I decided to compare the new Roco SBB EW II coaches with some of my older models from Roco (EW II), Lima, Hag and the new Piko (EW I).
The first ones that I decided to compare were the coaches from the 44065 set, which included a Baggage car (D), a first class coach (A) and a pair of second class coaches (B). https://s3.amazonaws.com...b738-e091f5975601_00.jpg

The new and old coaches all come with the classic SBB + CFF/SBB + FFS markings (post 1965 with UIC numbering). The revision dates on the new models are from 1969. The revision dates on the coaches from the 44065 set are from 1970 and 1971 (D), meaning that these coaches could easily have run together during that time frame.

As has been reported in some of the German forums, the new coaches have a darker shade of green, which Roco has already used for the 45108/45109 EWII coaches from the pre-UIC era and for the 64361/364 set of coaches from the 1980s with the <+> SBB CFF FFS markings.
Both the new coaches and the ones from the 44065 set have silver roofs. The ones on the new models have a glossy appearance with a smooth texture. The ones on the older 44065 have a more matte finish with a grainy texture. I am guessing that the new models have the roof piece moulded in silver coloured plastic, while the older set has a painted roof.
The inscriptions on the newer models are a brighter shade of yellow, while the ones on the 44065 are more of a slightly darker mustard colour. The newer ones rand out more clearly at a distance.
The plastic window inserts of the new models have window panes that extend deeper into the frames, whereas the older models have windows that are slightly recessed. The windows on the actual coaches were not flush with the exterior, as they retracted into the coach body when the windows were opened. I can't say that the measurements are exact on the new ones, but the actual model would likely be close to that.
One additional difference that I have noted between the older and new models of the EWII B is that there seems to be some difference to the chassis. The original model had a box located underneath the Swiss crest on the SBB + CFF side, along with a smaller box under neath the window to the right of the last F in CFF. The newer model has the same box under the swiss crest, but the second box is shifted to the left and now sits directly under the last F in CFF. Additionally, there are two rectangular boxes situated on the chassis underneath the second and third window from the right on the same side. I remember a similar detail from the EWII A, but this feature was not on the older Roco EWII B. The new chassis of the EWII B has two sockets on the underside where the small box was located on the older models, suggesting that this detail can be added. I do not know if this means that the box on the newer models can be detached from it's current position and moved.
The older productions of the EWII coaches had yellow handrails that had to be glued to the coach body. More recent productions since the late 1990s have had sockets and more detailed yellow handrails could be inserted into position, which was a major improvement. The new models have those sockets. I have not inspected the handrail parts to see if they have evolved since the 1990s.
The actual door part is better detailed. the rubber moulding between the folding parts is painted or printed black. The knob is silver. As far as the windows in the door panes. The original model had a green plastic frame which protruded into the door part, with a small clear pane in the middle. On the newer model, the plastic is either missing or much finer and the clear pane is more visible and better rendered.
The interior is basically the same. The dividing wall between smoking and non-smoking compartments, which was originally integrated into the seating part, is now a transparent plastic piece, which includes two panes between rows of seats plus a door in the passageway. The dividers between the seating areas and the entranceways is still integrated into the main part and is painted green or red depending on which section.
I am trying to remember what the interior looked like originally, but I seem to recall that each seat (bench) had a metal frame with a luggage rack above and the divider between smoking and non-smoking was panelled wood with a metal door. I think that the modifications which were introduced in the 1980s consisted of a solid structure sail, with a glass door and glass panels above the seatbacks. I don't recall what changes might have been made when coaches were converted into Interregio (Papagei livery) or Regio (NPZ).
Both the new and older models have gangways with folding footboards, which can be folded up when the coach is at the start or end of a consist. Both newer and older models have impressions of where taillights would be. That feature was available on some models, but not on the current shell.
Due to the fact that websites often disappear over time, it has been difficult to find older photos. Most ones on the web today are from the period after 2000.
This one seems to match my recollection from the 70s and 80s (original):
http://www.railfaneurope.../B/50_85_20-34_256-1.jpg
This one matches my recollection from the late 1990s:
http://www.railfaneurope.../B/50_85_20-34_535-8.jpg
This one matches my recollection of the Comfortwagen from 1985:
https://www.bahnbilder.d...sie-noch-fast-751403.jpg
At some point, the seats were modified, the luggage racks removed and replaced with a small handle that people walking in the aisle could grasp as they moved along. A new luggage rack above the windows was added on each side, similar to the newer EWIV coaches, as seen here:
https://www.bahnbilder.d...2-nl-14022009-436284.jpg
The bogies seems to be the same parts on both versions. The generator is mounted on the new models, whereas it was an add-on part on the older models.
One of the disappointment of the newer models is that the details of the axle caps was not modified. This was a feature that I thought that Roco could improve on the model, whether it be the cover or the hoses and cables that are attached to them.
I still have to dig through my collection and fish out the original 4238/4239 from back in the days when Roco differentiated models with a letter after the number. I also have a number of other coaches that were released between 1978 and 2000. The originals had brown roofs with black aerators. The subsequent models had dark grey or silver roofs and either matching or missing aerators. Some models had the cutouts to mount the aerators, while others had a solid roof piece without them.
I also have a number of models with the newer liveries <+> SBB CFF FFS, the Comfort livery (stripe), the Interregio (IR aka Papagei) livery and the NPZ livery (EWII AB).
I will have to compare those models to the new ones to determine which ones can be used together, as well as seeing how well the coaches can be combined with my Lima, Hag and soon to arrive Piko EWI and my Maerklin, Trix and Liliput Lightsteel coaches and finally, with my AKU and RailTop pilot coaches.
More details and photos to follow.

Regards

Mike C

Edited by user 04 December 2019 08:16:58(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified