Montreux_1991

I’m surprised you see a challenge finding stock: I’ve been tempted by availability (and mostly quality) to go far beyond my initial period of 1991. The biggest gap, now announced by Hobbytrain, is the SBB Bpm but there have always been plausible workarounds. In the period 1977-80 the Bpm hadn’t been delivered and SBB Eurofima coaches could be seen with orange-liveried RIC couchettes; for later years I would substitute FS Eurofima 2nd class coaches. I’m aware of the following suitable stock (in roughly chronological order) FS diesel railcars: Lematec or Locomodels.it SBB RAe: Hobbytrain (not the Kato model, which is in preserved condition with a white aerial on the cab roof and more bodyside lettering) FS TEE coaches: Pirata, re-released earlier this year as a very nice five car set (Pi6118) with ‘Televisore’ logo Mistral 69 coaches: LS models or (announced) Arnold SBB RIC coaches: Hobbytrain or Kato. The RIC Bpm conversions in ‘EW IV’ livery have been done by Wabu (Hobbytrain repaint) Wemoba (Hobbytrain repaint) and Kato, although none gets close to matching the Roco EW IV livery, Wemoba being in my opinion the least bad. FS UIC-X coaches: Acme and Pirata, who have announced a grey UIC-X full brake and (in a set) what I think is the FS restaurant car that I spotted in 1996. With luck they'll do the UIC-X brake in C1 orange at some point... Eurofima coaches, and the very similar-looking FS UIC-Z1 built in large number from the mid-1980s. The Minitrix SBB 1st still splits between upper and lower bodyside. Arnold (who did a ‘fake’ SBB Eurofima 2nd) look too tall, with particularly deep-set windows on the 1st class, but they offer Z1 coaches with revised doors and roof and a better range of post-C1 orange liveries: HN4393 and HN4394 should be with us in a few months. Pirata do a Z1 that’s been announced in late 1980s livery (Pi6200) but for Eurofima coaches you can’t look beyond the Roco / Fleischmann model despite its age. SBB RABe: Hobbytrain or Kato BB ex-SNCF MC76 brake coach: Lima 320388 SBB Eurocity coaches: Minitrix

I was lucky enough to spend summer 1991 in Montreux, working mostly nights and using my spare time to explore the railways and model shops of Lake Geneva. With no prior knowledge of Swiss railways and no internet, I had to make my own (extensively researched, but perhaps slightly over-simplified) conclusions about train formations. There were four daytime Eurocity train pairs: EC Cisalpin, Lemano and Lutetia which connected with TGVs at Lausanne and terminated at Milan, and EC Monteverdi which terminated at Venice. All were operated by RABe ‘Grey Mouse’ units with red coupling covers, or by air-conditioned SBB stock in C1 orange livery, hauled by Re4/4 IVs in Bahn 2000 livery. The only foreign coaches I remember from four months of intensive train-watching were occasional rakes of FS stock in Rosso Fegato livery, possibly replacing SBB stock on IC services, and the ex-SNCF MC76 coaches (in Corail livery with SBB branding) which had recently been added to loco-hauled Eurocity trains. Outside the 1989-1993 reign of the Grey Mice, published sources and photographs (and my own observations in 1996) show more foreign stock on international services: TEE Cisalpin was operated by RAe II four-voltage units from 1961, then with loco-hauled SNCF Mistral 69 stock from May 1974 TEE Lemano was operated by FS 2-car diesel units from 1959, then with loco-hauled FS TEE stock from May 1972, adding FS 2nd class coaches from May 1982 Le Lutetia was operated from 1977 with FS loco-hauled stock, mostly in C1 orange livery. TGVs came to Lausanne in January 1981, but didn’t get to Brig (as a daily TGV des Neiges) until the winter 1995-6 timetable. In summer 1996 most international services were operated with SBB Eurocity coaches in two-tone grey, but the EC Monteverdi was FS UIC-Z stock plus a restaurant car. Then came the Cisalpino saga…

There were four locomotives. All were repainted in Bahn 2000 livery in the late 1980s. I've had one model from new (1991) when the originals were hauling EC trains through Montreux every day. In theory you could tell them apart by the coat of arms next to the driver's door but in practice they looked identical. More recently I've been tempted by the availability of matching hauled stock (SNCF Inox and FS TEE) to buy the four 'experimental' original liveries. Which are all very distinctive - in fact on the Roco models, which I assume are correct, two of the liveries are different each side!

Clearly more modern tooling than the 1984 Roco model, but with 'interesting' design choices carried over from the Re4/4 II: - the window frames will be printed onto the body, not the glazing. This avoids light leakage around the frames when cab lighting is fitted but (ever since comparing the Kato RAe/RABe to the Hobbytrain original) I find the other way round more convincing. Fortunately (unlike the Re4/4 II) the wipers are separate etched parts, not moulded / printed onto window and body with a 'break' in the middle. - the cab front handrails are separately applied, but the cab door handrails are moulded on. Again I find the other way round more convincing. - the bogies are moulded in one piece, including the (speedometer?) cables which look a bit clumsy. Hopefully bogies, skirts and underframe details will be a nice shade of blue-grey. I currently have five Roco models - one in Bahn 2000 livery owned from new, and four in original liveries picked up more recently on Ebay. If I can find the time and skill (and possibly Hobbytrain spare parts) to replace the shiny black bogies, skirts and underframe details, I might yet keep some or all of these.

That didn't look quite right. After doing a bit more research I think it should read: 1) Arnold Rapido 1960s tooling 2) Lima '1st generation' tooling 3) Lima '2nd generation' tooling, EWI first and second in SBB 'old logo' livery were NEW in the 1985 catalogue 4) Lima marketed by Minibahn from 1988, with an expanded range of SBB and BLS liveries and an aspiration (with catalogue photos) to produce the Gepackwagen in five liveries (!) 5) Lima marketed as Lima Minitrain from 1991, adding the EWII composite which was illustrated with a photograph in the catalogue but actually available to buy that year. I bought one. 6) as (3) but rebranded as Arnold following the (pre Hornby takeover) merger of Lima with Rivarissoi/Jouef/Arnold, partially retooled (bogies and couplings, flush doors where appropriate) and improved finish 7) Brawa 8) Piko LIMA-N scale-COMPLETE CATALOGUE (webnode.cz) helped fill in the pre-1991 backstory of the Lima '2nd generation' tooling. The MINIBAHN ??? catalogue was of particular interest, so I ran Dr Kurt Moser's foreword through Google Translate: After HOBBYTRAIN, I have created a second, completely independent product line with MINIBAHN. In 1988 I had the opportunity to take over the LIMA N-gauge area. I now have two goals. On the one hand, I want to raise the quality standard of the models that have been offered up to now and thus make the models attractive to you, on the other hand, I would like to introduce new models in a simpler design than has been usual with HOBBYTRAIN. This would enable us to produce smaller numbers of a model at almost the same price and thus also to bring out models that were not so widespread and could therefore only be sold in smaller numbers. I believe that this is also in your interest. As the first new project, we are approaching the BLS wagons, which we are presenting in different paintwork and lettering variants. Then we will manufacture the VT08.5. For the beginning of 1990 it is planned to bring out the NPZ in five variants, the four test performances and the final SBB series version Sadly Dr Kurt Moser's model railway empire collapsed around 1990, so the final Hobbytrain and Minibahn 'new items' mostly came to nothing, and some remain on my personal wish-list after more than 30 years...

I'm predicting £120 for the twin pack. Ideally I'd only need three coaches, but I'm not 100% convinced by any of the (three) options for the UIC-X Bpm that came next in the prototype formation, so I might just buy and keep - not split - two packs...

Minibahn / Minitrain were always a good choice, for EWI and the EWII composite. The model above is from the 1960s Arnold tooling. 3708 (first class) and 3709 (second class) were 'Swiss specials' produced in 1989 and from memory, still in Swiss model shops in the early 1990s. At the time something (possibly those handrails?) didn't seem quite right so my hard-earned CHF went elsewhere, but now I can put my finger on it and confirm: - this is an old model of an unrefurbished EWI, wearing the comfort stripe applied only to EWIIs on major refurbishment in the late 1980s, and - Brawa 65206/7/8 are superb

Comparing Arnold and Lima EWIs could get confusing. There are three sets of models in circulation: - 1980s Minibahn / Lima Minitrain / Lima / Arnold, the gold standard until recently despite the wide bogies and body-mounted steps. The body is 144mm long, correctly representing an EWI after R4 Hauptrevision (1973 onwards) during which the body was extended over the buffers and 'Gummiwurst' rubber gangways replaced suspended gangways - 1960s Arnold. Listed as 139mm, this would be the correct body length for an EWI in original condition - 1970s Lima, possibly Wrenn / Lima. From photos there appears to have been one body moulding (eight seating bays, widely spaced i.e. first class) sold as both first and second class, unextended but with moulded-on 'Gummiwurst' gangways. What comparison did you have in mind?

The short answer: no The longer answer, picking up some earlier points from this thread: To the best of my knowledge (over 30 years) the Minitrix body moulding is unchanged since 1969. If the bogies have changed, it's barely noticeable as the model still sits too high. I have seen and owned the following liveries: - as originally produced, light green with 'old logo' and silver window frames (ugh) - catalogue number 13362, dark green with 'new logo' - catalogue number 13363, grey / green 'EWIV livery' - catalogue number 13364, BLS blue / cream All come up regularly on German Ebay. Ruco offered Minitrix repaints into older BN and BLS liveries Wabu offered a cut-and-shut Lima / Arnold conversion in the 1990s. Livery options included dark green with 'old logo' and the 'parrot' livery. Even before Hobbytrain announced their orange Bpm, a new flush-glazed EWII gepackwagen (preferably by Piko, the prototype ran on EWI bogies) was top of my wish list. Is it me or is there a gap / gaping multi-liveried hole in the market?