Jørgensen· CC BY-SA 3.0
  7. 7. DSB MS and DRG Class 137: Leif Jørgensen· CC BY-SA 3.0
  8. 8. Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (central station). Historic express railcar SVT 137 225 Halle - 23551864512: wwwuppertal· CC BY 2.0
  9. 9. Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (central station). Historic express railcar SVT 137 225 Halle: wwwuppertal· CC BY 2.0
  10. 10. Schnelltriebwagen SVT 137 225 ab 01: Ad Meskens· CC BY-SA 3.0
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
DRG Class SVT 137, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Appaloosa· CC BY-SA 3.0

what is it?

The DRG Class SVT 137 was a class of streamlined diesel railcars of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and later of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (as class VT 04) and the Deutsche Reichsbahn. With a regular maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) and average speeds of up to 132 km/h (82 mph) they were the first high speed trains in central Europe.

who runs it

Deutsche ReichsbahnDeutsche Reichsbahn (GDR)Deutsche Bundesbahn

base stats

  • speed 160 km/htop speed
  • built 13made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

  • First built 91 years ago, in 1935.
  • Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
  • 44.8 m long: about 10 cars parked nose to tail.
  • Served for 48 years (1935–1983).

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built
1935
in service from
1935
retired
1983
status
retired
number built
13
kind
multiple unit
traction
diesel
origin
Deutsches Reich
builders
Waggonbau Görlitz, AEG, Linke-Hofmann, Siemens-Schuckert, Waggon- und Maschinenbau Görlitz
operators
Deutsche Reichsbahn, Deutsche Reichsbahn (GDR), Deutsche Bundesbahn
top speed
160 km/h
power
—
wheel arrangement
2'Bo'2'
length
44.8 m

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q318677, Wikipedia: DRG Class SVT 137 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

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