Piko 21008 H0 - BR 184.0 Electric Locomotive, DB, Era IV, DCC with Sound

Model of the four-system class 184.0 electric locomotive in Deutsche Bahn livery with sound decoder

Only five class 184 locomotives were built, and they pioneered cross-border traffic in western Europe. This H0 scale model depicts one of them in Deutsche Bahn livery of era IV, the period when the machines nicknamed Europa-Lok worked trains towards France, Belgium and Luxembourg without a change of traction at the frontier. This is the sound version, ready for digital operation straight from the box.

The PIKO Expert model impresses with its carefully worked roof area, where finely articulated metal pantographs are mounted without visible screws, and with delicate grilles and engravings along the body sides. The detailed engine room replica is visible through the cab door and the bogies carry numerous separately applied parts, while precise paintwork and sharp printing complete the picture. A PIKO PSD XP sound decoder is fitted at the factory in the PluX22 interface, reproducing numerous vehicle-specific sounds, switching the cab lighting digitally and controlling the directional white and red lights. The model is powered, runs on DC track and has two traction tyres.

Model specifications:

• scale: H0 (1:87)
• item number: PIKO 21008
• manufacturer and range: PIKO, PIKO Expert
• length over buffers: 195 mm
• railway administration and era: DB, era IV
• power supply: DC
• decoder: factory-fitted PIKO PSD XP sound decoder in the NEM 658 PluX22 interface
• drive: powered model with DC motor
• traction tyres: 2
• coupling: NEM 362 coupler pocket with close coupling mechanism
• minimum radius: 358 mm
• lighting: directional white and red head and tail lights
• digital functions: digitally switchable cab lighting
• sound: numerous locomotive sounds played by the factory-fitted sound decoder
• ready to run, factory painted and printed
• age recommendation: 14 years and up

Please note: a DCC command station and powered track are required to run this model.

This model is not a starter set and includes neither track nor a controller. To use its full range of functions you need a DCC command station, for example the PIKO SmartControl or another DCC-compatible controller, connected to powered track. Running on analogue DC track is possible only if the decoder still has its alternative power source function, that is analogue operation, enabled; in the DCC standard this is controlled by bit 2 of CV29. The function is active by default, but if it has previously been switched off, applying direct current to the track may damage the decoder. In analogue mode only basic running is available, without sound or digital functions.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

Analogue layouts work in the simplest way: the voltage on the rails sets speed and direction for every vehicle in the same section. With DCC the track carries a control signal at all times and each vehicle has a decoder with its own address, so locomotives run independently of one another and additional functions such as lighting and sound can be triggered. This model is intended primarily for DCC operation, because only a command station gives access to the factory-fitted sound decoder and its full function set.

About the class 184 (E 410) locomotive:

In the mid 1960s the Deutsche Bundesbahn needed a machine able to cope with the different power systems in use on both sides of Germany's western borders. The answer was a batch of five locomotives originally designated E 410, with mechanical parts built by Krupp. The first three, E 410 001-003, received AEG electrical equipment and became class 184.0 when computer numbering was introduced in 1968, while the two BBC-equipped machines became class 184.1.

These Bo'Bo' locomotives worked under four supply systems: 15 kV 16.7 Hz, 25 kV 50 Hz, 1.5 kV DC and 3 kV DC. Four traction motors delivered 3000 kW of continuous output, starting tractive effort reached 274.6 kN and the top speed was 150 km/h. With a service weight of 84 t and a length over buffers of 16,950 mm, the class packed extensive electrical equipment into a compact body.

The first scheduled workings in 1969 ran from Cologne to Liege, but in September 1971 the locomotives were withdrawn from the Belgian network because of interference with signalling equipment. From 1979 they handled cross-border traffic from the Saarbruecken area towards Luxembourg and France. Withdrawals were spread from the early 1980s to 2002, and two examples survive: 184 003 in the museum collection at Koblenz and 184 112 at Bahnpark Augsburg.

Prototype specifications (DB class 184.0, formerly E 410):

• builder: Krupp (mechanical part), AEG (electrical equipment of class 184.0)
• year built and quantity: 1965, five E 410 locomotives in total (E 410 001-003 later forming class 184.0)
• wheel arrangement: Bo'Bo'
• length over buffers: 16,950 mm
• service weight: 84 t
• continuous output: 3000 kW (one-hour rating 3200 kW)
• traction motors: 4
• starting tractive effort: 274.6 kN
• power systems: 15 kV 16.7 Hz, 25 kV 50 Hz, 1.5 kV DC, 3 kV DC
• maximum speed: 150 km/h
• duties: cross-border traffic between Germany and France, Belgium and Luxembourg

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO was founded in 1949 in Sonneberg in Thuringia and is today one of the most recognisable European model railway manufacturers. More than seventy years of experience are reflected in a broad catalogue covering scales H0, TT, N and garden scale G, from models for beginners to pieces aimed at collectors. The PIKO Expert range gathers highly detailed models prepared for modern digital technology and frequently offered in versions with a factory-fitted sound decoder. The brand is also a leading producer of models of Polish rolling stock, including PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo vehicles. Track systems, digital control and layout accessories round off the programme.