Between May 1928 and August 1939 the luxury day express train RHEINGOLD operated between Hoek van Holland and Basel as a FFD Pullman train of DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN GESELLSCHAFT (DRG) and MITROPA. The name was mystic and elitarian.
by Earl of Cruise
The RHEINGOLD needed for the distance from the North Sea to the Alps 11 to 12 hours. The then new Pullman express train only had 1st and 2nd class coaches - at that time still a 3rd (till 1956) and a 4th (till 1945) class did exist -
was aimed at a luxury oriented travel public, which wanted to reach its
goal quickly and comfortably. The interior design of the individual wagons was designed by well-known architects and artists, which had been hired for by the different coach builders - therefore the interior varied. The luxuriously equipped I. Class compartments offered only window seats - only one seat on either side of the aisle, so that one could enjoy unhindered the view of the Rhine. the fixed seats in II. Class had been arranged two and one along the aisle.
At the beginning of WWII the luxury express train RHEINGOLD was discontinued. There was any more need in luxurious train connections. Some of the coaches were now used for military purposes, but the majority were parked in halls.
by Earl of Cruise
RHEINGOLD, the name of the most luxurious train ever of Germany - detail, own photo
On May 15th, 1928 the luxury express train RHEINGOLD started for the first time, connecting Hoek von Holland, Netherlands, and Amsterdamn with Basel, Suisse. Name giving was the legendary treasure of the Nibelungen. This special service for most international travelers was an immidiate success.
Advertisment for the RHEINGOLD created by Frank Newbould - collection Earl of Cruise
For the most travelers in the RHEINGOLD meant the voyage in the luxury train more than being transported in high comfort. From their soft armchairs they could watch the pitoresque Rhine landscape, with wine villages, vine-growing slopes, forteresses and castles, and the Loreley, between Koblenz and Mainz, through 1,40 m wide panoramic windows. The journey in the train became a part of the destination.
RHEINGOLD travel advertisment of DRG after reducing the original travel time by 2 hours - collection Earl of Cruise
RHEINGOLD I. Class coach - Source: Bundesarchiv, collection Earl of Cruise
RHEINGOLD was trajected in Germany at first by former Bayerische
Staatseisenbahnen S3/6 and former Badische
Staatseisenbahnen IVh former federal railways express steam engines. Later the new DRG BR 01. At the beginning of WWII the luxury express train RHEINGOLD was discontinued. There was any more need in luxurious train connections. Some of the coaches were now used for military purposes, but the majority were parked in halls.
EISENBAHN ROMANTIK, 70 Jahre RHEINGOLD, aired 1998 - Source: YouTube
Der RHEINGOLD Express
The Dutch Mountain Orchestra perform The Rheingold Express.
Written by Brian Gould (1989). http://www.newmoonmusic.co.uk
Film clips of the Rheingold Express and Trans Europe Express (TEE) - Source: YouTube
Then in
1962 DEUTSCHE BUNDESBAHN launched the new RHEINGOLD and wanted to revive the myth of the
1920s and set up a new train of the same name on the Rhine route. A special highlight was the `Dome Car´ coach with a glass dome and the dome dining coach. The RHEINGOLD
with its max. speed of 160 km/h was integrated in the TEE system of European railroads. In 1987, DEUTSCHE BUNDESBAHN finally discontinued the RHEINGOLD, as there was any longer the TEE sytem and high speed Intercity trains became the norm.
RHEINGOLD, its glass `dome cars´ had to be sold, as its weight was a permanent complain by NS, all `dome cars´had been sold to REISEBÜRO MITTELTHURGAU which organised special tours with - courtesy REISEBÜRO MITTELTHURGAU
Originally DEUTSCHE BUNDESBAHN wanted to have single seats, but the partnering SBB of Switzerland and the NS of the Netherlands insisted on the 2 plus 1 seating arrangements for capacity reasons. Planed as top of the notch luxury, the new RHEINGOLD therefore became a bit of mediocre.
RHEINGOLD leaving Köln, trajected by BR 18 505, a former Bavarian s 3/6 - collection Earl of Cruise
The first German Pullman train, RHEINGOLD was introduced on May 25th, 1928 as fast train FD RHEINGOLD (1928-1936,
the international train number became FFD 101, in the opposite (northern) direction of FFD 102). The double `FF´ stressed its luxury in the timetables.
RHEINGOLD II. Class coach, restored by EISENBAHNFREUNDE KÖLM e.V. - courtesy EISENBAHNFREUNDE KÖLM e.V.
With the beginning of WWI, CIWL disconnected its links within the German Empire and Austria-Hungary, which forced the state owned federal train companies to establish and introduce MITROPA as competitor and to cover the high end travelers, that still used traveling by train. The coaches of CIWL on the teritory of the Kaiserreich had been seized and would be handed over to MITROPA.
After the Treaty of Versailles the Allies forced to build out the different federal state owned train companies In 1920 out the different federal state owned train companies (Badische
Staatseisenbahnen, Mecklenburgische
Landeseisenbahn, Oldenburgische Staatseisenbahnen, Bayerische
Staatseisenbahnen, Sächsische
Staatseisenbahnen, Württembergische
Staatseisenbahnen, Reichseisenbahnen in Elsaß-Lothringen and Preußisch-Hessische
Eisenbahngemeinschaft) a single entity, except of the Alsac-Lorraine company, was formed in 1920 - DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN GESELLSCHAFT (DRG). According to the Dawes-Plan of 1924, and with that securing the reparation payments (anual 20,000,000,000,000.00 Goldmark) GERMAN REICHSBAHN was transformed into a Aktiengesellschaft (Inc.). The revenues created had been used as part of the reparation payments. The new formed DRG AG became over the next years the most profitable economic entity not only in the Weimar Republic, but world wide ...
RHEINGOLD trajected by IVh - collection Earl of Cruise
At the same time as with the
Reichsbahngesetz Germany was founding that reparations securing company, the company was burdened with a debenture in favor of
the Allies of 11,000,000,000,000.00 Goldmark, while the basic capital
amounted to 15,000,000,000,000.00 Goldmark. The shares were issued in the name of the DEUTSCHES REICH, which guaranteed the German ownership. The world economic crisis, starting in 1929,
and the constant cash outflows through the reparation payments (about 660,000,000.00
Reichsmark annually) considerably affected the REICHSBAHN. It was not until 1932 that the Reichsbahn was freed from the financial obligations at the Lausanne conference. And the Great Depression had its effects on the occupancy of RHEINGOLD, which cuased a reducing of the extras payments to use the Pullman train. And when Nazis gained power in Germany, many of the international travelers avoided the RHEINGOLD and used the EDELWEISS of CIWL instead.
RHEINGOLD I. Class compartment with four seats - Source: Bundesarchiv, collection Earl of Cruises
In November 2010 the Federal Republic of Germany payed the last instalment ot the WWI depts! It was the last rent on lendings to pay the reparations.
After retrieving from the teritory of the German Reich in 1914, CIWL did not reapear on the former used relations and did all to avoid the teritory of the former foe ...
RHEINGOLD leaving Amsterdam - collection Earl of Cruise
With
the new train, DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN tried to redirect a larger share of
traffic between the UK and the Netherlands and Switzerland to its
routes. So far, many British passengers with destinations
in the Swiss holiday resorts such as Interlaken, Luzern or Chur used
the sleeping carriages of the CIWL's luxury trains departing from Calais
or Boulogne in the evening. From 1925, the CIWL had
gradually introduced pullman express trains in the daily traffic, which DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN took as a role model for its new cars. Already
a month later, CIWL also introduced on June 15th, 1928 a competitive luxurious day train, the CIWL Pullman EDELWEISS from
Amsterdam via Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg to Switzerland.
RHEINGOLD found his way into art, a film screned in TEE RHEINGOLD, paintings and comics
R. Leloup, Yoko Tsuno, Le feu de Wotan, Rheingold, S.15, Charleroi, 1984
R. Leloup, Yoko Tsuno, Le feu de Wotan, Rheingold, S.9, Charleroi, 1984
In order to be
competitive with the Pullman coaches of CIWL, the RHEINGOLD coaches had been styled as particularly comfortable large-capacity wagons with aditional individual
compartments. Each equipped with loose chairs in the first class. Like
the Pullman coaches of CIWL, in these carriages MITROPA and its service crew served food and dinks at the place. Each second coach of I. and II. Class had a kitchen, where food was prepared à la minute, whenever a guest ordered. But several guests compained about smells coming from the kitchens. In addition, several luggage coaches were ordered for the RHEINGOLD too, as it was a security regulation, that such a coach had to be between the passenger coaches and the engine. The
interiors of the carriages were designed by respected artists and
architects, but a stylistic influence of BAUHAUS is unmistakable, even if some coaches had more ART DÉCO, or NEUE SACHLICHKEIT appearance. As the coaches had been built by different contracted companies, they had been given a free hand by DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN whom they wanted to hire for the design outfitting.
Wegmann & Co. in Kassel
Linke-Hofmann-Lauchhammer
in Breslau
collection Earl ofCruise
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