The trainsets of Class VT 11.5 (often simply called TEE) were diesel multiple units built by Deutsche Bundesbahn in the 1950s and used for Trans Europ Express services. When the new numbering scheme of the German railways became effective on January 1, 1968, the power heads of the trainsets were renamed to Class 601 whilst the middle cars became Class 901.
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The first trains were commissioned in 1957 and used on the following international TEE lines:
In the 1960s, due to ongoing electrification, lines like the TEE Helvetia were changed to electric locomotive-hauled train sets. The diesel trains were used on new TEE lines in 1965:
In 1971 DB started their new first class only InterCity system, using the 601 mainly for non-electrified routes. The regular maximum speed was set to 160 km/h for 7 unit trains. For trains up to 10 units the 602 was used. In 1979 the InterCity system was expanded and second class compartments were introduced for these trains, meaning the end of 601/602 use for these trains.
From 1980 the 601/901 was used for special tourist services. The trains had ten units, sometimes two trainsets were coupled to a twenty unit train. This "Alpen-See-Express" ran scheduled from Hamburg and Dortmund to southern German and Austrian destinations like Berchtesgaden, Lindau, Innsbruck, Salzburg. This service ended in 1988, when all 601s except the two scrapped, 601 002 and 901 403, were sold to Italy.
The fall of the Berlin Wall led to a new life for the 601 as an InterCity train. One of the ten unit trains was lent from Italy to Germany and served from July 27, 1990 to September 29, 1990 as InterCity "Max Liebermann" on the route Hamburg-Berlin. One part of this train had been repainted blue-beige and is still to be seen at the "Bahnpark Augsburg".
The motor unit 602 003 is preserved and exhibited at the DB Museum.
From 1963 it was sold to the Danish State Railway (DSB) for use as national express trains (lyntog, meaning lightning trains). This was a modified version which could be separated into two independent units and loaded on to the Great Belt ferries, and a total of 5½ whole or 11 half units were sold. It was given the designation "litra MA", ranging from MA 460 to 470. In 1990 these trains were phased out from Danish service and donated to a Polish railway, but never saw much use there. MA 460 survives at the Danish Railway Museum.
The VT 11.5 was based on the pre war Kruckenberg DRG SVT 137 155 and the experiences with the post war DB Class VT 10.5.
Mostly the trainsets consisted of two motor units, one dining and kitchen car, one dining and bar car and three coaches. The weight of a seven unit trainset was 230 t, the length was 130 m.
Motor units and coaches were coupled by automatic Scharfenberg couplers, thus allowing trainsets up to ten units and coupling of two trainsets.
The VT 11.5, later 601 had two motor units at the head and the tail of the train. Each one had a 809 kW diesel from MTU and a hydraulic transmission from Voith or Maybach. The maximum speed was 140 km/h. later 160 km/h (100 mph). All coaches were air conditioned.
Four VT 11.5 were rebuilt after 1970 and received Gas turbines from KHD with 2991 kW. They were renumbered as Class 602 and used for the InterCity service at the DB. During test runs a train with two 602 and two coaches ran 200 km/h. Since the turbines caused some problems and had higher fuel consumption, the 602 were taken out of service in 1979.
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