Piko 38987 G - Rio Grande Scenic Passenger Car, D&RGW

American observation car model in Denver & Rio Grande Western colours

A model of the American observation car in Denver & Rio Grande Western colours — the legendary Colorado narrow gauge railroad whose surviving sections still carry steam-hauled tourist traffic. The observation car ran at the rear of the train and let passengers take in the mountain scenery from an open platform.

The model stands out for raised engraving, clean paintwork and precise lettering. Robust construction gives good running qualities and reliable operation on a garden layout in all weather. It is the natural finishing touch to an American passenger formation in G scale.

Model specifications:

• Scale: G (garden railway, 45 mm track gauge)
• Catalogue number: 38987
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Model length: 368 mm
• Minimum radius: 600 mm
• Interior lighting: can be retrofitted (kit no. 36250, available separately)
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Please note: this model is not a starter set — a locomotive and powered track are required.

The wagon model does not include track, a locomotive or a controller. To put it into service you need powered track and a locomotive — analogue or digital. The wagon itself has no drive or electronics, so it behaves the same way on analogue DC track as in a digitally controlled DCC layout. The retrofit kits listed in the specifications, such as interior lighting, are sold separately and are not part of this product.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

The digital DCC control system allows several locomotives to run independently on the same track. Each vehicle receives individual commands while the rail voltage stays constant, which makes realistic operation possible and allows the lights and sound effects of every locomotive to be controlled separately. In an analogue system all vehicles on a given circuit are controlled at once by varying the supply voltage. PIKO model 38987 is an unpowered wagon without electronics, so it can be marshalled into trains hauled in either analogue or digital operation.

About the Denver & Rio Grande Western:

The Denver & Rio Grande Western was incorporated on 27 October 1870 on the initiative of General William Jackson Palmer; the first rails left Denver in July 1871 and trains reached Colorado Springs in October. The railroad was built to three-foot narrow gauge — cheaper in the mountains of Colorado, allowing sharper curves, narrower rock ledges and smaller embankments and tunnels.

From 1887 parts of the network were converted to standard gauge, and the main line went standard gauge around 1890, but the narrow gauge network in south-western Colorado survived for decades. The railroad lost its independence after the merger with Southern Pacific in 1988, the brand disappeared in 1992, and Union Pacific took over the whole in 1996.

Two tourist sections of the old 914 mm network still operate: the Durango & Silverton, built in 1881–1882 and sold by the D&RGW in 1981, and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, bought by the states of New Mexico and Colorado around 1969 and 1970. Both run steam and are among the best-known heritage railways in the world — and their distinctive yellow and black colours are recognised far beyond America.

Prototype data:

• Railroad: Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (USA)
• Founded: 1870
• Narrow gauge: 914 mm (three feet)
• Preserved tourist sections: Durango & Silverton (72.7 km) and Cumbres & Toltec Scenic (103 km)
• Vehicle type: open-platform observation car, running at the rear of the train

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German manufacturer of model railways with more than seventy years of tradition, founded in 1949 in Sonneberg. Today it is one of the most popular model railway brands in Europe and a leading producer of Polish prototype models, including locomotives and coaches in PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo colours. The range covers H0, TT, N and G scales, from individual wagons to comprehensive starter sets and digital control systems. The PIKO Expert range combines a high level of detail with modern digital technology — with factory-fitted DCC and sound decoders in selected models. PIKO products are valued by modellers and collectors worldwide.