Dabbling with the RhB

[TravisM]

I’ve decided dabble and build a small RhB layout but I have a few questions to ask, and I hope people will be patient with me.  I’d like to try and model a transition period from maybe green to red loco’s with more engine and coaches than units.  What time period would that be?

 

Also, who makes RhB catenary and signals as the whole layout would be pointless without it.  Finally, are non DCC ready Bemo loco’s easy to fit a decoder?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Gordonwis]

1 hour ago, jools1959 said:

I’ve decided dabble and build a small RhB layout but I have a few questions to ask, and I hope people will be patient with me.  I’d like to try and model a transition period from maybe green to red loco’s with more engine and coaches than units.  What time period would that be?

 

Also, who makes RhB catenary and signals as the whole layout would be pointless without it.  Finally, are non DCC ready Bemo loco’s easy to fit a decoder?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

To mix green and red (locos and stock) your period would be - basically - the 1980s, with a bit of green lasting later. There are various clues to the transition, including:

 

1) The first batch of Ge4/4II (611 - 620) were delivered in green and subsequently repainted red, whereas the second batch were delivered new 1984 in the red livery. However at that time most of the 'Stammnetz' coaches were still green. 

 

2) The Ge4/4I locos were all green until their rebuild in 1986 - 91, so green Ge4/4I with red coaches was quite a common site later in that period.

 

3) A useful pair of pictures in Georg Wagner's Schweizer Bahnen Heute taken at Berguen on 5/1/85 show a green Ge6/6II with all green coaches, and a red Ge4/4II hauling a train in which 3 of the 8 coaches are red.

 

Sommerfeldt does a range of RhB overhead

 

Schneider is the go to signal maker: 

https://schneider-feinwerktechnik.de/epages/3d833a10-66b9-4004-bb7c-2dcef35999bb.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/3d833a10-66b9-4004-bb7c-2dcef35999bb/Categories/Lichtsignale/"Lichtsignale H0"/"RHB Messingausführung"

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Gordonwis

[Gordonwis]

 

Here's some pictures I took in September 1984 on a day trip from Bad Ragaz to Scuol Tarasp to see the GmP mixed train on the Scuol line (we were invited into the cab on the return trip from Scuol...)

 

Red Ge4/4II, green coaches at Susch

 

 

 

 

 

Croc at St Moritz. Red and green coaches visible

 

 

 

 

The green coach in the Scuol mixed

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Gordonwis

[PaulRhB]

Yes as Gordon says 80’s although be a bit careful of which red coaches you get 😉

 

You’ll want them with the old style RhB logo without the ‘speed flashes’ around the letters, as the coach below. 

 

Or the early bold Rhätische Bahn lettering that came later in the 80’s with a narrow white stripe below the windows. Doors were gold or silver at first then standardised on silver. 

Avoid the wide white band that turns red on the doors as this is a 2000’s livery.

 

The Ge4/4ii can be red or green then but make sure it has the round headlights as the square ones were a rebuild in the 2000’s. 
©️Ernie’s Railway Archive

 

Earlier models will need hard wiring for DCC but it’s pretty easy, then they got a snap out bit of the circuit board you then soldered the decoder to and current models have sockets. None are hard if you’re happy with a soldering iron. 

 

This lot should help 😀

 

http://www.polier.ch/Fotoarchiv/T/ThommenB/000S/1983-RhB.htm

 

 

Click picture to take you to Ernie’s photos  

©️Ernie’s Railway Archive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by PaulRhB

[PaulRhB]

Look out for this book and you should be able to find it around £20-35 if you’re lucky. 
 

Rhätische Bahn in colour

 

[Gordonwis]

22 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Yes as Gordon says 80’s although be a bit careful of which red coaches you get 😉

 

You’ll want them with the old style RhB logo without the ‘speed flashes’ around the letters, as the coach below. 
 

 

 

 

 

Is that necessarily the case? The 'enclosed' logo featured on lots of green coaches so that logo predates repainting into red in some cases. 

[PaulRhB]

1 hour ago, Gordonwis said:

 

 

Is that necessarily the case? The 'enclosed' logo featured on lots of green coaches so that logo predates repainting into red in some cases. 

Read the whole post Gordon, I’m only talking about red coaches 😉  
You nicely covered the green ones 👍
 

23 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

although be a bit careful of which red coaches you get

what I said about the later ‘enclosed’ logo with the bold lettering 

 

23 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Or the early bold Rhätische Bahn lettering that came later in the 80’s with a narrow white stripe below the windows. Avoid the wide white band that turns red on the doors as this is a 2000’s livery. Doors were gold or silver at first then standardised on silver. 

 

So I’m showing the two suitable types and avoiding the third modern red option 😉

Edited November 24, 2022 by PaulRhB

[PaulRhB]

Just to avoid confusion this is the livery you want to avoid for pre 2000’s layouts. 

 

Note red bands on the doors and wider body side stripe. 

 

[MichaelE]

Swiss Model Rail specializes in RhB unique catenary parts that Sommerfeldt and Veissmann do not carry. They also have many RhB station and railroad accessories that are also unique to the RhB.

 

A note on rolling stock: Certain parts of the RhB network only run the shorter wagons because of the tight curves. Research what part of the line you will model so you have the correct wagons.

[Gordonwis]

23 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Read the whole post Gordon, I’m only talking about red coaches 😉  
You nicely covered the green ones 👍
 

what I said about the later ‘enclosed’ logo with the bold lettering 

 

So I’m showing the two suitable types and avoiding the third modern red option 😉

 

I think you've misunderstood what I meant.

 

Your post with model coach pictures seemed to imply that the only option for red coaches was the old 'alpha-only' Rh B style, whereas the newer 'arrow' aka 'enclosed' RhB logo appeared on green and red coaches and was visible on both in the 1980s, eg:

 

https://modellexklusiv.de/media/image/product/7276/lg/9556121na19_bemo-9556121-0m-rhb-ab-1541-personenwagen-ew-i-verkuerzt-4-achsig-1-2-klasse-rot-mit-signet.jpg

 

 

[PaulRhB]

3 hours ago, Gordonwis said:

Your post with model coach pictures seemed to imply that the only option for red coaches was the old 'alpha-only' Rh B style,

 

Ok maybe a small edit helps

but I did say or and illustrate both versions, 😀 maybe moving “Avoid the wide white band that turns red on the doors as this is a 2000’s livery.” below the pic helps?

 

On 23/11/2022 at 02:00, PaulRhB said:

You’ll want them with the old style RhB logo without the ‘speed flashes’ around the letters, as the coach below. 

 

Or the early bold Rhätische Bahn lettering that came later in the 80’s with a narrow white stripe below the windows. Doors were gold or silver at first then standardised on silver. 

Avoid the wide white band that turns red on the doors as this is a 2000’s livery.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by PaulRhB

[Samedan]

Ah, what it is to be in the company of experts! 
Of course, Jools, you could just run a mixture of red and green locos and coaches that appeal to you and not worry too much about the speed flashes on the logo or the thickness of the white band. (Only joking, guys).

Personally, I have quite a few Bemo models which I’ve acquired as opportunity purchases in shops, at exhibitions and at auction, since the 1990s. Over more recent years, I’ve tried to narrow my purchases to avoid introducing too many anachronisms: 

so, I concentrate on non-Bernina RhB. But I like to represent the modern railway, whilst still running some trains which are representative of earlier periods, so I continue to collect some new models, representing up to date prototypes, as they appear. In that way, my collection is a kind of rolling representation of, mainly, the RhB.
Whether or not I will eventually divest of the earlier green period RhB, the FO and LSE etc models in my collection remains to be seen. I’ve enjoyed watching HOm layouts over the years, including some at Warley in the last few days, which display a procession of trains from the various companies and periods. They are very fine models of very fine trains. One “jewel” has escaped me so far, and that is the MOB streamlined “Crystal Panoramic Express”. Surely one of the most attractive trains ever built? If anyone wants to sell one, let me know! 

[PaulRhB]

40 minutes ago, Samedan said:

and not worry too much about the speed flashes on the logo or the thickness of the white band.

Precisely 😉  doing that knowing it’s a compromise is fine and I mixed up eras a fair bit on my layout. Think of the info more as a useful thing to notice. 
 

I even let Bernina DC stock loose on the AC network 😆

 

 

 

[PaulRhB]

Oh and Gordon corrupted my layout further several times by running MGB stock! 😆

[Gordonwis]

12 hours ago, Samedan said:

Ah, what it is to be in the company of experts! 
Of course, Jools, you could just run a mixture of red and green locos and coaches that appeal to you and not worry too much about the speed flashes on the logo or the thickness of the white band. (Only joking, guys).

Personally, I have quite a few Bemo models which I’ve acquired as opportunity purchases in shops, at exhibitions and at auction, since the 1990s. Over more recent years, I’ve tried to narrow my purchases to avoid introducing too many anachronisms: 

so, I concentrate on non-Bernina RhB. But I like to represent the modern railway, whilst still running some trains which are representative of earlier periods, so I continue to collect some new models, representing up to date prototypes, as they appear. In that way, my collection is a kind of rolling representation of, mainly, the RhB.
Whether or not I will eventually divest of the earlier green period RhB, the FO and LSE etc models in my collection remains to be seen. I’ve enjoyed watching HOm layouts over the years, including some at Warley in the last few days, which display a procession of trains from the various companies and periods. They are very fine models of very fine trains. One “jewel” has escaped me so far, and that is the MOB streamlined “Crystal Panoramic Express”. Surely one of the most attractive trains ever built? If anyone wants to sell one, let me know! 

 

 

Will BEMO be doing a GoldenPassExpress so that anyone with HO standard gauge can run it behind a BLS 465. In fact on 'Swiss Pass' they could run it once round the top (metre gauge) track then once round the main line!

 

.

[JimFin]

17 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Oh and Gordon corrupted my layout further several times by running MGB stock! 😆

Only one person mentioned the MOB coaches running on Neuburg at Warley. 😉

[Gordonwis]

7 hours ago, JimFin said:

Only one person mentioned the MOB coaches running on Neuburg at Warley. 😉

 

Oh wow I saw the same train high above the main line railway passing a funny village called 'Swisspass' a few minutes later 🤣