Piko 40655 N - Maas-Wupper-Express GFF 1st/2nd-class passenger car, Era VI

Model of a composite 1st/2nd class regional passenger car in Maas-Wupper-Express livery of Gesellschaft für Fahrzeugtechnik

In a regional rake the composite car was always the one that looked slightly different — the narrower windows over the 1st class compartments gave it away from the platform. This model reproduces exactly such a regional passenger car in its 1st/2nd class version, carrying the livery of the Maas-Wupper-Express operated by the private company Gesellschaft für Fahrzeugtechnik. It is built in N scale, measures 165 mm over buffers and represents a vehicle of era VI.

As on the prototype, window layout and interior fittings differ according to class, and the model reproduces that division — placed next to a plain 2nd class car it makes a visible difference in the rake. Precisely implemented dimensions give proportions faithful to the original, while plastic bogies from carefully worked moulds complete the underframe. Painting and printing are cleanly executed, with legible class markings and numbering. The car is prepared for interior lighting, for which the manufacturer specifies kit no. 46293. The coupling sits in an NEM 362 pocket with a close coupling mechanism, allowing tight spacing and a secure connection between vehicles.

Model specifications:

• Scale: N (1:160)
• Item number: 40655
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Length over buffers: 165 mm
• Railway administration: private operator — Gesellschaft für Fahrzeugtechnik (GfF), era VI
• Vehicle type: regional passenger car, 1st and 2nd class
• Intended for direct current (DC) model track
• Coupling: NEM 362 pocket with close coupling mechanism
• Minimum radius: 192 mm
• Interior lighting: prepared for retrofitting, kit no. 46293 available separately
• Plastic bogies from high-quality moulds
• Ready to run, factory painted and assembled
• Age recommendation: 14 years and up

Please note: this car has no drive of its own.

It is an unpowered trailer intended for locomotive-hauled consists, so it does not move by itself and needs no decoder. Running it requires a powered track, a controller and a locomotive. The minimum radius is 192 mm, worth allowing for when planning curves on a layout. In a realistic regional formation the composite car normally runs singly, alongside several plain 2nd class cars and a control car at the end of the rake.

About the regional passenger car:

This family of cars appeared as commuter numbers in West Germany rose sharply and pre-war stock could no longer cope. Prototypes were built from 1958, series production ran from 1959 to 1980, and the total reached around five thousand vehicles. The 1957 order was divided between four works: WMD at Donauwörth, Wegmann & Co. at Kassel, LHB at Salzgitter and MaK at Kiel.

The body, 26,400 mm long over buffers, 2,825 mm wide and 4,050 mm high, was at first made of stainless steel left unpainted — the pearly sheen of those surfaces earned the cars their Silberling nickname. Tare weight ran from 31 to 40 tonnes depending on variant, top speed was 120 km/h, or 140 km/h for disc-braked versions. A plain 2nd class car seated 96; in the composite versions part of the space was given over to 1st class, with wider two-plus-two seating. Alongside the passenger cars there were also versions with a luggage compartment and dedicated control cars.

For decades they formed the backbone of German regional traffic, hauled by electric and diesel locomotives across the country. From 1986 part of the fleet received the mint turquoise livery, and after 1996 traffic red. Deutsche Bahn ended their service on 16 October 2022, after more than sixty years. The cars were not scrapped, however — private operators took them on, among them Gesellschaft für Fahrzeugtechnik of Crailsheim, which specialises in providing classic locomotive-hauled rakes for replacement and reinforcement duties. That is how they reached the Maas-Wupper-Express, running from Venlo in the Netherlands to Hamm in Westphalia.

Prototype specifications (regional passenger car, the Silberling):

• Builders: WMD Donauwörth, Wegmann & Co. Kassel, LHB Salzgitter, MaK Kiel
• Build years: prototypes from 1958, series production 1959–1980, around 5,000 vehicles
• Length over buffers: 26,400 mm
• Width: 2,825 mm, height: 4,050 mm
• Tare weight: 31–40 t depending on variant
• Maximum speed: 120 km/h, disc-braked versions 140 km/h
• Seating: 96 in the 2nd class car; composite versions gave part of the accommodation to 1st class
• Four-axle car on two bogies, unpowered
• Purpose: regional and suburban services

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German model railway manufacturer based at Sonneberg in Thuringia, where its works have operated without interruption since 1949. More than seventy years in the market have made the brand one of the most popular in Europe. The range covers scales H0, TT, N and G, from starter sets to vehicles aimed at demanding collectors. The PIKO Expert line combines high-quality detailing with modern digital technology. The company is also a leading producer of Polish prototype models, including PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo vehicles, which makes it a familiar name to modellers in Poland.