Solved: Wendax 857 - IFA W 501

[Wendax]

Sorry, not FAKA either.

A hint: no guesses so far were even close to the solution.

[pguillem]

Sorry, not FAKA either.

A hint: no guesses so far were even close to the solution.

But is it a bus?

[Wendax]

Yes, it is a bus built in Germany.

[pguillem]

Was it made for some special use, i.e not only transporting passengers ?

[Wendax]

I see that my hint was slightly misunderstood. It is an ordinary bus built by a German company. It is just that the companies guessed so far all have something in common that doesn't hold true for the one we are looking for.

[pguillem]

From East Germany ?

[Wendax]

  Yes

[pguillem]

Hmmm... Nothing in the "Büsse in der DDR" page.  Horch ?

[Wendax]

No

[pguillem]

Lowa ?

[Wendax]

Now you are very close. It was built in the Lowa factory, but unlike its predecessor it wasn't called Lowa anymore. Locked for you to find the right name.

[pguillem]

Could it be the Gothaer Fahrzeugtechnik ?

Die Gothaer Waggonfabrik wurde zerschlagen. Ein Firmenteil wurde an die Schmitz-Gruppe verkauft und stellt Straßenanhänger her, ein anderer Firmenteil bildet die Gothaer Fahrzeugtechnik als Hersteller von Gittermasten und Auslegerverlängerungen. Schienenfahrzeugbau findet in Gotha nicht mehr statt, ebenso in Babelsberg. Der VEB Lokomotivbau Karl Marx Babelsberg wurde 1992 abgewickelt. Auf seinem Gelände befindet sich heute ein Industriepark. Am Standort Wildau wurde 1994 die Wildauer Kurbelwellen GmbH gegründet, die 1997 vom Unternehmen Georgsmarienhütte übernommen wurde. Auf den verbliebenen Teilflächen dieses Standortes wurde ein neuer Campus der Technische Fachhochschule Wildau errichtet.

The Gothaer Waggonfabrik was smashed. A firm part was sold to the Schmitz group and manufactures road trailers, another firm part forms the Gothaer vehicle technology than manufacturers of latticed masts and arm extensions. Building of rail-mounted vehicles does not take place in Gotha, likewise in Babelsberg. The VEB Lokomotivbau Karl Marx Babelsberg was completed 1992. On its area is today an industrial estate. At the location Wildau was created 1994 the Wildauer crankshafts GmbH, which was taken over 1997 by the enterprise Georgsmarienhütte. On the remaining patches of this location a new Campus of the technical professional school Wildau was established.

[Wendax]

No, think simpler. At the time this bus appeared, Lowa changed its name (involuntarily).

[pguillem]

No, think simpler. At the time this bus appeared, Lowa changed its name (involuntarily).

Oh.  Is that the answer ?

It was founded in 1945 and initially named "VVB des Lokomotiv- und Waggonbaus" (Association of People's Own Companies of the Locomotive and Carriage Building)—abbreviated: LOWA. In 1954 it was renamed into "VVB Schienenfahrzeugbau" (Association of People's Own Companies Rail Vehicle Building).

But  why involuntarily ?

[Wendax]

The brand of the bus is a common one for East German vehicles. Locked for one more try.

[pguillem]

IFA ?

[Wendax]

Yes, which model?

I said involuntarily, because the Socialist party headquarter decided that Lowa had to join the IFA combinate.

[pguillem]

I had it on my hard disk !

IFA H 6 B from 1954, "der Urvater aller H 6 B`s".  It's a prototyp.

[Wendax]

Sorry to disappoint you a little. The puzzle bus is the predecessor of the H6B and almost identical to the first H6B, but has a different name. Still locked.

[pguillem]

W 501 from 1952 ?

[Wendax]

Hooray! It is the IFA W 501, successor of the Lowa W 500. One well-earned point for you.

I like the photo you posted, because it shows the rarely seen IFA L1.