Description

The "Uerdiner rail bus", as it became known (the units were manufactured in Uerdingen), was ubiquitous on the branch lines in Germany for decades. It was dubbed a "savior of branch lines" as it was much cheaper than the steam engines it replaced, running on branch lines with little passenger demand. Still, it often only managed to delay the closing of such lines for some years.

The original version of this type was named class VT-95 (later renumbered to class 795). It only had one engine, which was soon found to be the main problem of an otherwise robust design. By the late 1950s an updated version VT-95 had been created, using two engines and some minor modifications. More than 3300 units (including non-powered cars) were built, they lasted until the end of the 20th century.

In the game, this type will not become as important as in the real world, simply because the service it was developed for will not exist: Branch lines with stagnant demand, which should be run cheaply. In the game, cities will grow and grow, causing more and more passenger traffic. This will be too much for the little capacity this type offers, so you will have to replace it with trains providing a lot more capacity.

Images and Screenshots

A VT-95 railbus with coach car on some branch line in the 1950s.