Airplane Technology on Rails
In the Twenties of the previous century, aeronautical engineer Franz Kruckenberg, born in Uetersen, Germany in 1882, had the vision of fast railroad passenger service with propeller-driven railroad cars. The plans developed by him were based on lightweight airplane technology and reached their peak on June 21, 1931 in a triumphant record run by his streamlined Rail Zeppelin. It reached 233 km/h / 146 mph, a speed record for powered railroad cars that stood for 23 years. The principle of propeller-driven railroad cars proved to be less than ideally suited during test runs. Yet, Kruckenberg laid the foundation for modern, lightweight high-speed rail cars with the Rail Zeppelin and axle-powered successor designs developed by him. The Rail Zeppelin was and still is a legend and synonym for the rapid progress in railroad technology that has reached its peak in the present with the current high-speed powered rail car train technology.

Prototype: Propeller-driven Kruckenberg Rail Zeppelin. A legendary classic of the Thirties.

 

Highlights

• Retro packaging inspired by the historic packaging.
• mfx digital decoder with extensive sound functions.
• White LED headlights / red marker light, which changes over with the direction of travel.
• First time with a marker light.
• Factory-installed LED interior lighting.
• Cab lighting can be controlled digitally.
• Powered propeller on the rear of the unit can be controlled digitally.
• Figure of a locomotive engineer in the cab.
• Interior has miniature figures as passengers.

Model: Reproduction of a Märklin classic. The unit has an mfx digital decoder with extensive sound functions. It also has built-in interior lighting as well as dual headlights and a red marker light that will work in conventional operation and can be controlled digitally. Maintenance-free warm white and red LEDs are used for the lighting. The propeller in the rear can be controlled digitally and will work in conventional operation. During switching maneuvers and going in reverse, an electric motor can be heard and the propeller is off. There is a figure of a locomotive engineer in the cab. The interior has miniature figures as passengers.
Vehicle length approximately 28.5 cm / 11-1/4".