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Deutsche Bundesbahn Fähren (German Shipping Company)

German Federal Railways Ferries

Last modified: 2021-01-23 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: deutsche bundesbahn |
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[Deutsche Bundesbahn Eisenbahndirecktion Hamburg] image by Eugene Ipavec, 29 Apr 2009 See also:

Deutsche Bundesbahn Fähren

Deutsche Bundesbahn Ferries. The current Deutsche Bundesbahn dates from the 1990 merger of Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany) and Deutsche Bundesbahn - Hannover according to Lloyds Groups though I don't know how correct the latter title is as previously both Lloyds and German sources show it as Deutsche Bundesbahn Bundesbahndirecktion Hamburg [shown by Lloyds in the 1950s as Deutsche Bundesbahn Eisenbahndirecktion Hamburg]. This latter had its own flag as shown by Die Deutsche Handelsflotte 1957 of white with a black "winged" reverse triangle of the black, red and gold colours with the point being between the black letters "D" and "B" [see below] and was the bigger of the 2 West German rail ferry companies. The other was Deutsche Bundesbahn Bundesbahndirektion Münster but its sole small ferry "Wangerooge" seems to have finished prior to the merger and there is no indication of what, if any, flag it used.
Neale Rosanoski, 13 Oct 2004

Jarig Bakker had to work from one of Neale Rosanoski’s nice but tiny originals, causing involuntary difference in detail.   The "wings" are long and thin, and rather severely positioned in respect to the triangle in the national colours; the initials are red.  See the flag flying here (next to the undefaced national flag, incidentally): Caption (translated): "Nowadays shipping (…) is operated by DB AutoZug (i.e. "AutoTrain", jm) GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG".
Jan Mertens, 13 Nov 2008

As far as I know, German ferries in the Baltic Sea in the past wore the state ensign, not the civil ensign, at the stern, as they belonged to the Deutsche Bundesbahn (federal railways).
Ralf Stelter, 14 Feb 2001

The service is for several years operated by Scandlines.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jan 2021


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