European Railroad Discussion > Info sought - 1933 trains

A friend of mine, a published author, is working on a novel set in the 1930-1947 era. Specifically, he is looking for information about trains that would have made the trip Munich-Prague-Warsaw in 1933. Any through carriages? Which railways' equipment would have been involved? Thanks in advance for any information or links.

1. I can't answer the question; the best source would probably be a 1933 Cooks Continental Timetable, or 1933 + / - 1 year say. The railway administrations would be the state railways, DRG / CSD / PKP respectively -- plus, if sleeping car travel were involved, CIWL [ Wagons-Lits ] and possibly Mitropa [ from Munich ].

2. The following is opinion:
There was much less international travel in those days. For various reasons, I can't imagine a through carriage; I think a change of trains in Prague [ fortunately no change of station ] would be necessary. As a guess, I would say a day "train" / through coach to Prague [ but maybe a change in Nuremberg ], and an overnight train to Warsaw. Passport control would have been done at the border stations, perhaps in the stations' buildings.
I would wonder why anyone would travel that route, unless it were necessary for the plot. I would have thought from Munich to Berlin [ or Leipzig/Dresden, then Gorlitz ] and then to Warsaw would be quicker and cheaper. Depending on the traveller's nationality, would a transit visa through Czech. have been necessary ?

The more you know, the.........

SZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/14 18:16 by Steinzeit.