Also known as: DZe 6/6 / DHe 6/6
Vehicle type: Electric railcar
Registration country: Switzerland
1932
The two units, numbered FZe 6/6 2001 and 2002, were ordered as part of the modernization for luxury services, but their production timeline did not align with the train's initial launch. The mechanical components were manufactured by the Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG) in Neuhausen, while the electrical systems and traction equipment were developed by Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) in Baden.
The vehicles featured an articulated design with a 6/6 axle configuration (six axles, all powered), distributed across three two-axle bogies to ensure better weight distribution and curve navigation. They were technically classified as "powered baggage coaches" (FZe), containing internal compartments for both luggage and mail. With a total hourly rating of approximately 1'230 hp (738 kW), they were among the most powerful meter-gauge motor coaches of their era.
A significant historical nuance involves the operational timeline of these units relative to the "Golden Mountain Pullman Express" (GMPE). The GMPE officially operated from June 15th, 1931, to September 10th, 1931, during which time it was hauled by older MOB motor coaches. The two FZe 6/6 units were not delivered by SIG and BBC until 1932, roughly a year after the official service had already been suspended due to the global economic crisis. Consequently, the photographs showing the FZe 6/6 pulling the blue-and-cream Pullman cars were taken during publicity runs in August 1932 or for special charter services that continued sporadically until the Pullman cars were sold to the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in 1939.
Despite missing the primary Pullman era, the FZe 6/6 units became indispensable for the MOB’s heavy traffic. Following the 1956 European reclassification, they were redesignated as DZe 6/6 and later DHe 6/6.
Their robust engineering was famously put to the test in the late 1960s when they hauled heavy cement trains up the mountain for the construction of the Hongrin Dam.
The two units remained in service for decades until the late 20th century. Unit 2001 was eventually used as a spare parts donor for its sister unit and was withdrawn and scrapped in the late 1990s. Unit 2002 was acquired by the Blonay-Chamby Museum Railway (BC) in 2008. It has since been restored to its original 1932 blue-and-cream Pullman livery and remains the sole operational survivor of this class.
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Latest update on the 18th of January 2026 at 13:53
Contributor(s): Tudor C.
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