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The Breitspurbahn was a planned 3,000 mm broad-gauge railway, proposed during the time of Nazi Germany, supposed to run with double-deck coaches between major cities of Grossdeutschland. There were no less than 41 different designs for the Breitspurbahn locomotive offered by companies involved in the project.Classical steam locomotives, as well as gas turbine-electric, diesel-hydraulic and electric locomotives were all considered, with power outputs ranging from 15,300 to 24,700 horsepower.

source/image: Found And Explained

High-performance locomotives would be needed for passenger trains,so that they could haul 8-axle double-decker carriages or coaches that would be 42 metres or 138 feet long, 6 metres or 19 feet 8 inches wide and 7 metres or 23 feet in height. Passenger carriages would have Dutch doors that featured retractable staircases. Luxurious facilities and unique features would be a hallmark of the Breitspurbahn trains.

source/image: Found And Explained

It was finally decided that locomotives for passenger trains would be mainly electric and diesel-hydraulic-powered, whilst locomotives used to transport freight would be primarily conventional steam-engined.High-performance locomotives would be needed for passenger trains, so that they could haul 8-axle double-decker carriages or coaches that would be 42 metres or 138 feet long, 6 metres or 19 feet 8 inches wide and 7 metres or 23 feet in height.

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Passenger carriages would have Dutch doors that featured retractable staircases. Luxurious facilities and unique features would be a hallmark of the Breitspurbahn trains. Proposed designs included carriages with large dining rooms, bars and lounges, as well as a promenade and observation deck. Trains would further feature a 196-seat cinema, a barbershop, a sauna and even a swimming pool, offering an array and type of facilities and luxury never seen before on any mass-passenger train.

The overall dimensions and scale of the train were awe-inspiring: its total length would be about 500 metres or 1,640 feet, with a capacity of between 2,000 and 4,000 passengers. And all this would be achieved at impressive speeds of up to 250 kilometres or 150 miles per hour.

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