The extremely popular Red Arrows established the era of light, innovative, fast and comfortable railcars in the 1930s. The one-piece Red Arrow RAe 2/4 # 1001 of SBB Historic is still used today for special events and adventure trips. Here it is on the return trip from Brugg (AG) to the home base Olten, between Brugg and Schinznach Bad, after a charter journey. Some dates from the SBB Historic Website:
1935: Commissioning of the railcar CLe 2/4 # 201 (factory no. 3581). The electrical equipment was contributed by the MFO, the BBC and the Societé Anonyme des Atéliers de Sécheron (SAAS).
1935 - 1939: Used from Bern depot for passenger trains ("streetcar trains") and express trains as well as for social and excursion service
1937: Re-designation to Re 2/4 # 201 ('R' stands for Rapide, 125 km/h)
1939 - 1945: No regular service during World War II
1944: Equipment of the Re 2/4 # 201 and # 202 with conventional couplers and buffers for hitching light passenger or baggage cars.
1945 - 1964: Used from Lausanne depot ("streetcar trains") in district I
1948 Re-designation RCe 2/4 # 601
1952 - 1953: After a serious accident in Villeneuve (May 1, 1952), extensive repair and modernization work followed with simultaneous lengthening of the car body by 2.8 m and attachment of lateral decorative strips. These were removed again in 1973.
1954: Re-designation as RBe 2/4 # 601 ('B' for 2nd class after modernization)
1956: Renumbering RAe 2/4 # 601 (SBB renounces the 3rd car class)
1959: Renumbering RAe 2/4 # 1001
1964: Reserve for Expo 1964 (the "Churchill" double arrow was exhibited)
1964 - 1968: From Basel depot, used on demand for connecting special trains
1968: - Representative vehicle for special events, returned to Bern depot as historic vehicle
1996 - 1997: Temporarily in Winterthur depot
2001: Transfer from SBB to SBB Historic. Home base Olten.
