Fleischmann 890324 – 2nd class control cab coach for EW-IV commuter trains

Description

Open front skirt for coupler mounting is attached to the packageWith function decoder for white/red light change (for both analogue anddigital operation)

Product description

The rather mixed quality of experiences with the standard coach III in aluminiumconstruction caused the Swiss Federal Railways, together with the wagon industry, todevelop the standard coach IV (EW IV). These coaches possess construction featuresof both the SNCF Corail coach and the Eurofima coach procured by the SBB. The carbody is produced as a welded steel lightweight construction.The first, air-conditioned standard coach IV for first class passengers was deliveredin 1981, with swing-sliding doors offset to the centre of the coach, analogue to theCorail coaches. In 1983, the second class coaches and dining coaches were added.In total, 540 EW IV passenger coaches were built, of these 496 for the SBB. The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Bahn (BLS), the Swiss Südostbahn (SOB) and the Bodensee-Toggenburg-Bahn (BT) railways procured coaches of the same construction. Over thecourse of time, the EW IV coaches for the abovementioned private railway companieswere replaced with the SBB’s EW I, II and III coaches, as they were better-suited to theoperating conditions. No luggage vans were designed for the EW IV type; instead, EWII luggage vans were adapted, and later used MC76 luggage vans of the Corail typewere purchased from the SCNF.As long-distance trains became shuttle trains from the year 1996 onwards, the SBBprocured 60 control cars of the type IC Bt. Such Intercity shuttle trains comprise, inaddition to the control car, adapted intermediate EW IV cars, former French luggagevans and locomotives of the type Re 460. The design of the vehicle, featuring 62seats, is based on the familiar Eurocity car. The equipment also includes a wheelchair,pushchair and bicycle compartment, as well as a closed WC system with bioreactor.The front end shape and the driver’s cab look very similar to the Re 460 locomotives,thus producing a homogeneous appearance.The EW IV coaches and the associated control cars and luggage vans did not changea great deal in appearance over the course of time. The initially rather conservativelookinggreen/stone grey, green/cream and blue/cream colouration was replaced by asmart black/white livery. Travellers loved these coaches due to their generously-sizedinteriors with face to face seating, and the fact that they ran smoothly even at highspeeds. The EW IV coaches have been subjected to diverse modernisations, but stillrun today across almost all of Switzerland.