We all have one special train that we wanted in our collection. For me, when I was young, it would have been the CN Turbo Train.
A few years later, I had the chance to travel to Switzerland and was enthralled by those green electric locomotives and the corresponding coaches.
The trains that I would have loved to have in my collection would have been the TEE Gottardo (RAe TEE) or the Re 4/4II and DB coaches in the TEE livery.
As neither was available as a model at that time, my next favorite turned out to be the Ae 6/6 and coaches.

Over the next decade or so, I did not focus too much on Swiss trains. In the early 1980s, I got a job working at a local hobby shop and rapidly became their Maerklin specialist.
Through catalogs, I discovered that the new generation of international express trains were the orange Eurofima coaches with white stripe. In 1985, I had the chance to take a course in Germany and coupled that with a month of traveling. It was on this trip that I first saw the SBB 1st Eurofima coaches up close and in person along with the matching coaches (Bpm) and WRm in the same livery.

Maerklin only made the 4162 Am. There was no second class coach or diner. I ran my coach in combination with some of the new EWIV domestic coaches.
By then, Roco had released a 1/87 model of the same coach. That allowed me to combine it with the Liliput WRm and Bm coaches in the same livery.
I always wanted the Bpm coaches to complete the train. Maerklin released a model of the DB Apmz in SBB colors as a Bpm, but only in the Chameleon and EWIV colors. They never brought that model out in 1/100.

Finally, around 2006, RailTop/Heris released two sets of Bpm coaches in the Eurofima (C1) livery, which promptly went into use with my Roco and Liliput coaches.
The coaches were a little basic in design, but filled the niche.

About 2013, LS Models released a number of new models, including the 47235 Set, which included an exact scale WRm and a pair of Bpm coaches in the orange livery.
I grabbed two of these sets, so that I could finally have the consist that I had dreamed of since summer 1985. Since then, I have added the PiRATA/LSM EC Rossini Sets (97013/14) which feature yet more of these coaches, and the ModelsWorld/LSM IC Iris Set (MW1604), a consist made up entirely of SBB rolling stock in the orange livery.

Now that I finally have the consist that I have sought after for so long, I am very happy to be able to display the consist behind my 37320.1 Re 6/6 (Bischofzell), as it would have appeared in 1985.

http://bahnbilder-von-ma...zona//picture_02258.html

I still have a few trains and consists that I want to add to my collection, but the bright orange livery still has a special place in my heart.

But enough about me, what are the trains that fascinate you and that you wanted to or were able to add to your collections?

Regards

Mike C

Hi Mike,
The SOB Voralpen Express circa 2005 consist with the Revvivo cars, and maybe one of the driver cars in the older style and livery. But as you know the only Revvivo cars are from Hui and very expensive. I like the train because it has the most unique look (IMHO) of the mainline Swiss trains.

Regards,
Roger

A great topic.

On the passenger side, as I have 5 station tracks, I rotate slowly. The two that tend not to be put away are the Hag GTW 2/8 and the Lufthansa express, either pulled by a BR 103 or 111.

I do have an itch for the ETR 220 from Lemodels.

On the freight side, I am going through a phase of long ‘unit’ trains. These are most often tank cars or containers.

Two trains stand out as my leading “I want”. Both go back to my childhood. Both I have, sort of.

The Golden Arrow. As a child I travelled from London to Paris on this train. I remember the deep large armchairs, the beautiful wood and the table lamps. The table had a forest of gleaming silver, on a thick, pristine, white table cloth. I recall being asked only one question, “Do you wish to eat sir,” ( Actually Est ce que monsieur désir manger, sticks in my mind). I ate a delicious meal that was timed, as I recall to take up the entire trip. My closest Marklin is the blue and cream Rheingold. It is a favorite. Every time I run it, I can see myself at a single table, just next the four seat compartment where my family was. I find myself murmuring, Oui, s’ il vous plait, as it runs past.

Basel HBF. I was perhaps 11 or 12. It would have been in 1960, or 1961. We were staying overnight at a hotel near the station. I got up early and slipped out. I wandered the platforms. On one was an international train. It had an Italian two tone brown coach, and at least one CIWL sleeping car. There were others, off hand I cannot say from what countries. They were largely green, so SNCF, OBB, DB, or SBB are all possible. I wanted to see inside, but was afraid they would move off with me inside, so I only stood in the vestibules. I love to recreate that mix on my layout. I love to put as many different colors as possible. Often you might see, DSG, CIWL, DB, OBB, SNCF, FS, DSB coaches all mixed on my layout. Six coaches is the maximum it fit station platforms, so some are added and dropped as the train moves through my imaginary Europe. The locomotives change so almost anything, from any country can be pulling this colorful consist.

My problem is I like them all. Not being a collector I run everything I buy and if I don't run it then sell it on to somebody who will.
At Present I like My Marklin BR64. Anything German or Swiss is fine for me.

I'm glad I'm not the only one like this, I have a very strong liking for passenger trains, especially European/German ones from Eras I, II, and III.

So far, on my shelves (Layout is dismantled temporarily)

A complete set, of Märklin Kaiser Wilhem II cars, with an extra baggage car and extra male attendants car that I bought one or two cars at a time
A Märklin 42754 Era I Orient Express train, with a couple extra cars
A set of early Rheingold cars from the Märklin 28506 set
A Märklin 41928 set of Rheingold cars, plus an extra baggage car from the newer Rheingold set I picked up separately.
A partially complete Rivarossi Orient Express set of cars, I need one more Rivarossi 2593 sleeper/voiture-lits if anybody has one they will part with for less than $200! (Damned eBay!)

After I save up some money, a decent set of Capitole cars to go with the locomotive I picked up cheap from a broken-up reissue of the Märklin Capitole set. (It was only $120, I couldn't pass it up!)

That set of coaches and baggage van was originally issued as companion coaches to the 3387 Glaskasten loco. Later when the 3687 and 3686 digital versions were produced the coaches were produced with a lower voltage bulb for use with the digital decoder. Using these coaches with the non-digital loco apparently burns out the bulbs.

Might be cool in a MRCE black livery with white "bib"

Regards

Mike C

My favorites are those on which I traveled with my family for several months on a Eurail Pass in the fall of 1976 - which included a mix of late ERA III and early ERA IV loks and coaches. The passenger coaches of the DB are those that carry the most romance for me - the cream/blue livery as well as the dark green (CL II) and dark blue (CL I) coaches. The agressive, smoothly angular Br118 - which M finally produced with sound recently is a stand-out memory and new featured part of my collection, plus the cream/blue E 110 and 111s, and the dark blue 110 "pants crease" - my Roco model of that is a beautiful, quiet runner. I'm still looking for good examples of DB and SNCF CL II couchette cars from this era...

My original collecting goal was to have a representative train from every country we traveled in and on. I'm far from that as my memory is foggy on the French coaches, and Spanish models are harder to come by. The Soviet Russian train from Moscow to Berlin as of February 1977 still eludes me, especially a good representative lok. I'm SOLID on the DB, Swiss, and Danish trains ... and then the "exotic" collecting bug hit! I still want a DSB "Lyntog" (Roco has made one) - never rode it, but it roared through the small town where I lived in 1980-81.

I'm sure I rode different TEE consists, but none stand out in my memory as clearly as the more local/regional DB compartment coaches already noted. The DB 103 - at least a memory of one in-station showing off its power just sitting still - is one that's now in my collection thank's to last year's Insider. I love the TEE colors and wonderfully-beautifully-designed TEE consists and special trains ... Like Dr. Jacques, TEE has become a collecting fetish all its own - though I'm sure he has me beat on the variations. Just added the new SNCF TEE set from M. Love the TEE VT11, though my version doesn't have the "Trans Europ Express" lettering on the sides of the power units. I have both the Swiss TEE RAe and RABe "Grey Mouse", plus the diesel RAm, and the Swiss "Bavaria" TEE with cream/red Re 4/4 I.

I also have a few Orient Express variations: The old-style blue M coaches that I pull with the blue Badische IVh - likely not prototypical, but don't care. I have the old-style brown OE coaches too that I pull prototypically with a Roco BLS Ae 6/8. And a "modern" OE consist with the Brawa Ae 477 at the head and 4 modern OE livery sleepers from Roco. (What would an appropriate dining car be to match up with this?)

The "collector" model I'm most proud of is a complete Marklin Silberlinge "Graffiti" set with the Br 111 - converted to high-efficiency digital.

From a modelling standpoint, I'm kind of Swiss-smitten. Love the BLS ... and I have a couple crocs of course because they are classic and just fascinating to watch running slowly! And while they are way outside of my primary ERA, I have a number of the perfect-deisgn Re 460s ... While it will be "freestyle" my ultimate goal is to model a large "interchange" station similar to Brig - SBB and BLS power together are prototypical, but I plan to have the occasional visit from the FS and DB ... because my power standard is the same for all!!!

Happy Rails!

For me this is easy to answer;
I wanted a RoLa train! ("Rollende Landstrasse")
-Especially with the white passenger/sleeper-coach!
It makes for a spectacular sight on any layout.
Mine currently consist of the white coach and 7 flatbed cars. -and of course 7 trucks.
It is currently pulled by a beige/blue BR151, although I am always on the lookout for a blue BR181, 182 or 184.

Other worthwile mentions are the tin-plate style Rheingold with LED table lamps, and the classic BR18.4 pulling it.

And the beige/red TEE with a BR103. This may sound somewhat ordinary and maybe even boring, but I grew up reading catalogs and seeing pictures of this train everywhere. So its a "must have".