German Sleeper and Dining Car Company

The DSG provided its own sleepers until 1974 and its own dining cars until 1966 and also ran the DB's half-diners, buffet, snack bar and couchette cars, the US troop trains in Germany, the German ferries of the Vogelfluglinie and the restaurants and bars on many stations in the Federal Republic of Germany (including the West Berlin restaurants at Bahnhof Zoo). In addition there were club cars, that were frequently hired by firms and other excursion companies and the "InterCity Hotels" that appeared in the 1980s. The coaching stock used stemmed mainly from the pre-war period and the 1960s. In the 1970s self-service dining cars (Quick-Pick) were introduced experimentally. In trains without dining cars the so-called minibar came into use. These were small, mobile sales trolleys from which passengers could purchase hot and cold drinks, hot sausages, pre-packed sandwiches, snacks and confectionery. The coaches were stocked at their home station and could be replenished during longer halts or at the destination station by sales staff at the respective DSG depot.

Legally the DSG and Mitropa were merged just like the Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn. However, in view of the considerable assets owned by MITROPA the DSG was absorbed into MITROPA. That made it the only West German company, apart from a Rheingau sekt merchants, to be absorbed by an East German firm.