Roco released two coach sets to represent the IR1617 running from Brig to Basel via Lausanne. The first set contains an EWII Baggage coach (D) and a pair of second class coaches (EWII B) in the upgraded Comfort livery (turquoise stripe).
The second set, which this post is about, contains a second pair of EWII B (Comfort) and a pair of EWIV A (first class) coaches, including one from the prototype production. This post will focus on the two first class coaches and Rico's rendering of those models.

The first thing that I noticed was that both of the EWIV coaches were equipped with the modified buffers that were introduced when these coaches were adapted for push-pull operation. These coaches, on delivery, should have contained buffers for normal operation (locomotive hauled). I have been trying to ascertain whether any of the spares in my collection can be used to swap out the push-pull buffers for the prototypical ones. So far, I have not found the appropriate parts. The buffer on some of the older models (284mm) had different fixations (socket instead of attached pin). The original design was problematic because a broken pin meant that the chassis had to be replaced. With the pin mounted on the buffer part, it simply required that a new buffer be inserted to be operational again.

For comparative purposes, I have the older Roco EWIV from the first batch of 1/87 models, the 44883/44883.2 and the earlier 1/93 model 44201A (later 44470).
The 44883 represented a coach from the main production series in the original appearance.
The 44201A represented a coach from the prototype production and it featured a few elements which were not retained in the main production.
The windows had a silver (metal) frame. There were also a few other differences which appeared on the model that were not featured on the later 44471, notably a foot step on the buffer side of the entry doors.
Additionally, the windows on the coach ends (between the doors and the end) had a vent which was situated on the top of the window. For the main production, the vent was changed to the bottom of the window.
The coach from the IR1617 Set (6200091) with silver window frames has the vents on the bottom of the windows. The little step that appears on the earlier 44201A is not featured on the new 1/87 version of this coach.

The 44883 and 44883.2 both have the vent on the top of the window on the washroom window, but have the vents at the bottom on the opposing side. On the two EWIV A from the new set, the vents are at the top on both the washroom and the opposing sides. I have noticed this discrepancy and was hoping that somebody could provide a little more insight.

The EWIV coaches in the 6200091 set have revision dates from 1993, so they would not be 100% correct for a mid-1980s train. Maybe Roco will still come out with some more 1/87 coaches for that time period. The 44883 and 44883.2 both have revision dates from 1984. The EWIV WR (44885) has a revision date from 1993 and the EWIV B (44884/44884.X) have various REV dates, from 1985 to 1993, so it is hard to reproduce a train from the mid 80s to 1992.
The later push-pull versions are easier, because the conversion to push-pull operation at the start of the 1990s means that all those models have appropriate revision dates for that time frame.

Would anybody else like to see Roco come out with a new set of EWIV coaches for the 1980s? Maybe representing a Gotthard Schnellzug from the time when the Re 6/6 was the dominant machine for those trains?

What do you think?

Regards

Mike C