The SBB bought 20 Eurofima type Am (4162/4267KK). They later purchased a number of similar 2nd class coaches (4168/4268KK), which were converted into couchette coaches for use in night trains.
The first class coaches were initially used in the then new Inter City trains that replaced the earlier TEE Trains. Many of the first trains saw these coaches combined with similar coaches from the DB, SNCB, FS and OBB.
A few years later, the SBB commissioned a series of 2nd class open seating coaches, loosely based on the same design (UIC Z). Those 2nd class coaches, of which Maerklin released a few non-prototypical models (4366, 42163) were originally painted in the same colors as the Eurofima Am and were used together with those coaches in many consists.
It was possible to find a combination of 1st class and couchette coaches on a few trains, notably on the Stuttgart - Zuerich - Milano route as well as between Basel and Rome.
These coaches were supplemented by older UIC coaches that were repainted in either blue (couchette) or orange (2nd class compartments).
Maerklin regrettably never released the Eurofima coaches in FS version in the original livery, which would have been a good coach to use with the Swiss Am and Bcm.
A good consist might look as follows:
3337 - 4162 - 4162 - 4189 - 4168 - 4168 - 4182 - 4152
Ae 6/6 - Am - Am - B (FS) - Bcm - Bcm - WLA - WLAB (FS)
The 4180 was a former DB/ Apfelpfeil compartment coach that was purchased from the IAO organization and was converted into a salon coach. The coach could be found in charters and occasionally on scheduled trains. I believe that the coach is currently part of the collection of Rail In Club Interlaken.
Other consist variants for the SBB Am and Bcm could be as follows:
Lok followed by 2 Am (4162/4267) and then by one or more EWIV A and then a EWIV Diner and then three to five EWIV B. Such consists could be found on the Gotthard in the 1980s.
You could also have one or two Am followed by one or two OBB Amoz and then a number of OBB Bmoz, which would have been common on the Zuerich - Vienna route.
Another option would be combining the SBB Am with SNCB A9 and B11 coaches (orange) and with one or two SBB Bcm and the WLA sleeper as a night train from Belgium to Italy through Switzerland.
Here are a few sites that list some typical consists:
http://e.bournez.free.fr/Eurocity.htmlhttp://www.fernbahn.de/www.reisezuege.ch (only back as far as 2005)
The website Polier.ch has some photos by P. Sutter that depict various consists on Swiss rails during the 1980s.
I would love for Maerklin to release additional Swiss coaches in the orange livery or corresponding ones from the Italian FS in the same livery to go with my Swiss Eurofima.
AFAIK no other manufacturer made a serious model of the other Swiss coaches other than Liliput and Heris/RailTop (both 1:87). Kleinbahn did release a 25cm model that was in the same livery but not prototypical.
I have also combined my 4267 and 4268 coaches with the 4266, 42163 and the 4365-69 EC coaches to recreate a train around 1993-1994.
I guess that you could also use the 4240 DB sleeper and maybe the Dutch couchette 42696 (I think) to make an international night train.
Regards
Mike C
