You are here: Homepage Rolling Stock The RhB Pullman Cars As 1141–1144 Address of this page: http://www.ozdoba.net/rhb/fzg/salonwagen_114x_e.html

Rhaetian Railway (RhB) – Prototype and H0m Model Railroading

The RhB Pullman Cars

As 1141-1144

The “Alpine Classic Pullman Express” (“Rhaetian Crocodile” Ge 6/6 I 415, two Pullman cars, baggage car, and “Gourmino” dining car) is passing through Rothenbrunnen station on September 23, 2000

History of the Pullman cars until 1997

      The As 1141–1144 had to go a long way until the picture shown above could be taken. At a certain point, it even looked as if their days were counted.
      Let us follow some railway history:

      The history of these 70-year-old cars begins in the year 1931: The CIWL (Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express Européens ⁽¹⁾) had four Pullman cars built by SIG, Neuhausen, which were registered with the MOB (Chemin de Fer du Montreux-Oberland Bernois) with the road numbers AB4ü 103–106. These cars were the core of the “Golden Mountain Pullman Express” from Montreux to Zweisimmen (details on my MOB site; currently, German text only).

      This train was no great success; due to the world-wide depression, it operated only during the 1931 summer season. In 1931, the CIWL had paid 371,413.– Swiss Franken for these cars; in 1938, the CIWL offered them to the RhB. By clever negotiating, the RhB could buy these cars for only 30,000.– Swiss Franken each ^(2–4).

      The cars arrived at the RhB main depot in Landquart on February 6, 1939. After having been adapted to RhB standards, they were put into service in early October 1939 as AB4ü 241–244.
      Again, this was not a time for luxury trains; it was not before the 1947/48 winter season that they were regularly used in a connecting train to the Calais–Chur express.

      In 1956, the Pullman cars were given the road numbers A4ü 1241–1244, and in 1964, the cars that had been painted green/cream since 1942 were assigned the numbers As 1141–1144 which they have kept until today ⁽⁴⁾.

Bemo model of green As 1141

      The green/cream colour scheme was used from 1942 to 1982.
      In the years 1974–77, new SIG torque rod trucks and new doors similar to those on the SBB UIC-X cars were fitted; the trucks were reinforced and the interior decoration renovated ^(3,4).
      In 1982, the cars were re-painted again; since then, their colour scheme is red/cream. (By the way: The drawing in Finke/Schweers' book ⁽⁵⁾ is not completely correct; the inscription on the cars is not “Rhätische Bahn,” but “RhB.”)

Bemo model of red As 1141 with yellow roof line

      If you compare this picture to the picture above, you notice, besides the new colour scheme, the new trucks and doors. This picture shows the older version with a yellow first-class-line along the roof.

      In the late eighties, the yellow first-class roof line was no longer used on the Pullman cars.

Bemo model of red As 1141 without roof line Copyright © S. Dringenberg, used here with permission

      The only variations from the picture above are the missing yellow roof line and the gold rectangle in the red field below the windows.

From “SOS” to the “Alpine Classic Pullman Express”

      The four red Pullman cars, mostly with a “crocodile” in front, had become something like a “trade mark” – there are numerous pictures showing this combination.
      It was not generally known that the future of these cars was seriously endangered.

      The problems became public when the RhB, together with the Pro Salonwagen RhB society, held a press conference in the main depot in Landquart on January 29, 1997. Among those present were Silvo Fasciati, CEO, Walter Wälchli, director of maintenance, Roald Hofmann, project controller, Willy Hochstrasser, director of marketing (all from the RhB) and Albert Glatt, president of the Pro Salonwagen RhB society.

What exactly was the problem? These oldtimers from the year 1931 were in dire need of a complete overhaul. The RhB could not raise the necessary funds all by itself; furthermore, the company did not need these cars to fulfill its duties in public transport. According to the revised “Railroad Law” from January 1, 1996, Federal funds must not be used for such special cars. In order to save these historically valuable cars, the “Pro Salonwagen RhB” society had been founded with the aim to preserve these four cars.

First logo of the “Pro Salonwagen RhB” society (inscription today “Festina lente”)

      There was a detailed concept for the revision: Total cost was estimated at two million Swiss Franken. The cars should operate in a new blue/cream colour scheme. The revision should include modifications that would allow operation of these cars on the Bernina line St. Moritz–Tirano; furthermore, cog wheel brakes should be fitted to make the cars operable on the cog-wheel tracks of the FO and BVZ in the new “Nostalgia-Glacier-Express” which was scheduled for summer 1998 ⁽⁶⁾. While these cars could only be chartered by groups so far, it was planned to make them available to individuals on public tours that were also planned once renovation was finished.
      (Today, we know that all these ambitious plans could be realized.)

      To draw the public's attention to the Pullman cars' situation, large inscriptions “SOS – Helfen Sie, diesen historischen Salonwagen zu retten” (SOS – Help to save this historical Pullman car) were fitted on all four cars as of December 24, 1996:

Bemo special edition model of As 1141 with “SOS” inscription

      The necessary funds could be raised until 1998. Interesting for model railroaders: For a donation of Fr. 1'000,–, you received a model that was never commercially available, the Bemo As 1141 in new livery ⁽⁷⁾.

      For model railroaders, there was another way to support the society:
      In scale H0m, Bemo made the Pullman cars with “SOS” inscription as shown above. Bemo donated the total profit from these sales to the “Pro Salonwagen RhB” society.
      In scale IIm (G), which is included here for the sake of completeness, LGB made a Pullman car with “SOS” inscription in a series limited to 1,000.

The Restoration Project

      Until late 1997, 1,000,000.– Swiss Franken had been donated so that the restoration of two cars was already ensured: In November 1997, work began on As 1143 and 1144 in the RhB main depot in Landquart ⁽⁸⁾. Meanwhile, the SOS-stickers had been removed from all four cars.

Picture Copyright 1998 Michael Berres, used with permission

Main sponsors were the “Schweizerische Speisewagen-Gesellschaft” (Swiss Dining Car Society), the “Graubündner Kantonalbank” (Cantonal Bank of the Grisons) and the “Bündnerische Denkmalpflege” (Rhaetian Agency for Preservation of Historical Monuments). The restoration process was accompanied by the Rhaetian curator of monuments, Dr. Rutishauser (9), who made sure that even smallest details were taken into account. All metal parts were chromium-plated, the cover of the seats was woven by a Belgian company in the old design as seen on historical photos.

The dark blue/cream painting was selected according to the Pullman cars' original colour scheme; the inscription on the cars is “Alpine Classic Pullman Express.” The first two cars, As 1143 and 1144, were put into service in a small ceremony on July 1, 1998. The cars are classified as historical monuments which makes the RhB responsible for their future maintenance. They are equipped with cog wheel brakes which means that they can operate on the MGB (former FO and BVZ) network in the Glacier-Express.

Picture Copyright 1998 Michael Berres, used with permission

Picture Copyright 1998 Michael Berres, used with permission

Special tours with the restored Pullman cars are available since July 1998 (2,9,10). The baggage car seen in the picture which is painted in the same colour scheme as the Pullman cars has an interesting history:       It was put into service in 1903 as AB 124; the truck was used as the base for a rebuild (to # 4062) in 1931. In 1994, the car was equipped with tables and seats, since then, it was used as a recreation car by engineers at the depot in Samedan; the car could also be rented as a “Rollende Beiz” (Rolling Saloon). Now, as the crowning achievement of its career, it performs its duties in the “Alpine Classic Pullman Express.”

As 1143 in Landquart, October 15, 2005

All four Pullman cars carried a special logo in 2005 to celebrate the jubilee “75 Years Glacier-Express”. It was only used in the jubilee year.

      What became of the Verein Pro Salonwagen, now that As 1141–1144 have been fully restored and preserved for the future?
      It is still very active and is now recruiting additional cars for the “Alpine Classic Pullman Express.” More information is found on the society's → website.

As 1141–1144 as H0m models

      So far, two manufacturers have made models of these cars in H0m:

      The company Ferro-Suisse offered the complete set as a kit. It is very much sought after today (unbuilt and, of course, in the original box) and is rather expensive. This set was presented in 1984 in “Schmalspur-Digest 1.” The cars represent the version from the period 1956 to 1964, i.e., as A 1141–1144, not “As;” the kit does not contain “As” lettering. The models are in accordance with the standard that we have come to know from this company: They even include the inlays on the interior walls! (It should be mentioned that Schmalspur-Digest 2 which came out in October 1986, showed this car set in scale 0m – these cars even had cloth-covered chairs!)
      Naturally, only a very limited number of RhB model railroaders could enjoy these models. Ferro-Suisse is a small-series manufacturer that never produces a re-edition once a model is sold out.

      The first Pullman cars from Bemo appeared relatively early. Over the years, all versions were made; here is a tabular overview:

Copyright © 1998–2008 and responsible for contents: Christoph Ozdoba.
First version January 26, 1998, last edited February 17, 2008.

Back to the section Rolling Stock / the RhB homepage.