Key takeaways
- The VT 98 is the classic railbus: a two-axle diesel railcar built from the mid-1950s for lightly used branch lines.
- Fastest way to spot it: two axles with no bogies, tall bus-like body, engine under the floor.
- It rarely runs alone: typical is a set of railcar, trailer and driving trailer – only the railcar has its own drive.
- The UIC vehicle-type code 95 marks it as a diesel railcar, not a locomotive or a coach.
- Today it's a heritage vehicle: there's no scheduled service left; it runs on heritage railways and special trips.
Contents
- 1.What is the VT 98 (Uerdinger railbus)?
- 2.The three features that are enough to identify it
- 3.Railcar, trailer, driving trailer: the set explained
- 4.Where you’ll realistically find a railbus today
- 5.Photo tips specifically for the railbus
- 6.Why the railbus disappeared
- 7.Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
- 8.Verdict
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Two-axle diesel railcar (railbus) for branch lines |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Waggonfabrik Uerdingen and other works |
| Years built | from the mid-1950s |
| Wheel arrangement | A'A' – both axles powered, no bogies |
| Propulsion | Two underfloor diesel engines with mechanical gearbox |
| Maximum speed | 90 km/h |
| Later designation | Class 798 (railcar), 998 (trailer and driving trailer) |
| Special feature | Coupling and buffing gear for hauling goods wagons |
| Current status | Heritage and society vehicles, no scheduled service left |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Only two axles per vehicle, no bogies – the body sits directly above the wheels
- Tall, narrow body with bus-style windows and doors with steps, like an omnibus
- Driving cabs at both ends with small, high-set front windows
- Engine noise and exhaust below the vehicle floor, clearly audible at a standstill
- Usually runs coupled to identical-looking trailers or driving trailers with no drive of their own
- Vehicle numbers in the 798 and 998 ranges on the body and cab
Updated: August 2026 – Two axles, a tall body with bus-style windows, and a diesel engine grumbling away under the floor: the Uerdinger railbus VT 98 is one of the few railway vehicles that even non-railfans recognise instantly. This page shows you how to identify it with certainty, how to tell it apart from its trailers and driving trailers, and how to still get a sighting of one today.
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What is the VT 98 (Uerdinger railbus)?
The VT 98 is a two-axle diesel railcar for services on branch lines, built from the mid-1950s by Waggonfabrik Uerdingen and other works. It has two underfloor diesel engines, is rated for 90 km/h, and was later carried as Class 798; the matching unpowered vehicles ran as Class 998.
The idea behind it was economic, not technical: on lightly used lines, a steam train with a locomotive, crew and rolling stock was simply too expensive. The railbus did the same job at a fraction of the cost – hence a design that visibly borrows from the omnibus. How far this vehicle family reaches becomes clear from its later numbering: alongside Class 798, the lighter predecessor Class 795 also existed.
The three features that are enough to identify it
A railbus is one of the easiest vehicles of all to identify. Three observations are enough, and all three work from a good distance.
Count the axles
Two axles per vehicle, mounted directly in the frame, no bogies. If you can't see a bogie between the wheel and the body, you're looking at a lightweight railcar.
Look at the body
Tall, narrow body, large side windows in a bus-style layout, doors with steps. The silhouette looks top-heavy because the body sits well above the small wheels.
Listen for the engine
The diesel engine sits under the floor and keeps running even at a standstill. A vehicle in the set without that noise is a trailer or driving trailer, not a powered railcar.
If any doubt remains, the vehicle number settles it. How to find it quickly in the field and read it correctly is covered in the guide to finding train and vehicle numbers; the full system behind it – including the first two digits that encode the vehicle type – is explained in the article on reading the UIC number and its check digit.
Practical tip for your first glance
Count the axles first and only look at the details afterwards. A two-axle vehicle with no bogies rules out almost all modern German railcars straight away – they run on bogies without exception in practice.
Railcar, trailer, driving trailer: the set explained
The railbus rarely ran alone. Typical is a set of several near-identical-looking vehicles – and this is exactly where many observers lose track. The difference lies not in the body shape but in the drive and the cab.
| Vehicle | Own drive | Cab | Recognition feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Railcar (798) | yes, two underfloor engines | at both ends | engine noise, exhaust, cooling-air grilles |
| Trailer (998) | no | none | no engine noise, unbroken side wall |
| Driving trailer (998) | no | at one end | cab windows with no engine noise underneath |
| Attached goods wagon | no | none | classic wagon body, obviously no passenger space |
The driving trailer is operationally the most interesting vehicle of the three: it lets the set run in the opposite direction at the end of the line without running the power unit round. You’ll find exactly this principle – driving from the unpowered end – again on a much larger scale in modern push-pull trains with double-deck driving trailers.
See where historic vehicles are being reported right now
Community sightings show you which special trains are out and about – before you set off.
Where you’ll realistically find a railbus today
There’s no scheduled service left. Surviving vehicles belong to heritage railways, societies and private owners; they run on open days, on special trips and in tourist services. In the Saarland, the Arbeitskreis Ostertalbahn keeps a whole branch line running with railcars of this generation. In Franconia, the Dampfbahn Fränkische Schweiz operates the remaining section of the Wiesenttalbahn with steam and diesel locomotive services. And between Rinteln and Stadthagen, the Dampfeisenbahn Weserbergland runs over a line it doesn’t even own itself. This gives a clear rule: with the railbus, you plan around dates, not places.
Combining two sources is useful – the events calendar of the relevant heritage railway and current community reports. A good starting overview is provided by the heritage railway guide; how to search specifically for individual runs is covered in the article on finding special trains and special trips.
Fleet and operating locations change
Which vehicles are operational changes with maintenance deadlines, workshop stays and society plans. Don't rely on older lists from the internet – check the current status instead. And regardless of that: track areas, operational railway land and stabling sidings are off limits – photograph only from publicly accessible locations.
Photo tips specifically for the railbus
The railbus is a rewarding subject because it’s small, painted in high contrast, and slow. But three points make the difference between a record shot and a good picture.
Low viewpoint, slight angle
The vehicle is short and tall. An angle of roughly 30 to 45 degrees to the vehicle axis and a slightly lower viewpoint make it look less stubby.
Get the whole set in frame
The real story is the combination of railcar, trailer and driving trailer. A crop that shows only the powered end throws away exactly that information.
A moderate shutter speed is enough
At heritage-railway speeds on branch lines you don't need extreme settings. More important is a clean focus on the cab and a calm background without overhead line masts cutting across the frame.
Which focal length makes sense for this is covered in the guide to the best telephoto lens for railway photography. The underlying technique – panning, focal plane, exposure – is covered in the guide to taking good photos of trains.
Why the railbus disappeared
The railbus did its job – and was replaced all the same. The reason isn’t the concept but changed requirements. A two-axle vehicle rides harder than one on bogies, boarding via steps isn’t accessible, and the passenger saloon no longer matches what’s expected today in local services in terms of seat spacing, noise and air conditioning.
What survived is the underlying idea: a light, economical vehicle for lines with low demand. It lives on in modern types, just with bogies, low floors and far stricter safety requirements. Anyone who sees both generations side by side – say, at a heritage event next to a present-day regional railcar – understands the development faster than from any data table.
For observers, this shift has a practical side effect: because the vehicle has vanished from everyday service, every sighting is a dateable event. A railbus in 2026 isn’t standing somewhere by chance – it belongs to a specific run, a specific society and a specific occasion. That’s exactly what makes documenting it so worthwhile.
Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
It points to the VT 98 if …
- every vehicle has only two axles with no bogies
- the body is tall, narrow and fitted with bus-style windows
- a diesel engine is audibly running under the floor
- the number falls in the 798 or 998 range
Look more closely if …
- the vehicle carries historic markings instead of the later numbers
- you only see an unpowered vehicle from the set
- the front end and window layout differ slightly – then a different railbus type may be involved
It isn't a VT 98 if …
- the vehicle runs on bogies
- it's built as an articulated multi-part unit – then you're more likely looking at types like the LHB VT 2E
- the body looks flat and modern, with air conditioning units on the roof
Verdict
The Uerdinger railbus is the textbook example of a vehicle you learn once and recognise ever after: two axles, tall bus-style body, engine under the floor. The difficulty isn’t identification but opportunity – it’s vanished from regular service, and every sighting hinges on a date. If you want to see one, plan around heritage railways and document carefully what you catch.
In short
Two axles, bus-style body, underfloor engine: that's the VT 98. Identifiable in seconds, only findable with careful date-planning – and that's exactly why every sighting is worth logging.
Your railbus sightings, all in one place
Number, date, route and photo in one app – so a real archive of your heritage-railway trips builds up over the years.
Summary
- The Uerdinger railbus replaced expensive steam trains on branch lines with a light, economical vehicle built on tram-like operating principles.
- For identification, the axle count, body shape and vehicle number from the 798 or 998 range are all you need.
- Anyone wanting to photograph one plans around heritage railways and special trips – dates and routes change from season to season.
- Logging sightings with number, date and route pays off, because many vehicles only run on a handful of days each year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Uerdinger railbus VT 98?
The VT 98 is a two-axle diesel railcar procured from the mid-1950s for services on branch lines. It has two underfloor engines, is rated for 90 km/h and was later carried as Class 798. Its purpose was to serve lightly used lines more cheaply than a locomotive-hauled steam train.
How do I recognise a railbus in the field?
By the axle count: each vehicle runs on just two axles with no bogies. Add to that the tall, narrow body with bus-style windows, doors with steps, and driving cabs at both ends. If a diesel engine is running under the floor at a standstill, the matter is settled.
What's the difference between VT 98 and VT 95?
Both are Uerdinger railbuses, but the VT 98 is the more powerful, more versatile type with two engines and coupling and buffing gear, so it could haul goods wagons. The VT 95 was later carried as Class 795, the VT 98 as Class 798.
Why do several identical-looking vehicles run together on a railbus?
Because the railcar runs with matching trailers and driving trailers. These vehicles have no drive of their own; the driving trailer additionally has a cab, so the set can reverse direction without running the power unit round. Visually they're hard to tell apart – checking the vehicle number and the exhaust helps.
Does the VT 98 still run to a timetable today?
No. In regular service the railbus was replaced by modern diesel railcars. Surviving vehicles now belong to heritage railways, societies and private owners and run on special trips or in tourist services. Where and when they run changes every season.
How fast does a VT 98 railbus go?
Its maximum speed is 90 km/h. In heritage operation it's rarely reached, because the typical routes are winding branch lines with many stops.
How do I tell exactly which railbus is in front of me?
By the full vehicle number on the body. Railcars carry numbers from the 798 range, trailers and driving trailers from the 998 range. Heritage vehicles often also carry historic markings alongside these – so it's worth checking both number schemes.
Were there railbus types besides the Uerdingen-built ones?
Yes. Besides the Uerdingen vehicles, other manufacturers supplied similar lightweight railcars, mainly to non-federal railways. They follow the same basic idea but differ in front-end shape, window layout and detail design – here it's worth comparing closely rather than assuming a quick match.
Log your sighting of the Class VT 98 (Uerdinger Railbus)
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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 795
The Class 795 is the VT 95, the Bundesbahn's first-generation Uerdingen railbus: two-axle, extremely light, and today running almost only at heritage railways.
DMUMAN Railbuses
In the 1950s MAN built light diesel railcars mainly for private railways. Here's how to recognise them and tell them apart from the Uerdingen railbus.
DMUClass 301
Class 301 is a diesel-powered powered vehicle with UIC type code 95. This page shows what can genuinely be derived from the number and the type.
DMUClass 302
Class 302 is a diesel-powered powered vehicle with type code 95. This page shows how to identify it in the field and separate it from its neighbours in the number block.
DMUClass 303
Class 303 is one of the rarely documented German diesel-powered vehicles. This page shows how to reliably identify it via number, roof and type.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Angelner Dampfeisenbahn
The Angelner Dampfeisenbahn runs on a standard-gauge branch line through the Angeln region – from Süderbrarup on the Kiel–Flensburg line to the Schlei at Kappeln. No overhead line, steam and diesel traction, and a timetable that depends on volunteer work.
Heritage railwayArbeitskreis 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 railwayDampfbahn Fränkische Schweiz
Between Ebermannstadt and Behringersmühle, a society runs the surviving section of the Wiesenttalbahn as a heritage railway. Standard gauge, steam and diesel locomotive operation, a manageable seasonal timetable – and a line that runs slowly enough for photographers to catch the same train twice.
Heritage railwayDampfeisenbahn Weserbergland e.V.
Between Rinteln and Stadthagen, a society runs heritage trains over a line it doesn't own. That very separation of infrastructure and operation makes the Dampfeisenbahn Weserbergland a good case study – and one of the most predictable steam opportunities in Lower Saxony.
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