Piko 21788 H0 - Electric locomotive BR 139, DB, Era IV

Model of the electric locomotive BR 139 in the green livery of the German Federal Railway

A model of the electric locomotive BR 139 of the German Federal Railway (DB) in the green livery of Era IV – a 2026 novelty. It is a standardised freight locomotive with an electric rheostatic brake, intended for service including on steep lines.

The PIKO model has a modern PluX22 interface for easy decoder fitting, and the cab and engine-room lighting can be switched digitally.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Catalogue number: 21788
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Vehicle: electric locomotive BR 139 in green livery
• Model length: 190 mm
• Era: IV
• Operator: German Federal Railway (DB)
• Power system: direct current DC (analogue version)
• Decoder socket: NEM 658 (PluX22)
• Sound: can be retrofitted with PIKO sound decoder no. 56549
• Number of axles with traction tyres: 2
• Lighting: direction-dependent white/red light change; cab and engine-room lighting digitally switchable (with PluX22 decoder)
• Minimum curve radius: 358 mm
• Coupler: NEM socket with close-coupling mechanism
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Note: controlling and powering the model.

The model is produced in the analogue DC version. An ordinary direct-current controller is enough to run it – no digital command station is required. The model has a factory-fitted decoder socket (NEM 658 (PluX22)), which allows easy later digital conversion to DCC control. Sound can be added by fitting PIKO sound decoder no. 56549. The model is not a starter set and does not include track or a controller.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

A digital DCC system lets you control several locomotives independently on the same track at a constant rail voltage, whereas in an analogue system all vehicles on a given circuit respond simultaneously to changes in the supply voltage. The model described here is supplied in the analogue version (for direct current DC), with a decoder socket allowing later conversion to digital DCC control.

About the class 139 locomotive (E 40.11):

Class E 40.11 (designated class 139 from 1968) is a variant of the E 40 freight locomotive (class 140) fitted with an electric rheostatic brake. It was precisely this brake – which the basic E 40 lacked – that made them useful for service on steep lines such as Erkrath–Hochdahl and the Höllentalbahn, where it helped reduce wear on the block brakes.

The locomotives belong to the programme of standardised locomotives (Einheitslok) and have a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement. In design terms they derive from the E 40 class (and indirectly from the express E 10), differing mainly in the presence of the electric brake. The reproduced example is shown in the green livery of Era IV.

Original technical data (class 139 / E 40.11):

• Type: electric locomotive, Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement
• Programme: standardised locomotive (Einheitslok)
• Feature: electric rheostatic brake (for service on steep lines)
• Origin: variant of the E 40 class (class 140)
• Operator: German Federal Railway (DB)
• Era: IV

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German model railway manufacturer based in Sonneberg in Thuringia, with a tradition going back to 1949. Today it is one of the largest model railway manufacturers in Europe and offers models in many scales, including H0. Models from the PIKO Expert line stand out for their high level of detail – separately fitted parts, precise printing and metal pantographs – and thanks to standard decoder sockets they are prepared for digital conversion. PIKO is valued by modellers for combining build quality with an affordable price.