Franz Kruckenberg
Encyclopedia
Franz Friedrich Kruckenberg (* 21 August 1882 in Uetersen
, Germany
; † 19 June 1965 in Heidelberg
) was an engineer
and pioneer of high speed railway systems. He designed several high speed train
s. His most famous train was the Schienenzeppelin
.
Kruckenberg was son of an old Hamburg
merchant family. He made his diploma
as a ship building engineer. Before World War I he constructed combat aircraft and airship
s. Already at that time he criticized airships because of their explosive hydrogen
filling and the civil use of aircraft because of the high fuel and maintenance
costs.
After the first World War he opened an engineer bureau in Heidelberg. First he invented a hanging monorail, but he did not get the fortune for a prototype
. Later he founded the Flugbahn-Gesellschaft mbH together with Hermann Föttinger
to build a high speed propeller driven train, the "Schienenzeppelin". The first test runs were made 25 September 1930 on the track Braunschweig
-Paderborn
between Kreiensen
and Altenbeken
.
On 21 June 1931 his Schienenzeppelin made the first run on the track Hamburg
-Berlin
. Between Ludwigslust
and Wittenberge
, achieving a world record for trains of 230,2 km/h. It was the fastest railcar of the world for more than 20 years. A major problem was the propeller, causing noise and wind. Kruckenberg rebuilt the Schienenzeppelin to a hydraulic driven car, which still made a top speed of 180 km/h with only 441 kW.
The Schienenzeppelin was revolutionary for this time, since the aerodynamic streamline
profile and the light weight construction was proven usable for high speed railways. His ideas influenced the high speed train constructions until today (ICE
, Acela, TGV
). The Schienenzeppelin was scrapped in 1939.
155 in 1934. This prototype of a three unit DMU
had a diesel-hydraulic transmission and was ready in 1938. On a test run, on 23 June 1939, this train made a world speed record for diesel trains of 215 km/h between Hamburg and Berlin. Parts of the SVT 137 are still preserved in Dresden
.
Based on this prototype Kruckenberg constructed the DB Class VT 10.5
("Senator" und "Komet") as talgo
technique fast running daytime (7 parts) and night (8 parts) trains after World War II. They were famous for their unreached light weight (0.92 t/seat), but had disadvantages in maintenance due to their six motor concept. So they were taken out of service in 1959 resp. 1960.
Also the famous DB Class VT 11.5
("TEE") und DR Class VT 18.16 ("Vindobona") were derived from Kruckenbergs SVT 137 155.
Uetersen
Uetersen ) is a city in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. south of Elmshorn, and northwest of Hamburg at the small river Pinnau, close to the Elbe river...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; † 19 June 1965 in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
) was an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and pioneer of high speed railway systems. He designed several high speed train
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
s. His most famous train was the Schienenzeppelin
Schienenzeppelin
The ' or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembles a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929. Propulsion was by means of a propeller located at the rear, it accelerated the railcar to setting the land...
.
Kruckenberg was son of an old Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
merchant family. He made his diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
as a ship building engineer. Before World War I he constructed combat aircraft and airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s. Already at that time he criticized airships because of their explosive hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
filling and the civil use of aircraft because of the high fuel and maintenance
Maintenance, Repair and Operations
Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
costs.
The revolutionary Schienenzeppelin
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
. Later he founded the Flugbahn-Gesellschaft mbH together with Hermann Föttinger
Hermann Föttinger
Hermann Föttinger was a German engineer and inventor. In the course of his life he submitted over 100 patent applications, but he is most notable for inventing fluid coupling....
to build a high speed propeller driven train, the "Schienenzeppelin". The first test runs were made 25 September 1930 on the track Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
-Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
between Kreiensen
Kreiensen
Kreiensen is a municipality in the district of Northeim, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Kreiensen is situated on the river Leine, approx. 20 km north of Northeim, and 35 km south of Hildesheim....
and Altenbeken
Altenbeken
Altenbeken is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Altenbeken is situated in the Eggegebirge, approx. 15 km northeast of Paderborn...
.
On 21 June 1931 his Schienenzeppelin made the first run on the track Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
-Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Between Ludwigslust
Ludwigslust
Ludwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:...
and Wittenberge
Wittenberge
Wittenberge is a town of twenty thousand people on the lower Elbe in the district of Prignitz , Brandenburg, Germany.-History:...
, achieving a world record for trains of 230,2 km/h. It was the fastest railcar of the world for more than 20 years. A major problem was the propeller, causing noise and wind. Kruckenberg rebuilt the Schienenzeppelin to a hydraulic driven car, which still made a top speed of 180 km/h with only 441 kW.
The Schienenzeppelin was revolutionary for this time, since the aerodynamic streamline
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
profile and the light weight construction was proven usable for high speed railways. His ideas influenced the high speed train constructions until today (ICE
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
, Acela, TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
). The Schienenzeppelin was scrapped in 1939.
SVT 137 - prototype of following high speed trains
After the Schienenzeppelin Kruckenberg designed the DRG Class SVT 137DRG Class SVT 137
The DRG Class SVT 137 was a class of streamlined diesel train sets of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and later of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn...
155 in 1934. This prototype of a three unit DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
had a diesel-hydraulic transmission and was ready in 1938. On a test run, on 23 June 1939, this train made a world speed record for diesel trains of 215 km/h between Hamburg and Berlin. Parts of the SVT 137 are still preserved in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.
Based on this prototype Kruckenberg constructed the DB Class VT 10.5
DB Class VT 10.5
The VT 10.5 was a diesel multiple unit that was developed by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in the early 1950s. Two units were built which had significant differences in construction. The day train "Senator" consisted of seven cars and was later extended by an 8th car. The cars were connected via single...
("Senator" und "Komet") as talgo
Talgo
Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...
technique fast running daytime (7 parts) and night (8 parts) trains after World War II. They were famous for their unreached light weight (0.92 t/seat), but had disadvantages in maintenance due to their six motor concept. So they were taken out of service in 1959 resp. 1960.
Also the famous DB Class VT 11.5
DB Class VT 11.5
The trainsets of Class VT 11.5 were diesel multiple units built by Deutsche Bundesbahn in the 1950s and used for Trans Europ Express services...
("TEE") und DR Class VT 18.16 ("Vindobona") were derived from Kruckenbergs SVT 137 155.
External links
- http://www.hfi.tu-berlin.de/Foettinger/Projekte/SVT137155/svt137155.pdf description of SVT 137 155
- http://www.dbtrains.com/en/trainsets/epochIII/VT10.5 description of the kruckenberg designed VT 10.5