Key takeaways
- The 795 is the VT 95: the first generation of the Uerdingen railbus, built in the 1950s for the Bundesbahn's branch lines.
- Fastest way to identify it: two axles, an extremely short body, a bus-like front.
- Family difference: the 95 family includes a trailer car but no driving trailer – unlike the later 98 family.
- Number change in 1968: the EDP conversion turned the VT 95 into Class 795, and the VB 95 into 995.
- Historic today: there's no scheduled service any more; the search runs via heritage railways and special trains.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Two-axle light diesel railcar for branch lines |
|---|---|
| Original designation | VT 95 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn |
| Origin | Uerdingen railbus, first generation |
| Build period | 1950s |
| Number history | VT 95 → Class 795 with the EDP conversion in 1968 |
| Matching trailer car | VB 95, later Class 995 |
| UIC type code | 95 – diesel railcar |
| Current status | No scheduled service; surviving vehicles with heritage and preservation railways |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Only two axles with no bogies – the body sits directly on the axle sets
- Very short, light body with a distinctly bus-like appearance
- Large front windows and a flat, tidy front end with no add-ons
- Entrances with steps, designed for low branch-line platforms
- Running number begins with 795; historic markings show VT 95
- Runs alone or with an unpowered trailer car – the family doesn't include its own driving trailer
Updated: August 2026 – A tiny red railcar on two axles, with big windows and the look of a motor bus: the Class 795 is the first-generation Uerdingen railbus, formerly the VT 95. This page explains where it comes from, why the 95 family includes a trailer car but no driving trailer, and how you can still see one of the few surviving vehicles running today.
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What is the Class 795?
The Class 795 is the two-axle Uerdingen railbus of the first generation, initially run by the Deutsche Bundesbahn as the VT 95 and procured in the 1950s. It was the answer to an economic problem: on hundreds of branch lines, running a steam locomotive and train had long stopped paying its way, while road transport was drawing passengers away.
The solution was radical lightweight construction. The body was kept as short and light as possible, the fittings plain, the technology straightforward. The result looked like a bus on rails – and that’s exactly what it was popularly called. With the EDP conversion in 1968, the VT 95 became Class 795, and its matching trailer car VB 95 became Class 995.
Understanding the VT/VS/VB system
Anyone wanting to classify historic railcars can’t get around three abbreviations. They don’t describe the design, but the role in the formation:
- VT – Verbrennungstriebwagen (internal combustion railcar): own drive, own cab.
- VS – driving trailer: a cab with no drive, allowing the train to be driven from the other end.
- VB – trailer car: neither drive nor cab, only hauled along.
For the 95 family, the key point is: it had a trailer car, but no driving trailer. The railcar therefore remained the only place from which the train was driven. Only the later 98 family got a genuine driving trailer with the VS 98, allowing longer and more flexible formations. This distinction is immediately visible in the field once you know what to look for.
This division of roles had direct operational consequences. A train made up of railcar and trailer car can only be driven from the railcar – if the trailer car is at the front of the train, the train is being pushed. On short branch lines with straightforward conditions that was workable, but too inflexible for longer runs and denser timetables. The driving trailer of the later generation solved exactly this problem: it allowed the train to be driven from either end without shunting at every terminus.
With the 1968 conversion, the letters moved into number blocks: railcars into the 7xx range, trailer and driving trailers into the 9xx range. Above that sits today’s twelve-digit UIC number, whose first two digits give the vehicle type – 95 for diesel railcar. How this number is built up is explained in the guide to the UIC number.
How to identify the 795 in the field
Count the axles
Two axles, directly in the frame, with no bogies. That separates the railbus family from practically every later railcar.
Judge the length
The VT 95 is strikingly short – shorter than the later 98 generation and considerably shorter than any modern regional railcar.
Look at the front
Flat, tidy, with large windows and a clearly bus-like layout. No engine bonnets, no large roof structures.
Check the formation
If an unpowered vehicle with no cab runs along, that's a trailer car. A second cab at the end of the train would point to the 98 family.
How to work through such chains of features in general is described in the guide to identifying classes.
Classification within railway operations
The 795 belongs entirely to the historic fleet today. For the search that means: the events calendar replaces the timetable.
Railbuses run wherever societies have preserved a suitable branch line. In the Saarland, the Arbeitskreis Ostertalbahn keeps the line between Ottweiler and Schwarzerden running with railcars of this generation. On the Rhine, the Kasbachtalbahn climbs from Linz up into the Kasbach valley, mostly using Uerdingen railbuses.
| Search route | Success chance | What you get there |
|---|---|---|
| Operating days of heritage and preservation railways | high | Firm dates, often with the vehicle named |
| Direct enquiry with the society | high | Information on operational status and planning |
| Specialist forums with special-trains threads | high | Short-notice workings and transfer runs |
| Community sightings with photo and date | medium | Current location and actual condition |
| Older inventory lists online | low | Often outdated, owners and locations change |
| Regular timetable | none | No scheduled service any more |
Operational status isn't a permanent state
Certificates expire, spare parts for vehicles from the 1950s are scarce, overhauls take years. A vehicle that ran two years ago might be sitting in the shed today. Check with the organiser before every trip.
See where railbuses are being reported
Current sightings from the community are the most reliable snapshot for museum vehicles.
Spotting and photo tips
A railbus lives off its surroundings. On a single-track branch line between fields, at a small halt with a shelter, or in front of an old station building, the vehicle tells its whole story. In front of modern station architecture, by contrast, it just looks small.
Get low, show the side
A low viewpoint stops the short body from looking stunted. A shallow three-quarter view shows front and side at once – and both axles, the actual identifying feature.
It’s also worth getting a plain shot of the side with the full vehicle number and markings. On museum vehicles you’ll often find historic and current numbers side by side; having both saves you guesswork later. The basic technique – shutter speed, choice of viewpoint, light – is covered in the guide to good train photos; how to find dates is in the heritage railway guide.
On museum grounds, the operator’s house rules apply. Stay on marked paths, respect barriers and don’t enter track areas. Shunting takes place on society grounds, often without the safety technology of major stations – an unexpectedly moving vehicle there is no exception.
Common mix-ups
It points to the 795 if …
- the vehicle has two axles with no bogies
- the body looks very short and light
- the front is bus-like with large windows
- the number begins with 795 or historic markings show VT 95
Look more closely if …
- the train is made up of several railbus vehicles
- you only see the front – 95s and 98s look very alike head-on
- the vehicle has been restored to a historic condition
It isn't a 795 if …
- the vehicle runs on bogies
- a second, unpowered cab runs at the end of the train
- the number begins with 796, 798, 996 or 998
The second generation is represented by the Class 796 and the Class 798; the shared origin of both families is described on the page about the Uerdingen railbus VT 98.
Conclusion
The Class 795 is the start of a whole vehicle idea: as light, as short and as simple as possible, so that operating branch lines still paid off. You can identify it in seconds – two axles, short body, bus-like front. Its family membership is given away by the formation: trailer car yes, driving trailer no. And because not a single vehicle runs on a scheduled basis any more, research alone decides whether you get to see it.
In brief
Two axles, the shortest body in the family, bus-like front: that's the VT 95 as Class 795. Runs happen only at heritage and preservation railways now – always check dates with the organiser.
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Summary
- The VT 95 was the Bundesbahn's answer to growing road competition on branch lines.
- Two axles and a very short body make identification exceptionally easy.
- The 95 family is recognisable by its make-up: railcar plus trailer car, with no driving trailer.
- Anyone wanting to see the class running works with event dates and society information rather than timetables.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Class 795?
The Class 795 is the first-generation Uerdingen railbus, originally designated VT 95. It's a two-axle, extremely lightly built diesel railcar from the 1950s that the Deutsche Bundesbahn procured for lightly used branch lines. With the EDP conversion in 1968, the VT 95 became the 795.
Why is the vehicle called a railbus?
Because its design and appearance were borrowed from the motor bus: a light body, a bus-like front with large windows, simple interior fittings and a vehicle that manages without train crew in the classic sense. The railbus was meant to make branch-line operation cheap enough to hold its own against road transport.
How do I recognise the Class 795?
Count the axles and judge the length. The VT 95 has two axles with no bogies and an unusually short body. Combined with the flat, bus-like front, that gives a silhouette that can't be confused with any modern railcar.
What's the difference between the VT 95 and the VT 98?
The VT 95 was the first generation, consistently designed for light weight. The later VT 98 was built more powerfully and equipped to work alongside standard vehicles. The 98 family also got its own driving trailer, while the 95 family had only a trailer car.
What do the abbreviations VT, VB and VS mean?
They come from the old class system. VT stands for Verbrennungstriebwagen (internal combustion railcar), VB for trailer car and VS for driving trailer. A trailer car has neither its own drive nor a cab, a driving trailer has a cab but no drive. With the EDP conversion in 1968, these abbreviations turned into number blocks.
Does the Class 795 still run?
Not in regular service. Surviving vehicles are with heritage and preservation railways and are used at operating days, anniversaries and special trains. Whether a particular vehicle is currently operational changes with certificates and workshop capacity – always ask the society directly.
How do I find dates with railbuses running?
Via the event pages of heritage railways, specialist forums with special-trains threads, and current sighting reports from other spotters. Older overviews online should be treated with caution, because vehicles change owner and location, and operational status isn't a permanent state.
What does the type code 95 tell us?
The first two digits of the twelve-digit UIC vehicle number describe the vehicle type. 95 stands for diesel railcar – and applies equally to the 1950s railbus and to modern regional railcars. That the class number here happens to end in 95 too is a nice coincidence, but not a connection.
Log your sighting of the Class 795
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
Class 798
Class 798 is the best-known Uerdinger railbus: two axles, short, often running as a formation with trailer car 996 and driving trailer 998.
DMUClass 796
Class 796 belongs to the second generation of the Uerdinger railbus. It differs from the 798 in its control equipment.
DMUClass VT 98 (Uerdinger Railbus)
The VT 98 is Germany's best-known railbus: two axles, tall build, running with trailers and driving trailers. Today it survives almost only in heritage service – here's how to spot it.
DMUDB Class 611
The Class 611 was DB's second attempt at tilting-technology diesel railcars: 50 two-car units, technically demanding and a long-standing problem child.
DMUDB Class 612
The RegioSwinger, Class 612, is the most successful German tilting-technology diesel railcar: two cars, 160 km/h and for years the backbone of winding routes.
DMUDB Class 614
The Class 614 was the three-car local-service railcar of the 1970s: two motor cars, one intermediate car and a look you recognise instantly.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Arbeitskreis Ostertalbahn e.V.
The Arbeitskreis Ostertalbahn keeps a Saarland branch line between Ottweiler and Schwarzerden running. No overhead line, no scheduled service, no steam as standard – instead railcars that have long since vanished elsewhere, on a line with its branch-line character intact.
Heritage railwayKasbachtalbahn
The Kasbachtalbahn climbs from Linz am Rhein in tight curves up into the Kasbach valley – so steeply that vehicles and crews need special certification. Services are mostly run with Uerdinger railbuses, built for exactly this kind of branch line.
Related guides from the blog
