The extremely popular Red Arrows established the era of light, innovative, fast and comfortable railcars in the 1930s. The one-piece Red Arrow RAe 2/4 # 1001 of SBB Historic is still used today for special events and adventure trips. Here it is on chartered trip from Basel via Hauenstein line-Olten VL to Brugg AG, near Schinznach Bad. Some dates from the SBB Historic Website: 1935: Commissioning of the railcar CLe 2/4 # 201 (factory no. 3581). The electrical equipment was contributed by the MFO, the BBC and the Societé Anonyme des Atéliers de Sécheron (SAAS). 1935 - 1939: Used from Bern depot for passenger trains ("streetcar trains") and express trains as well as for social and excursion service 1937: Re-designation to Re 2/4 # 201 ('R' stands for Rapide, 125 km/h) 1939 - 1945: No regular service during World War II 1944: Equipment of the Re 2/4 # 201 and # 202 with conventional couplers and buffers for hitching light passenger or baggage cars. 1945 - 1964: Used from Lausanne depot ("streetcar trains") in district I 1948 Re-designation RCe 2/4 # 601 1952 - 1953: After a serious accident in Villeneuve (May 1, 1952), extensive repair and modernization work followed with simultaneous lengthening of the car body by 2.8 m and attachment of lateral decorative strips. These were removed again in 1973. 1954: Re-designation as RBe 2/4 # 601 ('B' for 2nd class after modernization) 1956: Renumbering RAe 2/4 # 601 (SBB renounces the 3rd car class) 1959: Renumbering RAe 2/4 # 1001 1964: Reserve for Expo 1964 (the "Churchill" double arrow was exhibited) 1964 - 1968: From Basel depot, used on demand for connecting special trains 1968: - Representative vehicle for special events, returned to Bern depot as historic vehicle 1996 - 1997: Temporarily in Winterthur depot 2001: Transfer from SBB to SBB Historic. Home base Olten.
