Piko 37332 G - Electric railcar ET91 “Gläserner Zug”, DB, Era III, DCC with sound

Model of the ET 91 “Gläserner Zug” electric observation railcar in the livery of the German Federal Railway

A digital model of the legendary ET 91 electric railcar, known as the “Gläserner Zug” – the Glass Train – in G garden scale. PIKO has reproduced this exceptional vehicle in the red livery of the German Federal Railway (DB) in Era III, preserving its most recognisable feature: the glazed, panoramic car body.

The transparent body reveals a detailed interior together with factory-installed figures, while the interior and driver's cab lighting create a unique atmosphere. A powerful Bühler motor, supported by two additional rail pick-ups, ensures reliable traction and optimal power supply. In this digital version the model is factory-equipped with a decoder and sound, and among its special highlights are digitally controllable pantographs and roof equipment with cables and insulators.

Model technical data:

• Scale: G (garden railway)
• Item number: 37332
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Railway: DB
• Era: III (1945–1970)
• Model length: 824 mm
• Drive: Bühler motor, two additional rail pick-ups
• Decoder: factory-fitted decoder with sound
• Transparent body with reproduced interior and figures
• Interior and driver's cab lighting
• Directional lighting: white / red
• Roof equipment with cables and insulators
• Digitally controllable pantographs
• Minimum radius: 600 mm
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Note: a DCC digital command station and a powered track are required to run the model.

The model is not a starter set and does not include track or a controller. To use all the digital functions – sound, lighting control and the remaining effects – a DCC command station (e.g. PIKO SmartControl or any other DCC-compatible controller) connected to a powered track is required. The model can also be run on a conventional analogue layout powered by direct current (DC), but only provided that the decoder has its alternative power source function (analogue operation – governed by bit 2 of register CV29 in the DCC standard) switched on. It is active by default, but if it has previously been disabled, supplying the track with DC may damage the decoder. In analogue mode only basic running is available – without sound or digital functions.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

The DCC digital control system allows several vehicles to run independently on the same track. Each vehicle receives individual commands at a constant track voltage, enabling a realistic representation of movement and separate control of the lights and sound effects of each model. In an analogue system all vehicles on a given circuit are controlled simultaneously by changing the supply voltage. The PIKO 37332 model has a factory-fitted DCC decoder with sound and is intended primarily for digital control.

About the ET 91 “Gläserner Zug” observation railcar:

The ET 91 is a legendary electric railcar known as the “Gläserner Zug” – the Glass Train – thanks to its large panorama windows giving passengers an unobstructed view of the landscape. Two examples (ET 91 01 and ET 91 02) were built in 1935: the mechanical part was made by Waggonfabrik Fuchs in Heidelberg, while the electrical equipment was supplied by AEG. The vehicles, with a Bo'2' wheel arrangement, were created for attractive sightseeing trips and ran mainly in southern Germany and Austria, including on popular scenic Alpine routes.

ET 91 02 was destroyed on 9 March 1943 during an air raid on the Munich marshalling yard. ET 91 01 survived the war without major damage and was taken over by the German Federal Railway (DB); from 1968 it was designated as class 491 (491 001-4). The vehicle ran for decades, changing its livery several times, until a serious accident at Garmisch-Partenkirchen in December 1995, after which it was withdrawn from service. The preserved example is housed at Bahnpark Augsburg. The model reproduces it in the characteristic crimson-and-cream DB livery of Era III.

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German model railway manufacturer with over seventy years of tradition, founded in 1949 in Sonneberg, Thuringia. Alongside its H0 range, PIKO develops an extensive line of garden railway models in G scale, built for outdoor running and distinguished by their robust, weather-resistant construction. These models combine large, eye-catching dimensions with rich digital equipment, lighting and sound. PIKO products are valued by modellers and collectors worldwide for their fidelity, functionality and modern digital technology.