Brawa 51160 H0 Lightweight Tank Car Z [P], SBB, Era III

Brawa 51160 H0 Lightweight Tank Car Z [P], SBB, Era III – Compact Uerdinger-type tank car in Swiss service

Are you looking for a distinctive tank car for international rail transport in Era III? The Brawa 51160 SBB Z [P] lightweight tank car brings a fascinating chapter of European railway history to your model railroad—with technical sophistication, a compact design, and typical Swiss lettering.

Highly detailed model with excellent prototypical accuracy

The car has a length over buffers of 101 mm and is equipped with NEM-compliant close-coupling kinematics. The bogie with three-point mounting, finely engraved bogies, as well as separately attached axle box covers, spring assemblies, braking system, axle brake linkage, and free-standing handrails ensure the highest level of detail. Road number: 538 593 [P].

The prototype—lightweight tank car without a frame

The 30 m³ Uerdinger-type tank cars were developed starting in 1938 for the transport of petroleum, chemicals, and liquid products. The key feature: They did away with a conventional frame—the forces were transferred directly through the tank. The lightweight construction using welding technology allowed for high load-bearing capacity with low tare weight and minimal material usage. After the war, many of these cars found their way abroad—including to the SBB.

A Rarity on Swiss Tracks

The SBB used these robust cars to transport a wide variety of liquid goods—partly for its own operations and partly for customers in the petroleum industry. Thanks to their compact dimensions, the cars could be flexibly deployed in mixed freight trains, industrial spurs, or plant-to-plant traffic—often also in cross-border service to Germany or France.

Perfect for international model railroad scenes

The car fits perfectly into trains with DB, ÖBB, SNCF, or SNCB rolling stock. It looks particularly harmonious with steam locomotives or early SBB electric locomotives, as well as in combination with other tank cars or covered cars for chemical and technical transports.

A model for collectors and enthusiasts of real-life railways alike

The Brawa 51160 is a true specialist with a rich technical history and high-quality detail—for anyone who wants to recreate the international rolling stock of Era III completely and realistically.

Features:

• Scale: H0
• Era: III
• Railroad company: SBB
• Road number: 538 593 [P]
• Separately applied axle brake linkage
• Close-coupling kinematics according to the NEM standard
• Bogie with three-point mounting
• Separately attached axle bearing caps
• Separately attached spring assemblies
• Separately attached brake system
• Finely engraved bogies
• Free-standing handrails
• Length over buffers: 101 mm

Specs:

• Type: Tank wagon
• Gauge: H0
• Rail Company: SBB
• Rail Company: SBB
• Era: III
• Type: Tank wagon
• Era: III
• Color: Grey
• News: 2026

Further links:

• Print View

CAUTION: Not suitable for children under 3 years. Danger of swallowing! Age recommendation from 14 years.

Achtung! Maßstabs- und originalgetreue Kleinmodelle sowie Elektrozubehör für erwachsene Sammler. Nicht geeignet für Kinder unter 14 Jahren

Zum Betrieb des vorliegenden Produkts darf als Spannungsquelle nur ein nach VDE 0570-2-7/DIN EN 61558-2-7 gefertigter Spielzeug-Transformator verwendet werden.