The revolution:
the first saloon coach The surrender of the "Third Reich" marked a political turning point in Germany’s history and a trend of fashion, literature and theatre emerged. This also applied to the trams. When the first saloon coach was introduced at the Rheinbahn on a trial basis in 1951, a new era of tram technology commenced. Again, the Rheinbahn was an innovative pioneer. It developed a tram in conjunction with AEG that is still part of its collection of historic vehicles today. When they take pleasure trips on this tram, passengers find it difficult to believe that it is an antique. Progressive design never dates.
The tram marked a turning point for employees and passengers. Drivers and conductors could sit down while they worked, whereas they had to work standing up in the old two-axle vehicles. The new tram had four axles and two bogies. This considerably reduced driving noise in comparison to the old two-axle vehicles. Passengers encountered "passenger flows" for the first time. They entered the tram at the back, where the conductor was sitting, and then walked through to the front. In other words, passengers had to go to the seated conductor to buy their tickets, rather than the conductor coming to them.
The modern tram, which cost DM 200.000 with trailer, met with an enthusiastic reception from the citizens of Duesseldorf. They soon expressed their preference for this type of tram and gave it the fond nickname of "Samba Tram". When he presented the tram in the "Duesseldorfer Nachrichten" newspaper, Director Rebbelmund said that its operating features were based on an entirely new design that could hardly be bettered. This statement held true for many years to come.