“Hitler’s broad-gauge railway” – that is the title of the video that British historians uploaded to YouTube. And with a track width of three meters (!) The train would have lived up to its name. Spectacular trick shots show how the monster was supposed to roll through Europe on rails. The trip should have gone as far as Istanbul!

Gigantic 1200-meter-long trains that were supposed to transport 10,000 tons of freight – as much as a medium-sized cargo ship. The plan: after the “final victory”, link Germany with Russia and the Mediterranean region in order to transport huge amounts of oil, nickel and iron ore to the Nazi empire by broad gauge using gigantic freight cars. But the plans were soon expanded to include luxury passenger transport.

Historian Sven Bracke is quoted in the “Bild” as saying: “The eight-axle passenger coaches should be 42 meters long, six meters wide and seven meters high. Cinema, swimming pools and hairdressing salons were planned for the 500-meter-long trains. “

But the laws of physics prevented the megalomaniac dreams. Bracke: “Until 1945, Borsig was able to construct 18-axle express train electric locomotives that pulled 1000 tons at 250 km / h and took power from a rail next to the track. However, later test drives showed that the welded connections on normal passenger trains could only withstand 160 km / h. “

Bildquelle: Screenshots YouTube – “Lost & Found”