DSG in the old Thomas Cook Timetable

[StephenHunter]

Why were sleepers and restaurant cars from West Germany's DSG given their own distinct symbol (S and D in a box respectively) in this timetable, with everyone else getting the standard bed and cutlery?

 

[hexagon789]

Why were sleepers and restaurant cars from West Germany's DSG given their own distinct symbol (S and D in a box respectively) in this timetable, with everyone else getting the standard bed and cutlery?

Depends what time period, but what came to mind was that in the 1950s and 1960s (I think into the 1970s), the Sleeping Cars and Restaurant Cars on international trains were usually operated by the Wagons-Lits company on behalf of a national operator. The DSG however operated such cars itself directly. This arrangement dated from before the war.

Could that be the reason?

 

[AndrewE]

Depends what time period, but what came to mind was that in the 1950s and 1960s (I think into the 1970s), the Sleeping Cars and Restaurant Cars on international trains were usually operated by the Wagons-Lits company on behalf of a national operator. The DSG however operated such cars itself directly. This arrangement dated from before the war.

Could that be the reason?

But why distinguish them for the passenger / timetable reader? Maybe the food was much poorer in one (so bring your own,) or even much cheaper?

 

[30907]

Depends what time period, but what came to mind was that in the 1950s and 1960s (I think into the 1970s), the Sleeping Cars and Restaurant Cars on international trains were usually operated by the Wagons-Lits company on behalf of a national operator. The DSG however operated such cars itself directly. This arrangement dated from before the war.

Could that be the reason?

They were probably the most extensive operator in Western Europe outside Wagons-Lits. Typically other operators were shown in the footnotes to individual trains or the country header.
I notice the DSG symbol had disappeared by 1979 (also on Timetableworld.com!)

 

[StephenHunter]

Of course by which point TEN had taken over.

 

[etr221]

Depends what time period, but what came to mind was that in the 1950s and 1960s (I think into the 1970s), the Sleeping Cars and Restaurant Cars on international trains were usually operated by the Wagons-Lits company on behalf of a national operator. The DSG however operated such cars itself directly. This arrangement dated from before the war.

Could that be the reason?

The Wagon-Lits company used to run sleeping and restaurant cars for - I think - all European railways until, during WW1 the central powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary - decided that, rather than using the services of the enemy owned CIWL, the would have their own company, Mitropa (Mitteleuropäische Schlafwagen- und Speisewagen Aktiengesellschaft) to provide them.

And Mitropa continued to be the sleeping and restaurant car provider for Germany (I don't know about elsewhere) after 1918. After the second war, and the division of Germany (and its railways), the West German part of Mitropa was likewise split off, to form DSG (Deutsche Schlafwagen- und Speisewagengesellschaft).