Description

A Type Pwg with Marker Signs
Pwg, short for Gepäckwagen für Güterzüge (baggage car for freight trains), was once a common sight on German railways, with many thousands in service. For decades, conductors were assigned not only to passenger trains but also to freight trains.

Pwg cars were typically positioned directly behind the locomotive. This allowed the conductor to communicate with the locomotive crew without having to walk along the ballast in busy freight yards. Prussian railways built the largest number of these vehicles, with the Pwg pr14 being the most widespread design. Between 1913 and 1925, a total of 9,752 units were produced. A distinctive feature of most Pwg cars was the observation cupola, which gave the conductor a clear view of the train.

When bulk freight operations were introduced in the 1920s, using modern steel dump cars, the German State Railways initially continued to operate Pwg cars. Even though commodities such as coal were increasingly transported directly to power plants in unit trains, the Pwg cars were retained for operational and safety reasons. In these heavy trains, however, the baggage cars were usually placed at the rear, as the lightweight Pwg vehicles could have been severely damaged if positioned ahead of the much heavier steel wagons in the event of an accident.

Those days are long past. Today, freight trains operate without Pwg cars. On model railways, however, this important chapter of railway history lives on, allowing enthusiasts to recreate a wide variety of historically accurate freight train formations.

Prototype: German State Railroad Company (DRG) type Pwg Pr 14 two-axle freight train baggage car. Roof cupola included. Sides with continuous step boards. The car looks as it did at the end of the Twenties.

Highlights

• Tooling change for the first time with continuous step boards.
• Marker sign supports with marker signs for mounting on the car included.
• Prototypical end car to go with long coal trains.

Model: This model features a roof cupola and continuous step boards. The car has a brownish green paint scheme. Marker sign supports with marker signs included in a flat package for mounting on the car. Length over the buffers 9.6 cm / 3-3/4". DC wheelset E700580.

The class E 95 heavy freight electric locomotive to go with this car is being offered under item number 38950 as well as a high-capacity dump car set under item number 46226 exclusively for Insider members in 2025.