AB4ü 103 - 106 "Golden Mountain Pullman Express"
Vehicle type:
Registration country:
1932
The Compagnie Internationale des
Wagons-Lits (CIWL) commissioned four Pullman
carriages for the "Golden Mountain Pullman
Express" service. These meter-gauge saloon cars,
constructed by the Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft
(SIG), were numbered 103, 104, 105 and
106 and were designed specifically to provide luxury service on the
Montreux Oberland Bernois
(MOB) railway. In addition to these
four new builds, the MOB integrated two of its own existing
saloon cars, AB4ü 101 - 102, which were updated to
align with the Pullman aesthetic.
The CIWL coaches featured a sophisticated blue-and-cream livery adorned with the official "Golden Mountain Pullman Express" branding in gold lettering. Internally, the cars were outfitted with 32 plush first-class seats arranged in a saloon layout, featuring high-quality mahogany woodwork and intricate marquetry typical of the Pullman standard.
Despite their lavish design, the coaches saw very limited service during their time on the MOB; the service launched on June 15th, 1931, but was suspended on September 10th, 1931, due to the global economic depression which reduced the influx of wealthy tourists.
Following the discontinuation of the express service, the four CIWL-owned coaches remained on the MOB until 1939, when they were sold to the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). Upon entering service in the Graubünden region, the coaches were re-designated as AB4ü 241 - 244 and later As 1141 - 1144. Meanwhile, the original MOB-owned cars AB4ü 101 - 102 remained with the MOB and were later utilized for the "Chocolate Train" service.
The CIWL coaches featured a sophisticated blue-and-cream livery adorned with the official "Golden Mountain Pullman Express" branding in gold lettering. Internally, the cars were outfitted with 32 plush first-class seats arranged in a saloon layout, featuring high-quality mahogany woodwork and intricate marquetry typical of the Pullman standard.
Despite their lavish design, the coaches saw very limited service during their time on the MOB; the service launched on June 15th, 1931, but was suspended on September 10th, 1931, due to the global economic depression which reduced the influx of wealthy tourists.
Following the discontinuation of the express service, the four CIWL-owned coaches remained on the MOB until 1939, when they were sold to the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). Upon entering service in the Graubünden region, the coaches were re-designated as AB4ü 241 - 244 and later As 1141 - 1144. Meanwhile, the original MOB-owned cars AB4ü 101 - 102 remained with the MOB and were later utilized for the "Chocolate Train" service.
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Latest update on the 18th of January 2026 at 12:38
Contributor(s): Tudor C.
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