Soviet Railways Series Д

After the Second World War, the SŽD needed diesel multiple units for the non-electrified routes for the traction conversion from steam to electric and diesel. Since there was no experience in this area at the time, eight three-car diesel multiple units of the “Hargita” type for long-distance traffic had already been procured from Ganz-MÁVAG in Budapest in 1949. This series ДП (DP) was almost identical to the trains used in the GDR as VT 12¹⁴ and to the M 495.0 in Czechoslovakia.

From 1960, the Д (D) type railcars were procured from the same manufacturer for use in suburban traffic. In terms of the basic technical structure, they were largely the same as these, but each had an engine output increased by 50 hp and the top speed was increased from 105 to 120 km/h. Otherwise, it remained the case that a train consisted of two powered end cars and one trailer. The end cars each had a machine room behind the driver's cab, under which was a three-axle bogie with two driven axles. Power was transmitted through a five-speed mechanical gearbox. Inside, the new trains differed from the old ones primarily by the omission of the dining car compartment and a larger passenger capacity.

A total of 89 trains were purchased by 1964, which were concentrated on the Baltic States and today's Ukraine. In operation, the mechanical transmissions in particular often caused problems, which were also considered loud and had to be shifted manually by the driver with use of the clutch. That is why the Д1 (D1) type multiple units, which had hydromechanical power transmission, were introduced in their original areas of application as early as 1964. The trains of the Д series were distributed to other locations. However, retirement of the oldest vehicles did not begin until around 1980 and by 1987 all had disappeared from active service. From the time after that there are photos of converted service vehicles, which only consist of an end car with a second driver's cab.