SA4ümm/Ap4üm-62/Apümh 121 & Ap4üm-63/Apümh 121

Initially for Rheingold were 5 salon coaches Ap4üm-62 built by Credé in Kassel. These coaches were built in 1962 and had 48 seats. The coaches were originally planned as SA4ümm but were when delivered already indicated as Ap4üm-62. The seats were positioned in a 2+1 positioning. The central passage was 580 mm wide. The construction of the coaches was identical to the other Rheingold/TEE coaches. The windows were 90 cm wide. The salon coaches were very luxurious. The individual adjustable seats could be turned in the driving directions.

In 1963 6 salon coaches were built for the Rheinpfeil trains. These coaches had the indication Ap4üm-63. These 11 coaches were all painted in a blue/ivory white color. In 1965 again 14 coaches Ap4üm-63 were built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen for the TEE trains Blauer Enzian and Helvetia. These coaches were delivered in the new TEE colors bordeaux red/ivory white. In 1968 9 coaches were built for the TEE trains Rembrandt and Rhein Main, in the meantime the coaches had the indication Apümh 121. The coaches had already the new UIC numbers. The first 25 coaches (until 1965) were and are still recognizable by their rounded roofs. The coaches which were built after 1967 had all straight roof ends.

In September 1965 coach 10 513 (part of the third delivery of TEE coaches) in service in TEE Helvetia was involded by an accident at Lampertheim. The coach was taken out of service after the accident.

The weight of all salon coaches is 44,5 ton. The maximum speed was for the Rheingold/Rheinpfeil coaches 160 km/h, but this was later in epoch IV raised to 200 km/h. The coaches were all equiped with an axle generator for the energy supply. But this generator is later removed in epoch IV. The coaches which were built during epoch IV had no axle generator anymore, so that for a long time it was easily recognizable which coaches were built during epoch III.

When in 1965 Rheingold and Rheinpfeil got TEE status the first 11 salon coaches were painted in the new TEE colors. Because not all coaches were immediately painted in the new colors you could often see TEE trains (1966/67) with coaches which had old Rheingold colors and coaches which had the new TEE colors. In the meantime the Rheingold/Rheinpfeil coaches were not anymore only in service in these trains, but also in other TEE trains, like the new TEE coaches were also in service in the Rheingold and Rheinpfeil trains.

Between 1964 and 1968 all coaches were renumbered to the new UIC numbering scheme. The number "4" disappeared from the type indication and the letter "h" and the number "121" were added to it. On this way all coaches of this type (Ap4üm-62 and Ap4üm-63) got the indication Apümh 121.

Apart from for the changes of the type indication, also the numbers were changed. The Rheingold coaches got the numbers 61 80 18-80 001 up to 005, the Rheinpfeil coaches the numbers 61 80 18-80 006 up to 011 and the TEE coaches the numbers 61 80 18-80 101 up to 113 (year of construction 1965) and 61 80 18-80 114 up to 122 (year of construction 1968).

The meaning of the letters was as following: "A" stood for 1st class, the "p" stood for salon arrangement, the "ü" stood for coach corridors between coaches, the "m" stood for coaches which were longer than 24 meter and equiped with the so-called "Gummiwulstübergängen", the modern coach corridors, and electrical heating or heating with the central train wire, and the "h" stood for the fact that the energy supply in the coach was done with an axle generator.

Here you can find an overview of all coaches Ap4üm-62/Apümh 121 and Ap4üm-63/Apümh 121 which were built during epoch III (). The overview contains year of construction, numbers and manufacturers of the coaches.