4-axle 2nd/3rd class compartment coach, type BC4 pr04, of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft.

■ Version with brakeman's cab

Over 21,000 compartment coaches of various types were manufactured. The many side doors allowed passengers to board and alight quickly. Initially, the compartments were closed off from each other; passengers had to use the outside doors to move from one compartment to another. The running boards, which ran the entire length of the coach, were intended for the guards, who "gymnastically" moved from compartment to compartment during the journey. The Prussian compartment coaches usually ran in complete sets. In 1952, the Deutsche Bundesbahn still had 11,903 compartment coaches in its fleet, even though the Second World War had left large gaps in the stock caused by World War II.