Herpa - 065238 - Locomotive, Electric, Class 182, Epoch V - Deutsche Bundesbahn - 182 005-9

Specific Item Information: In the model train community, Herpa has become more than just the world‘s market leader for car and truck models. Since the International Toy Fair 2003, Herpa has surprised the collector’s community time and again with its lavishly designed train sets.They have become gems, providing new impulses to the model train business as a whole. In the 1/87 scale (HO), a number of very special train sets have already been produced in close cooperation with Märklin/Trix – all sold out within almost no time, and gone down in history as rare and popular collector’s items. The successful “Mercedes Silver Arrow” set was followed by the“Hochtief building site transport train”, and Herpa recently announced the “Maybach – a classic of the future” train set. Thanks to the great partnership between BMW and Herpa, another real treat will come soon – and a MINI one in all respects:a complete car transport train set in the 1/160 scale (N track). The Taurus locomotive carries the promotional design that was used when the MINI Cooper S™ was introduced. Herpa has now been licensed to produce this special locomotive in the 1/160 scale. The locomotive and the transport cars are made by Märklin/Trix, while Herpa contributes the N-scale MINI Cooper S™, a new type in the 1/160 scale. The twenty-four miniature car models have been designed with loving care, come in six exclusive colors, and make the MINI Cooper S™ car transport train a real highlight of every diorama or glass cabinet. The MINI Cooper S™ car transport train comes as an exclusive limited edition of 750, and is scheduled to become available through toy and hobby shops around the globe in November/December 2004.

DCC Information: Earlier models accept NEM 651 decoders. Later models accept MTC-14 decoder.

Road Name History: Deutsche Bundesbahn was the Western Germany DB before reunification. After World War II, Germany (and the DRG) was divided into 4 zones: US, British, French and Soviet. The first three eventually combined to form the Federal Republic of Germany (the West) and the Russian zone became the German Democratic Republic (the East). German territories beyond the Oder were ceded to Poland except for the northern part of East Prussia, which was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1945.

From 1949, the new governments assumed authority for railway operations. The DRG's (or DR's) successors were named Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB, German Federal Railways) in West Germany, and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR, German State Railways) in East Germany kept the old name to hold tracking rights in western Berlin.

Unlike the DRG, which was a corporation, both the DB and the DR were federal state institutions, directly controlled by their respective transportation ministries. Railway service between East and West was restricted; there were around five well-controlled and secure checkpoints between West and East Germany, and about the same number between East Germany and West Berlin. Four transit routes existed between West Germany and West Berlin; citizens of West Berlin and West Germany were able to use these without too much harassment by the East German authorities.

The DB started in 1968 with changing the locomotive and passenger car serial numbers to the UIC norm. In 1970 the DR followed. The DB started experimenting with the Intercity trains in a new livery (bright orange).

In 1989, the Wall fell. Train frequency rapidly increased on the existing East/West corridors; closed links which had formerly crossed the border were re-opened. On 3 October 1990, Germany was reunified; however, this was not immediately the case with the railways. Administrative and organisational problems led to the decision to completely re-organize and reconnect Germany's railways. The so-called Bahnreform (Railway Reform) came into effect on 1 January 1994, when the State railways Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn were formally reunited to form the current German Railway Corporation (Deutsche Bahn).

From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Herpa, or Herpa Miniaturmodelle GmbH, is a German manufacturer of die-cast model aircraft under the Herpa Wings trademark and plastic car models under the Herpa Cars & Trucks trademark. The mainstay of Herpa Wings is in the 1/500 scale, although models are also produced in the 1/400, 1/200, and 1/1000 scales as well. Herpa Cars & Trucks are mainly produced in the 1/87 scale, although 1/120 and 1/160 scales are also offered.
Herpa also produces magazines for car & truck enthusiasts and model aircraft enthusiasts, known as Der Maßstab and WingsWorld respectively.

Read more on Wikipedia.