Piko 22065 H0 - BR 215 Diesel Locomotive, DB AG, Era V, DCC with sound

Model of the Class 215 diesel locomotive in Deutsche Bahn AG livery with sound decoder

The Class 215 was one of the most adaptable variants of the V 160 family, a design that formed the backbone of West German diesel traction for decades. This model portrays a four-axle diesel-hydraulic locomotive in Deutsche Bahn AG colours, placing it in era V. It is the sound version: a PSD XP decoder to the PluX22 standard is installed at the factory, reproducing authentic prototype sounds and offering a range of functions switched from the command station.

The bodyshell is built around finely reproduced details — separately applied handrails, steps and spring packs, the auxiliary diesel exhaust and an additional tank. A push-pull connector is fitted, and brake hoses and coupling hooks are supplied for the modeller to add. Livery and lettering are crisply printed, with even the finest inscriptions legible. The driver's desk is illuminated and the cab lighting can be switched digitally. Drive comes from a motor and gearbox assisted by two traction tyres, giving confident haulage of longer consists.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Item number: 22065
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Length over buffers: 188 mm
• Railway administration: DB AG, era V
• Power supply: direct current (DC)
• Decoder: factory-fitted PluX22 sound decoder (NEM 658 PluX22 interface)
• Sound: PSD XP sound reproducing the prototype, numerous digitally switchable functions
• Traction tyres: 2
• Coupling: NEM 362 pocket with close coupling mechanism
• Minimum radius: 358 mm
• Lighting: directional white / red head and tail lights
• Digital functions: digitally switchable cab lighting
• Illuminated driver's control panel
• Ready to run, factory painted and assembled
• Age recommendation: 14 years and up

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

This model is not a starter set and includes neither track nor a controller. To use all of its functions you need a DCC command station — for example PIKO SmartControl or another DCC-compatible controller — connected to a powered track. Running on an analogue DC layout is possible only if the decoder has its alternative power source setting (analogue operation) enabled, which under the DCC standard is controlled by bit 2 of register CV29. This 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 control works by varying the voltage fed to the track: the locomotive starts and accelerates as the voltage rises, and only one train can be driven independently within a section. DCC sends both power and coded commands through the rails, which the decoder in a particular vehicle picks up, so several locomotives can run at the same time and independently, with sound and switchable lighting functions available to the operator. With its factory-fitted sound decoder, this model is intended above all for digitally controlled layouts.

About the Class 215 locomotive:

The Class 215 was conceived as a medium-powered general purpose locomotive for the Deutsche Bundesbahn, intended for passenger and freight work alike. The machines were built by Krupp and MAN between 1968 and 1971, with 150 examples completed. The design came from the V 160 family, already proven in everyday service.

The locomotives were equipped with a through-pass boiler for steam heating of passenger stock and with an auxiliary diesel engine which, when the locomotive was stabled, worked as an air compressor and recharged the batteries, so the machine did not need to stand near a mains supply. The class worked in the Eifel region, on the Lower Rhine and around Lake Constance, handling trains of every kind. Thanks to its loud diesel engine, the entire V 160 family acquired the railwaymen's nickname "Ölkocher", the oil cooker.

Withdrawal began in 2000 and the last regular workings ran until April 2003. Between 2001 and 2003, sixty-eight locomotives were rebuilt as Class 225, losing their steam boiler and moving to freight duties. The design also allowed conversion to Class 218, which speaks for the flexibility of the type.

Prototype specifications (Class 215 diesel locomotive):

• Builders: Krupp, MAN
• Years built: 1968–1971
• Number built: 150
• Wheel arrangement: B'B'
• Length over buffers: 16,400 mm
• Service weight: 79 t
• Power output: 1,900 hp (1,397 kW) and 2,500 hp (1,840 kW) depending on engine fitted
• Engines: MAN V6V 23/23 TL, Mercedes-Benz MB 839 Bb, MTU MA 12 V 956 TB 10
• Transmission: hydraulic
• Starting tractive effort: 235.2 kN
• Top speed: 140 km/h (215 001–004: 130 km/h)
• Intended use: medium-weight passenger and freight services on main and branch lines

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

The PIKO story begins in 1949 with a works founded at Sonneberg in Thuringia. Today the company is one of the most recognisable European model railway manufacturers, with more than seventy years of design and production experience. The catalogue covers scales H0, TT, N and G, from complete starter sets to refined models for collectors. The PIKO Expert line stands out for its richly detailed bodies and modern digital technology, with factory-fitted decoders or prepared interfaces. PIKO has also long developed a range of Polish rolling stock models, including PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo vehicles.