Class 672.9 (Bombardier LVT/S)

Updated: August 2026 – A short, single-unit railcar on a thinly served branch line, with no articulation, no engine bonnet, often running alone: that’s the Class 672.9, better known as the LVT/S. This page explains what the abbreviation stands for, how you recognise the vehicle, and how you find out where it currently runs.

What is the Class 672.9?

The Class 672.9 is a single-unit, light diesel railcar for branch lines, originating at Waggonbau Bautzen and later carried on under the umbrella of Bombardier Transportation. The type designation LVT/S stands for “light diesel railcar, type S” and thereby refers directly to the lightweight railcar tradition of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. The Bautzen site now belongs to Alstom, which continues to build rail vehicles there.

The basic idea is old and still valid: a large vehicle makes no economic sense on a lightly used line. A short single railcar allows frequent services, and when it gets busy, you couple on a second vehicle. The same logic carried the railbuses of the 1950s – and carries vehicles like the Class 650 today.

Reading the number: 672.9 and type code 95

Two numbering systems meet here, and both say something different.

The class designation 672.9 comes from the German system: the 6xx block has been assigned to railcars since the EDP numbers of 1968, and the decimal digit separates sub-groups within the class – body variants, equipment differences, production batches.

The UIC type code 95, on the other hand, is formed by the first two digits of the twelve-digit vehicle number and stands for diesel railcars. It says nothing about manufacturer, age or size, only about the vehicle category. How the twelve digits are made up in detail, and what the check digit is for, is covered in the guide to the UIC number.

The number block itself is older than the vehicle. Before the 1968 switch to EDP numbers, railcars carried the class letters VT, driving trailers VS and trailer cars VB – letters that described the role within a formation. These letters became digit groups: railcars in the 6xx and 7xx ranges, unpowered vehicles in the 9xx range. The LVT/S thereby stands in a direct line with the lightweight railcars that performed the same task decades before it, even though almost nothing technical still connects them.

How to identify the LVT/S in the field

Getting into the habit of a fixed checking order saves a lot of time in the field; the guide to identifying locomotive classes describes one that also works with unfamiliar vehicles.

Context in railway operations

Single railcars of this size class run where capacity isn’t the problem – and that’s exactly what determines where you’ll realistically find them.

Setting	Chance of a sighting	Why
Branch line with an hourly service	high	Classic deployment field for a light single railcar
Small terminus with turnaround time	high	The vehicle stands for longer, easy to see from the platform
Regional hub connecting to a branch line	medium	Short stop, often on an outer track
Electrified main line	low	Larger, faster vehicles run there
Depot and stabling areas	not accessible	Operational railway land, no public access

Spotting and photo tips

A short single railcar comes off worse for photography at the platform of a large station – it disappears between hall roofs and signal gantries. Its true subject is the branch line.

This approach has proven itself: look for a freely accessible viewpoint on a field track, a public level crossing or a road bridge, where the line sits in the landscape. A shallow shooting angle of around 30 to 45 degrees shows the front and side wall at once and keeps the short vehicle from looking squat. Follow up with a shot of the side wall with the full vehicle number – you’ll need that later in the archive.

A second point concerns time of day. On branch lines, often only a single vehicle shuttles back and forth all day. That sounds like poor odds, but it’s actually an advantage: once you’ve understood the diagram, you know when the same railcar will pass by again, and can plan light and viewpoint deliberately instead of relying on chance. Two or three passes in an afternoon are then enough for a shot you’re genuinely happy with. Note the times down on the spot – it saves you half the preparation on your next visit.

The track area itself stays off-limits, even on lines that look deserted. Level crossings are photographed from the public road side, not from the track. On society and museum grounds, the operator’s house rules also apply.

For the system behind keeping clean documentation, the guide to the sighting logbook is worth reading.

Common mix-ups

The closest mix-up is the DWA LVT/S, the closely related type from the same manufacturer. Much easier to tell apart is the older Class 772: more rounded, lower, and recognisably from a different vehicle generation.

Verdict

The Class 672.9 stands for a vehicle idea that’s held up for decades: small, economical, usable alone, doubled up when needed. You can recognise it by being single-unit, its boxy shape and the absence of visible drive technology. Everything beyond the body style – operator, network, fleet – is especially subject to change for this vehicle family and needs researching afresh before every trip.