Even before the major Swiss railway companies were nationalised in 1903, when they merged to form the Swiss National Railway Company (SBB), the private railway companies had agreed to purchase freight cars called Reformwagen with virtually identical designs. Covered wagons were relatively short, with a frame length of 7.10 m and wheel bases of 4.40 m, 4.50 m or 5.00 m. These wagons were called K2 after 1902. They have 12.5 t weight loaded and 40 to 44 m2 loading volume. The SBB also had reproductions of the 5.0 m version built for some time afterwards. The K2s were also operated by all reputable private railways. Some of the wagons had a brakemans cab or an open brakemans platform and the latter had a slightly longer loading length. Some wagons were fitted with Westinghouse brakes, steam lines and painted red for use as express freight cars, while the others were grey and only had hand brakes. The K2 design was obviously a success because further wagon types were built with the same dimensions. The most significant of these were the many refrigeration and beer cars. Many Swiss breweries ordered wagons that corresponded to the K2 for the transportation of their valuable beer. The body had the same dimensions but double walls to provide insulation and vertical external planking. The doors differed in design and there were wagons with and without a brakemans cab, which meant different loading lengths. Some beer cars came to the SBB later as a result of takeovers and were used as regular refrigerated cars for food transportation.
Ready-to-run; includes European NEM-style couplers and DC wheelsets.
Ready-to-run; includes European NEM-style couplers and DC wheelsets.