Need Help Identifying Vintage Mercedes Benz With Rail Road Wheels!

[Guest Ian J.]

Hello All,

 

This is my first post on this great forum, and I would like to politely ask if any of the members here can help I.D. the model of Mercedes Benz fitted with train wheel shown below. The picture has unfortunately been censored, possibly for not wishing to upset people because of it's nazi connotations.

 

I think the guy guarding it is actually a railway policeman (Bahnshutzpolizei) and the covered logo on the door is for the DRB (Deutsche Reich Bahn) or German railways. I'm guessing the picture is pre war and tentatively think that the vehicle may be based on the W21 type with a coach built body.

 

I understand that some of the Mercedes Benz models in the 1920-30's could be bought as a rolling chassis and the customer could commission their own body. This particular body design is not what I'm enquiring about, although any thoughts on it are welcomed, it's the actual model of the car on which it's fitted. Can anyone please help?

 

All answers are gratefully received.

 

Kind regards, Ian.

 

Edited September 8, 2015 by Ian J. (see edit history)

[Guest]

Ian,

          You may want to also post this at Feldgrau.com

Go to "On-line forum" and place it under the heading of "Weapons and Equipment"

I have found some excellent knowledge there before regarding WWII era vehicles.

If you have an uncensored copy of that picture it may also help on that site.

Good Luck,

                      Greg

[Guest Ian J.]

Hi Greg,

 

Thanks for the advice.   Unfortunately the censored pic is all I have. It could be worth a try on that forum, but I thought as the car is not a military vehicle per se, but a civilian one albeit with the track running mod, that a classic car forum stood a better chance of someone having an idea as the number of Mercedes Benz models and variants thereof from the 30's appears to be vast.   It has been shown on a respected military forum already, but answers were thin on the ground regarding what the base model type might be although the M-B 320 WK was offered up as similar.

 

 

Regards, Ian.

[Guest]

I'm certainly not an MB authority but my search turned up similar info to yours on the 320. The feldgrau site is pretty good with all vehicles of that era and there are a lot of German forum members with much knowledge which, in this case could really help. This site seems to be mostly American car based, however you may certainly find a MB aficionado here as well.

[1937hd45]

World War Two happened the red scribbling won't change that fact. Bob 

[Guest]

 Here is another picture of a Mercedes Railway car, it's a 1934. 

[Bleach]

My understanding from the other forum is that the censoring scribble appears on this photo is because the original photo will appear without marks in an upcoming book and not due to WW2 ties.

[Guest Ian J.]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far. The point regarding the upcoming book is interesting, I was not aware of that until I just looked again! Also the pic of a similar car on a rail road track is great, this mod appears to have been popular back then!

[Rusty_OToole]

Cars and trucks with railroad wheels were often used by inspection and repair crews. They even had limousines for use of railroad executives.

 

Have also seen buses on railroad wheels used for short line passenger service.

 

This sort of vehicle was common from the time autos became popular. You still see them around railroad yards and on the tracks.

[Guest Ian J.]

I'm beginning to lean towards it being a  170 W15 or a 200 W21 after finding this interesting link, apparently the only difference was the engines. Any more thoughts on this guys?

 

http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_english/Motor_Vehicles/Germany/Daimler-Benz_AG/Mercedes_Benz_170-200/mercedes_benz_170-200.html

Edited September 9, 2015 by Ian J. (see edit history)

[Bleach]

The W15 and W21 are much smaller cars as you can see in perspective with people standing next to them. The car of this topic is quite a bit larger.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

I am not sure you will find more knowledgeable people on prewar MB than the group posting on the Full Classic MB forum in the CCCA section of this forum. I would pose your questions with a link to this thread and I bet you get some good information. Some of them, I think, don't often venture into the general section here. I think your subject will draw interest even if not the core topic of that thread (which, at this point, could comprise a nice research book itself!).

FWIW I agree that this is a non Classic chassis but they may be able to provide better details. Seems earlier than the 170 cars.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)