The Red Arrow (German: ''Roter Pfeil'', French: ''Flèche rouge'', Italian: ''Freccia rossa'') were

railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a dri ...

s built in the 1930s by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). They were intended for traffic on lines with a low volume of traffic, following the global economic crisis of 1928. With increasing demand, the railcars had to be replaced by light express trains. Capable of speeds up to 150km/h, the double ''Red Arrow'' Re 4/8 301 was presented at the 1939 Swiss National Exhibition to showcase Swiss workmanship.80 years of the Red Arrow “Churchill”
Swiss Federal Railways In 1946 Swiss businessmen invited

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

into painting holidays at the shores of

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial la ...

for which the Red Arrow was provided for his use. With the train Churchill visited several cities like Bern or Zurich where he held an inspiring speech. Since the train was also known as the Churchill Arrow. It was strongly damaged in a fire in 1979 after which it was sold. in 1996 the train was repaired and came into service of the Mittelthurgau railways until they went bankrupt. In 2002 the train returned to the SBB. A few Red Arrows are still occasionally operated by

SBB Historic SBB Historic is a foundation aiming at preserving historical documents and artefacts from the history of Swiss railway transportation. It was founded by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) in 2001 and it is based in Windisch. The Foundation's serv ...

References

External links

*{{commonscat-inline, SBB Roter Pfeil Swiss Federal Railways Railcars of Switzerland Rolling stock of Switzerland

See also

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External links