They were the tireless engines of the “Economic Miracle” and defined the image of a modern nation for decades: the electric railcars of the Deutsche Bundesbahn. From the legendary “Gläsernen Zug” and the rugged workhorses of Stuttgart’s suburban network to the pioneering DC trains of the Hamburg S-Bahn, each vehicle tells its own story of technological progress, a spirit of renewal, and everyday life on the rails.
We bring this era back to life in our historical image archive. Discover rare photographs in our comprehensive photo database. Immerse yourself in a time where innovation meets pure nostalgia.
Click on the class designation to view the images in the photo database.
Photographs of the ET 26 series in Franconia are a true rarity. Based at the Regensburg depot from 1966 to 1971, these units operated between Landshut and Erlangen and also reached Passau on weekends. In August 1969, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Stöckhert documented unit 426 003 at Erlangen station.
| Series new / old | Numbers | built | Decommissioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| BR 403 | 403 001–006 | 1973 | 1993 |
| BR 420 | 420 001–317, 501 … 889 421 001 … 389 (S-Bahn) | ab 1969 | in service |
| BR 425 / ET 25 | 101-103; 106-108; 110; 115-124 | 1963-1966 from a conversion | 1985 |
| BR 426 / ET 26 | 001-004 | 1957 from a conversion | 1978 |
| BR 427 / ET 27 | 101–105 | 1964 | 1985 |
| BR 430 / ET 30 | 101-124 | 1956 | 1985 |
| BR 432 / ET 32 | 001, 002, 021, 022, 201, 202 | 1950 from a conversion | 1984 |
| BR 255 / ET 45 | 001 (Prototype 50 Hz) | 1961 | 1972 |
| BR 455 / ET 55 | 101–108 | 1964 / 1965 from a conversion | 1984 |
| BR 456 / ET 56 | 101–107 | 1952 | 1984 |
| BR 465 / ET 65 | 001–003; 005-010; 012-025 | 1960 from a conversion | 1980 |
| BR 470.1 / ET 170.1 | 101-145 (Hamburg S-Bahn) | 1959, 1967, 1968-1970 | 2002 |
| BR 471 / ET 171 | 001–044; 061-086 (Hamburg S-Bahn) | 1940, 1954, 1958 | 2001 |
| BR 485 / ET 85 | 005, 007–011, 015, 017, 019, 021-024, 027-030, 034, 035 | 1927–1933 | 1977 |
| BR 490 / ET 90 | 01-03 (conversion ET 85 13, 14 und 16) | 1950 aus Umbau | 1972 |
| BR 491 / ET 91 | 001 („Gläserner Zug“) | 1935 | 1995 |
| ET 182 | 01, 11 und 12 | 1949 from a conversion | 1955 however, further remodeling |
| ET 195 | 001 und 002 (Ravensburg-Baienfurt) | 1954 | 1959 |