Roco 7700013 H0 Dieseltriebwagen 174 001-8 mit Beiwagen der DR

Diesel multiple unit 174 001 with trailer from the German Reichsbahn. At the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1982, the Studenka wagon factory from what was then Czechoslovakia showcased a multiple unit of the M152 series among other rail vehicles. The German Reichsbahn had been looking for a successor to its light railcars of the BR 171/172 series for some time. Consequently, the DR decided to rent this multiple unit for testing purposes to evaluate its usability. It was to be assigned the series number 174. However, it was not immediately put into service with the DR; only several months later did the test runs begin in the fall of 1982 in the Halle/Magdeburg area on secondary lines. At the request of the DR, the manufacturer in Ostrava labeled the multiple unit according to DR standards as BR 174 001-8. The multicolored paint scheme was retained for the time being. The trailer, delivered a bit later, was no longer multicolored but painted in a simple red. Due to a foreign trade deficit, the GDR (DR) was unable to procure any further multiple units from Czechoslovakia, leading to the return of the rented test vehicles in December 1983.