Marklin 46661 - Type Laabs Container Transport Car

Model: The container transport cars have truss rods and different identification numbers. They are loaded with six VW transport containers with different container numbers. Total length over the buffers approximately 28.2 cm / 11-1/8".

DC wheelset E700580. Trix Express wheelset E258259.

Prototype: German Federal Railroad (DB) type Laabs double unit gondola car for transporting containers (coupled type Klms 440, former Rmrso 31), leased to Volkswagen, Inc. (VW). Version without a hand brake, with container transport frames and VW transport containers as a load. The cars look as they did around 1971.

VW and the German Federal Railroad developed an extremely creative idea, when they concluded an agreement in 1959 for transport by rail of motors and transmissions between various VW production sites. There were still no containers at that time as we know them now, so that initially standard containers had to be developed, which were first transported on close-coupled type R10 double unit low side cars (without stakes). Starting in September of 1959, motors and transmissions were then transported by rail between the VW plants in Wolfsburg and Hannover. Starting in 1965, rebuilt type Rm(r)so 31 stake cars began replacing the old type R 10 car. Once again, there were close-coupled units consisting of two each type Klms 440 cars. Stakes, side and end walls, hand brakes, brakeman's platforms, and brakeman's cabs were not used on these cars. They now had only flat superstructures with wood floors, on which the transport frames for the containers were mounted.

The containers themselves varied in height (1,546, 1,765 or 2,330 mm / 60-7/8, 69-1/2, or 91-3/4 inches), but they had identical bottom dimensions (2,900 x 2,650 mm / 114-3/16 x 104-5/16 inches), since they had to fit in the receptacle frames of the transport cars. These transport containers were designed for either 36 motors or 96 transmissions per load.

They had guide rails on the inner and middle walls, on which small roller assemblies were slid on with the corresponding number of motors or transmissions. The containers had hatches and doors with central locking on the side walls for loading and unloading.In 1966, the container transport cars for motors and transmissions ran on the routings Hannover – Wolfsburg, Hannover – Emden, and Hannover – Ingolstadt as well as from Kassel-Baunatal to Emden, Wolfsburg, and Ingolstadt, later also to Brussels. With the start of production of motors and transmissions at the VW plant in Salzgitter starting in 1970 as well as the merging of Audi NSU Auto Union, Inc. into the VW structure there were the additional destinations of Salzgitter, Neckarsulm, Stuttgart, and Osnabrück (Karman).

The handling of these cars during switching should be mentioned as a special feature: They were not to be run on hump tracks and had to detour around the hump yard tracks and they had to be pushed into the exit group. On no account could they be allowed to come together too hard. Yet, towards the end of the Sixties, sliding wall and sliding roof cars of various types slowly pushed these transport cars to the side, since here the containers could be done away with, and the frames with motors and transmissions could be loaded directly. These container transport cars were thus history in the Eighties.

Offically licensed by Volkswagen.

Charlie's Tip: Freight cars to go with this car can be found at Ajckids.com in the Märklin H0 assortment under item numbers 46129 and 46139, and in the Trix H0 assortment under item numbers 24332 and 24161.

Container transport cars with newly designed car floors

Loaded with six newly designed VW transport containers

Transport containers include different container numbers

An Extremely Creative Idea

VW and the German Federal Railroad developed an extremely creative idea, when they concluded an agreement in 1959 for transport by rail of motors and transmissions between various VW production sites. The solution consisted of standardized containers, which could be transported on close-coupled type Rm(r)so 31 double units of rebuilt stake cars. They now had only flat superstructures with wood floors, on which the transport frames for the containers were mounted. Six containers fit on each double unit, which were filled with either 36 motors or 96 transmissions. In 1966, the container transport cars for motors and transmissions ran between Hannover and Wolfsburg, Emden and Ingolstadt as well as with the same destinations and later also to Brussels from Kassel-Baunatal. Starting in 1970 came the additional destinations of Salzgitter, Neckarsulm, Stuttgart, and Osnabrück (Karman).