Piko 38990 G - WP&YR Scenic Passenger Car

American observation car model in White Pass & Yukon Route colours

A model of the American observation car in White Pass & Yukon Route colours — the railway built at the turn of the twentieth century for the Klondike gold seekers and today one of the best-known tourist lines in the world. The observation car ran at the rear of the train and let passengers take in the scenery from its open platforms.

The model stands out for raised engraving, clean paintwork and precise lettering. Robust construction gives good running qualities and reliable year-round operation on a garden layout. It is a rewarding addition to an American passenger formation in G scale.

Model specifications:

• Scale: G (garden railway, 45 mm track gauge)
• Catalogue number: 38990
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Model length: 368 mm
• Minimum radius: 600 mm
• 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.

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 38990 is an unpowered wagon without electronics, so it can be marshalled into trains hauled in either analogue or digital operation.

About the White Pass & Yukon Route:

Construction of the White Pass & Yukon Route began in May 1898 in response to the Klondike gold rush. The first passengers were carried in July 1898, the summit of the White Pass was reached in February 1899, and the connection to Whitehorse opened on 29 July 1900. The 914 mm gauge was chosen for economy — a narrow formation cut into rock faces was far cheaper.

Freight traffic, based on ore movements, ceased in 1982. Since 1988 the line has run purely as a tourist operation, its main market being passengers from cruise ships calling at Skagway in Alaska. The section currently worked, as far as Carcross, is about 109 km long and passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in North America.

The passenger fleet is a genuine collection: four saloon cars date from 1881 and are therefore older than the railway itself, complemented by replicas built in nineteenth-century style. Characteristic features are a wooden body, open platforms at both ends, large windows and the green and yellow colours with the company’s logo.

Prototype data:

• Railway: White Pass & Yukon Route (Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon)
• Built: 1898–1900
• Gauge: 914 mm
• Currently worked section: approx. 109 km (Skagway – Carcross)
• Vehicle type: open-platform observation car
• Traffic: purely tourist since 1988

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.