The Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) became a railway company in West Germany in 1949.
Coaches
- Wagons - Locomotives
When
the DB
was
founded, only the lettering in DIN 1451 middle font was used for
locomotives, railcars and the wagon fleet.
Spans 3 widths: Mittelschrift, the condensed Engschrift (based on the standard lettering model by the Prussian Railways), and the expanded Breitschrift.
Detailed explanation of the DIN 1451 font here.
Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) AG uses a variant of the above font, DIN 1451-4, which is available to purchase, at a fairly hefty sum.
The visible change of the lettering began in late 1950 to early 1951.
Coaches.
For
the blue F-train coaches the font DIN 1451 bold wide font was also in
use.
This
lettering could be in colour or in silver-coloured, raised letters or
as a sign.
The
RHEINGOLD
coaches
and the blue
F train
coaches
of group 39 were the first to receive the DEUTSCHE BUNDESBAHN
lettering.
The
later blue express train cars only had the DB under the window front.
Passenger coaches that did not belong to the comfort class were from 1951, were either marked with the letters DB or Deutsche Bundesbahn in DIN 1451 middle type.
Freight wagons.
The
same also applies to freight wagons which, due to the large number of
units and after the discontinuation of the designation Reichsbahn and
the zone markings, were only marked with the letters DB in DIN 1451
narrow type.
Locomotives.
Diesel
Electric
Steam