The iconic double red arrow "Churchill-Pfeil" RAe 4/8 # 1021 of the SBB, built in 1939, reached Schmerikon on the shore of the Lake Zürich, coming from Zürich via Thalwil-Wädenswil-Pfäffikon SZ-Rapperswil. The passengers enjoy the hot swiss cheese speciality Fondue on this advent journey. Now the "Churchill-Pfeil" is ready for the journey back to Zürich. Since a few years, during the Advent/Christmas time the vehicle is decorated, on the one hand with LED light strips on the roof edge and in the lower box area, on the other hand with a "flowers and candles" deco on the front. The first class only "Churchill Arrow" was built specifically for excursions and, with a top speed of 150 km/h, was the fastest SBB vehicle at the time. Today, to protect the vehicle and for comfort reasons, it is usually driven up to about 100 km/h. The vehicle was given the name "Churchill-Pfeil" (Churchill Arrow) after former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill traveled in it during his visit to Switzerland in 1946.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
