Piko 24559 H0 - Acid pot goods wagon, ÖBB, Era III

Model of an acid transport wagon in the livery of the Austrian Federal Railways

A ready-to-run model of a specialised goods wagon for transporting acids – an “acid pot” wagon – in the prototypical livery and lettering of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) in Era III. In H0 scale PIKO has reproduced this characteristic and rarely seen rolling stock with stoneware vessels for aggressive liquids.

The model is fitted with a brakeman's cabin and is distinguished by a large number of details and separately applied parts, including the openwork frame holding the stoneware pots. It is built as a direct-current (DC) version, with an NEM coupler pocket and a close-coupling mechanism. An AC wheelset (no. 56060) is available separately for the Märklin AC system.

Model technical data:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Item number: 24559
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Railway: ÖBB
• Era: III (1945–1970)
• Model length: 112 mm
• Power system: direct current (DC)
• Brakeman's cabin, many separately applied details
• Coupling: NEM pocket with close-coupling mechanism
• Minimum radius: 358 mm
• AC wheelset (no. 56060) available separately for the Märklin AC system
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

About the acid transport wagon:

An acid pot wagon (German: Säuretopfwagen) is a special, usually two-axle goods wagon used to carry acids and alkalis such as sulphuric acid, oleum, hydrochloric, nitric, hydrofluoric and phosphoric acid. Because acids react with metals and sufficiently resistant alloys for tanks were not yet available at the time, these aggressive liquids could not be carried in tank wagons. Instead large stoneware vessels were used (most often 8 to 14 pots per wagon), set in a wooden openwork frame.

Such wagons were classed as rolling stock requiring special caution: the stoneware vessels were sensitive to shocks during shunting, so trains with acid pot wagons could only be loose-shunted with the hand brake manned – hence the characteristic brakeman's cabin. The floor and drainage were designed so that any spilled acid would safely run off away from the running gear. Wagons of this type worked on European railways, including the Austrian network, into Era III, before being superseded by modern tank wagons made of corrosion-resistant steel.

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German model railway manufacturer with over seventy years of tradition, founded in 1949 in Sonneberg, Thuringia. Today it is one of the most popular model railway brands in Europe and a notable producer of European rolling stock, including Polish prototypes in PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo liveries. Its range covers locomotives, wagons and complete trains from N up to G scale, with selected models equipped at the factory with DCC and sound decoders. PIKO products are valued by modellers and collectors worldwide for their fidelity, functionality and modern digital technology.