Vehicules in DB Museum Nuremberg

VT 602 – The TEE

In the 1950s, Deutsche Bundesbahn commissioned MAN, LHB and Wegmann to develop the VT 11.5 (602) express DMU. The vehicles were manufactured specifically for operation on the European TEE (Trans Europ Express) network.


The Trans Europe Express

The Trans Europe Express (TEE)

The VT 602 power car on display in the DB Museum differs from the other TEE power cars in one very important detail. It was not powered by a diesel engine, but by a gas turbine that had originally been designed for a helicopter. This can be seen from the large air inlets in front of the driver’s cab, which supplied the turbine with oxygen.

The gas turbine version with 2,200 hp was intended to replace the somewhat underpowered diesel versions from the beginning of the 1970s and was therefore retrofitted into four power cars by way of trial.

However, the new propulsion system failed to stand the test. Not only the infernal racket it made, especially when the train started, posed a problem. The significantly higher fuel consumption, which resulted in the capacity of the fuel tank having to be doubled to 5,000 litres, meant that the trains could not operate economically.

Technical details
Year of manufacture1957 (converted in 1970)
ManufacturerMAN
Maximum speed160 km/h
Power output2.200 hp
Length19,200 mm

Relevant contact

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DB Museum Information

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Last modified: 22.10.2009
Position: Homepage / Exhibitions / Vehicles / VT 602
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