The Südwestdeutschen Eisenbahnen (SWDE) was the organisation established to organise and control railway operations in the area of south-western Germany that was annexed to France in the immediate post-war period. The SWDE worked alongside the Reichsbahn until 1951, when it was integrated into the Deutsche Bundesbahn.
EK-Special 138: Die SWDE: 1947 bis 1952: Eisenbahn in der Französischen Besatzungszone looks at the difficulties and achievements of SWDE in the context of the occupation and rediscovers its now almost forgotten history - a unique chapter in the history of Germany’s railways. Topics featured include:
- Post-war in the south-west: The history of the French occupation zone and development of SWDE with regard to emergence, establishment and administrative division.
- Timetable: Passenger trains in the French zone.
- Locomotive inventory: Stock shortages and the sale of operating machinery. Behind the scenes in the railway works and repair shops at Karlsruhe, Mainz and Trier.
- Vehicle procurement: New locomotives and rolling stock for SWDE.
- Railway accidents: A lack of regulation in the post-war period.
EK-Special 138: Die SWDE: 1947 bis 1952: Eisenbahn in der Französischen Besatzungszone contains over 100 black & white photographs plus several maps, tables, diagrams and other reproductions. German text. 98 pages.