Description

From the makers of ‘Fuselage Creations’ comes…. ‘Rolling Stock Tags’

The VBZ Be 4/6, also known as ‘Mirage’ is a class of articulated trams built in the late 1960s for Swiss city of Zurich. The nickname ‘Mirage’ takes it routes from aviation, when in the same year as the Be 4/6 entered service (1968), the Swiss Air Force purchased the Mirage IIIs. The value of the tram was considered high at the time, and was compared to the fighter, Mirage IIIs.

A total of 126 ‘Mirage’s’ have been produced with serial numbers 1601-1726 and used by the city of Zurich Public Transport (VBZ). The order consisted of 90 units with a cockpit and 36 units towed carriages (no cockpit, locally known as Blinde Kühe).  The trams remained in active service in the city of Zurich from 1966 until 2006. From a total of 126 units produced, 46 were scrapped, 78 were sold to Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia and 2 units were left in the city of Zurich. The two units in Zurich, 1674 and 1675 returned to brief service between 2019-2021 to help the city with additional capacity. Today, the two iconic trams can be seen in the city’s museum.

The ‘Mirage’ in your possession entered service in Zurich in 1967 and remained with the city until 2010, when it was gifted to Vinnytsia. In Vinnytsia, the tram was registered under the number of 326, serving the city between 2011 until retirement in 2021.

Thanks to joint efforts of UA Rail and Fuselage Creations teams, and assistance of Vinnytsia Tram, we are able to preserve yet another iconic piece of rail history.