This is Schienenzeppelin, the Futuristic Train With Propeller and Airplane Engine From the 1930s – Design You Trust — Design Daily Since 2007

This is Schienenzeppelin, the Futuristic Train With Propeller and Airplane Engine From the 1930s

Schienenzeppelin 1

The Schienenzeppelin was an experimental railcar resembling a Zeppelin airship, designed by German engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929.

Powered by a rear-mounted pusher propeller, it achieved a top speed of 230.2 km/h (143 mph), setting a land speed record for petrol-powered rail vehicles. Only one prototype was built, and due to safety concerns, it was dismantled in 1939. The design was influenced by the earlier Russian Aerowagon, which also used an aircraft engine and propeller.

h/t: vintag.es

Schienenzeppelin 2

Constructed in early 1930 by the German Imperial Railway Company, the Schienenzeppelin measured 25.85 meters long with a streamlined aluminum body. It initially featured two BMW IV 6-cylinder engines, later replaced by a single BMW VI 12-cylinder engine. On May 10, 1931, it exceeded 200 km/h for the first time and was publicly exhibited across Germany. On June 21, 1931, it set a world railway speed record on the Berlin–Hamburg line.

Schienenzeppelin 3

In 1932, Kruckenberg modified the railcar, adding a new front end with a two-axle bogie and hydraulic power transmission. Despite reaching 180 km/h in 1933, the prototype faced numerous issues. The Deutsche Reichsbahn developed the Fliegender Hamburger in 1933, which incorporated many of Kruckenberg’s ideas but was more suited for regular service. Ultimately, the Schienenzeppelin’s open propeller design and inability to pull additional wagons hindered its practicality, and it was dismantled in 1939.

Schienenzeppelin 4
Schienenzeppelin 5
Schienenzeppelin 6
Schienenzeppelin 7
Schienenzeppelin 8
Schienenzeppelin 9
Schienenzeppelin 10
Schienenzeppelin 11
Schienenzeppelin 12
Schienenzeppelin 13
Schienenzeppelin 14
Schienenzeppelin 15
Schienenzeppelin 16

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to Design You Trust Facebook page.

More Inspiring Stories

Mammal Photographer Of The Year 2020 Contest Gives Top Prize To Urban Fox Photo

Wooden Dome Design by Patrick Marsilli

Miss Ukraine 2012

Self-Taught Kenyan Photographer Captures The Beauty Of Black Female Models

The Serendipitous Clouds And Faux Reflections Of Photographer Kanghee Kim

Dad Transforms His Adorable 4-Month-Old Son Into A Real-Life Elf On The Shelf

Chinese Segway

The Just for Men World Beard and Moustache Championships

When LIFE Magazine Received Pics Of Still-Unknown Marilyn Monroe, They Replied “WTH Is Marilyn Monroe”

This Small Artificial Island Is Thought Of As An Oasis Of Relaxation

Human or Machine? Life-Like Android Robots from Japan Show Glimpses of the Future

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013 in Thailand

Photographer Spends A Whole Day In Flooded Venice, Captures Just How Different The City Looks

Iraqis Deal with Electricity Shortage with Generators, Improvised Wiring

Guardian Readers' Travel Photography Competition: June 2016

"The Forgotten Dream": Photo Manipulations That Show What If 1900s Immigrants Arrived In Present Day New York City

iPhone Stencil Kit

Green 3D Printer Prints Living Designs From Organic “Ink”

Last Pictures Of Sharon Tate Taken By Terry O'Neill In London, 1969

Welcome to Sweden, Facebook!

The Winners Of Hasselblad Masters 2021 Photo Competition

Spectacular Winning Photos Of The 2018 UK Underwater Photographer Of The Year Contest

"Float Around": Photos From Nirvana’s Underwater "Nevermind" Shoot

Japanese Photographer Atsushi Morioka Releases the World's First Photo Book Focusing on Fish Faces

Japanese Instagrammer Performs Bicycle Tricks On One Wheel

Margarita Nikitaki Takes Claustrophobic Photographs Of Athens’ Cityscapes

Leisure Diving

'World's Worst' Waxworks Collection Sold

Hong Kong Streets In Neon – The Haunting Photographs Of Zaki Abdelmounim

Vintage Photos Of Lumberjacks Who Felled Big Trees Using Only Hand Tools In The Early 20th Century