Piko 47442 TT - Taurus Electric Locomotive, MAV-Cargo, Era VI

Model of the Taurus electric locomotive in the livery of the Hungarian operator MÁV Cargo

The distinctive wedge-shaped front of the Taurus has been a fixture of the Central European railway scene for more than two decades. The PIKO 47442 model reproduces a member of that family in the livery of the Hungarian operator MÁV Cargo, in a version matching era VI, that is the period after 2006. It is a natural choice for layouts running modern freight and international passenger services.

The model stands out for its precise paintwork and finely reproduced body details, developed with demanding layouts in mind. TT close couplers maintain prototypical spacing between vehicles, and the headlights change with the direction of travel. Two traction tyres support the drive, so the locomotive handles longer consists confidently, gradients included.

Model specifications:

• Scale: TT (1:120)
• Item number: PIKO 47442
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Length over buffers: 161 mm
• Railway administration: MÁV, era VI
• Power supply: DC
• Decoder interface: 8-pin NEM 652 (decoder available separately)
• Drive: powered, ready to run
• Traction tyres: 2
• Coupling: TT close coupler
• Minimum radius: 310 mm
• Lighting: directional light change, white / white
• Age recommendation: 14 years and up

Please note: a power supply unit and powered track are required to run this model.

This model is not a starter set and does not include track or a controller. As delivered it runs on a conventional analogue layout supplied with direct current and controlled by a standard throttle. The 8-pin NEM 652 decoder interface allows a DCC decoder to be retrofitted at any time; once fitted, digital functions become available and the locomotive can be driven independently on a digitally controlled layout.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

Analogue control works by regulating the voltage fed to the rails: change the voltage and you change the speed, reverse the polarity and you reverse the direction. DCC works differently — the track stays permanently energised while the command station sends coded instructions to decoders inside the locomotives, so several vehicles can run independently and additional functions can be switched on. This Taurus leaves the factory as an analogue model with a prepared decoder interface, making it well suited to a classic DC layout and easy to upgrade to digital control later.

About the Taurus (Siemens ES64U2) locomotive:

Taurus is the trade name of the Siemens ES64U2 family of electric locomotives, derived from the EuroSprinter platform. The type was built between 1999 and 2006 by Siemens and Krauss-Maffei, with several hundred units produced in total. The design brief called for a genuinely universal machine: a four-axle Bo'Bo' locomotive rated at 6,400 kW that copes equally well with heavy freight and fast passenger trains.

A top speed of 230 km/h places the Taurus among the fastest mixed-traffic locomotives of its generation, while a tractive effort of around 300 kN lets it start very heavy trains from standstill. Multi-system versions operate under 15 kV 16.7 Hz and 25 kV 50 Hz catenary, allowing trains to cross borders without changing locomotives — precisely the feature that made the type so popular in Austria, Germany, Hungary and neighbouring countries.

The largest operator of the family is the Austrian state railway, where the Taurus runs as classes 1016 and 1116. In Hungary the type was taken into stock by MÁV, initially as class 1047 and later renumbered into class 470; five further machines went to the operator GySEV. Hungarian Taurus locomotives worked both passenger and freight duties, including in the colours of the railway's freight arm. Its striking outline and high output quickly turned the locomotive into an icon of modern electric traction.

Prototype specifications (Siemens ES64U2 Taurus):

• Builders: Siemens and Krauss-Maffei
• Build years: 1999–2006
• Wheel arrangement: Bo'Bo'
• Length over buffers: approximately 19.58 m
• Service weight: 86–87 t
• Continuous power output: 6,400 kW
• Tractive effort: 300 kN
• Top speed: 230 km/h
• Supply systems: 15 kV 16.7 Hz and 25 kV 50 Hz (multi-system versions)
• Duties: mixed traffic — passenger and freight services, including cross-border work

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German model railway manufacturer that has been in continuous operation since 1949, when the company started out in Sonneberg. More than seventy years of experience have made it one of the most popular model railway brands in Europe. The range covers H0, TT, N and G scales, from starter sets for newcomers to finely finished collector models. The PIKO Expert line combines a high level of detail with modern digital technology and standard decoder interfaces. The company is also a leading producer of models of Polish prototypes — PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo vehicles — which has made it a familiar name among Polish modellers as well.