Hitler's Insane Train

Summary

The script details Hitler's ambitious and grandiose project, the BR Bban, a massive train designed for luxury and military purposes, central to his plans for world domination. With a unique 3-meter wide gauge, it was to connect key regions for economic and military expansion, featuring lavish accommodations, armed defenses, and facilities for workers and soldiers. Despite its priority status and extensive planning, the train was never realized, reflecting the megalomania and impracticality of Hitler's vision.

Takeaways

• 🚂 The BR bban was a massive train project envisioned by Adolf Hitler, intended to be 6 meters wide and 7 meters high, symbolizing his megalomaniac infrastructure ambitions.
• 🛠️ Despite wartime scarcity of resources, Hitler prioritized the BR bban project, allocating 84,000 tons of steel for its construction, showcasing its importance in his plans.
• 📜 Original plans for Hitler's train were discovered and published by German historian anom Yim staler, revealing the train's extravagant design and purpose.
• 🛤️ The train was designed with a unique track gauge of 3 meters, wider than the standard 1,435 mm, to accommodate its size and Hitler's vision for high-speed travel.
• 🏰 The interior of the BR bban was luxurious, featuring first-class cabins with expansive views, communal areas for socializing, and even a cinema for nearly 200 people.
• 🍽️ Dining facilities on the train were to be opulent, with a dining car adorned in natural wood and gold, and plans for additional restaurants and breakfast rooms.
• 🛏️ Accommodations for passengers included sleeping cars with private compartments, some featuring amenities like sofas, armchairs, and even bathrooms with showers.
• 👷‍♂️ The BR bban also included 'Eastern worker carriages' for laborers, with basic bench seating and separate facilities, reflecting the train's role in Hitler's colonization plans.
• 🌏 Hitler's strategic goal for the BR bban was to establish a vast rail network across Europe and beyond, facilitating the transport of resources and people for his conquest plans.
• 💣 The train was heavily armed and designed to carry soldiers and weaponry, prepared for potential resistance and capable of transporting heavy military equipment.
• 🛑 The BR bban was never realized, and post-war, the plans were either taken to the Soviet Union or remained unpublished, marking the end of Hitler's grandiose and impractical vision.

Q & A

What was the BR bban train project?

The BR bban train project was an enormous train envisioned by Adolf Hitler, designed to be 6 meters wide and 7 meters high, luxurious and heavily armed. It was intended to be central to the Nazis' plans for world domination.

Why was the BR bban train considered one of Hitler's favorite projects?

The BR bban train was considered one of Hitler's favorite projects because it was given top priority in 1941, and he personally demanded that all necessary forces be deployed to realize it, despite the scarcity of steel at the time.

What was the original track gauge Hitler wanted for the BR bban train?

Hitler originally wanted a 4-meter wide track gauge for the BR bban train, but after discussions, he settled for a 3-meter gauge.

How luxurious was the interior of the BR bban train supposed to be?

The interior of the BR bban train was to be incredibly luxurious, featuring first-class cabins on the upper deck for better views, spacious second-class areas, and a third class that was still relatively spacious. It was also to include communal areas for socializing, a dining car with high ceilings and chandeliers, a cinema, and sleeping cars with private facilities.

What were the facilities for passengers in the BR bban train?

The BR bban train was to have a cinema for almost 200 people, a stage for lectures and performances, sleeping cars with spacious compartments, a bath car with bathtubs and showers, and hairdressing salons for both men and women.

What was the purpose of the Eastern worker carriages in the BR bban train?

The Eastern worker carriages were designed to transport work slaves, with no seats but only benches for eight travelers per compartment. These workers were to sit and sleep on these benches and had no access to the rest of the train.

How did Hitler envision the BR bban train contributing to his plans for world domination?

Hitler aimed to use the BR bban train to replace maritime shipping with trains, creating a broad gauge rail network that would stretch across the European continent and beyond, facilitating the transport of raw materials, natural resources, and workers to support his conquest plans.

What were the proposed routes for the BR bban train outside of Germany?

Proposed routes for the BR bban train included a line from the Mediterranean through Spain and France to Munich, another from Munich to Rome or eastward through Vienna to Istanbul, and extensions through Iran into Iraq and potentially to Vladivostok on the Sea of Japan, as well as to British-occupied India.

What was the armament of the BR bban train?

The BR bban train was to be heavily armed, with an anti-aircraft installation hidden under a dome, countless weapons on board, and the capability to carry soldiers and enormous ammunition chambers. It could also be used to transport heavy weaponry such as tanks.

Why was the BR bban train project eventually not built?

The BR bban train project was never built because many experts believed that the areas of operation could be covered by standard gauge trains. Additionally, the project was a reflection of Hitler's megalomania, and as the war progressed and the Nazis started losing, such projects were scrapped.

What happened to the plans of the BR bban train after the war?

After the war, some plans were taken to the Soviet Union, and files on the planned routes to France are said to be in Paris, but they were not published or pursued further.