Brawa 51196 H0 Low-Loader Car St 309a, DB, Era III

Brawa 51196 H0 Low-Loader Car St 309a, DB, Era III – A Compact Heavy-Duty Specialist from the Era of the Economic Miracle

Are you looking for an exceptional freight car model for your Era III layout? The Brawa 51196 St 309a low-bed car from the Deutsche Bundesbahn impresses with its compact yet powerful design—ideal for transporting heavy, bulky loads over short distances or in plant traffic.

Model with authentic construction

The car has a length over buffers of 140 mm and is equipped with NEM-compliant close-coupling kinematics. The strikingly curved longitudinal girder is the defining feature of the St 309a type and has been faithfully reproduced in the model. The fine paint finish and intricate decals complement the harmonious appearance. Road number: 980 214.

The prototype—a low-bed car for heavy loads with a compact design

Between 1957 and 1966, Friedrich Krupp Maschinenfabriken AG built 15 of these special low-bed wagons for the Deutsche Bundesbahn. They were designed for loads of up to 21 metric tons with a curb weight of approximately 15 metric tons. Due to their low profile, there was no room for air brakes—only one wheel set could be secured with a hand brake. Despite this limitation, the cars proved their worth for decades and remained in the DB AG fleet until 2004.

Typical use in industrial and transfer traffic

The St 309a was ideally suited for transporting machinery, heavy metals, containers, or cast components. Its short length made it perfect for narrow track layouts, factory shunting, or transfer trains—and equally ideal for compact model railroad layouts.

Fits well in Era III train sets

Ideal in combination with open cars, stake cars, or heavy-duty flatcars. Particularly well-suited for use with V60 or V100 diesel locomotives as well as early E40 or E50 electric locomotives—suitable for both main and branch lines.

A special model with strong real-world inspiration

The Brawa 51196 brings a rare, technically interesting vehicle to the model railroad – perfect for collectors, operational modelers, and anyone who wants to add a compact, heavy-duty highlight to their freight trains.

Features:

• Gauge: H0
• Era: III
• Railroad: DB
• Road number: 980 214
• Length over buffers: 140 mm
• Close-coupling mechanism according to NEM standard

Specs:

• Type: Freight cars
• Gauge: H0
• Rail Company: DB
• Rail Company: DB
• Era: III
• Type: Freight cars
• Era: III
• Color: Black
• 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.