Piko 51696 H0 - BR 103 Electric Locomotive, DB AG, Era V, DCC with sound

Digital Class 103 long-body express electric locomotive model in Deutsche Bahn livery

A digital model of the Class 103 in the long-body variant — the version of the class most prized by enthusiasts. The version reproduced by PIKO carries the orientrot red livery of Deutsche Bahn in era V and comes with a factory-fitted sound decoder.

The model combines a heavy die-cast metal frame with a finely detailed body, precise paintwork and printing and delicate metal pantographs. Power comes from a five-pole ball-bearing motor with two flywheels, giving smooth starting and steady running. The LED lights change with the direction of travel. Brake hoses for the modeller to fit are supplied with the model. The factory-fitted PluX22 decoder works with a speaker of the largest possible diaphragm and allows independent control of the headlights and cab lighting.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Catalogue number: 51696
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Model length: 232 mm
• Era: V
• Power supply: DC
• Decoder socket: NEM 658 – PluX22
• Decoder: PIKO sound decoder, factory-fitted
• Drive: five-pole ball-bearing motor with two flywheels
• Traction tyres: 2
• Coupling: NEM 362 coupler pocket with close coupling kinematics
• Minimum radius: 358 mm
• Lighting: LED lighting changing with the direction of travel: white and red
• Heavy die-cast metal frame
• Metal pantographs
• Digitally switchable cab lighting
• Brake hoses for the modeller to fit included
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Please note: a DCC command station and powered track are required to operate this model.

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

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 51696 has a factory-fitted sound decoder and is intended above all for digital operation.

About the Class 103:

The Class 103, originally designated E 03, was an icon of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and for two decades the fastest and most powerful main line locomotive in Europe. Four prototypes were delivered in 1965 for the Munich transport exhibition, and the production series 103 101–245 was built between 1970 and 1974 by a consortium: mechanical parts from Henschel, Krauss-Maffei and Krupp, electrical equipment from AEG, BBC and Siemens.

The six-axle machine, with a continuous rating of 7,440 kW and a top speed of 200 km/h, became the backbone of the Trans Europ Express and later InterCity networks. Test runs reached speeds well above the design figure, and one machine was later cleared for 280 km/h. From unit 103 216 onwards a lengthened carbody was used — 70 cm longer, about 20.20 m instead of 19.50 m — giving roomier cabs and better working conditions. These last thirty machines are the variant most prized by enthusiasts.

The decline came with the Class 120 and above all with the launch of the ICE in 1991. The Class 103 was relegated to secondary duties, and intensive use took its toll. Regular service ended in 2003. Seventeen machines survive today, several of them operational. The era V livery is orientrot — red with a white band below the cab windows — introduced from about 1987 and dominant after 1996, when it displaced the classic TEE colours.

Prototype specifications (Class 103, long carbody version):

• Manufacturer: Henschel, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp (mechanical); AEG, BBC, Siemens (electrical)
• Built: 1970–1974 (four prototypes in 1965)
• Output: 145 production units; long carbody from 103 216 — the last 30 machines
• Wheel arrangement: Co'Co'
• Length: 20,200 mm (long carbody version)
• Weight: approx. 114 t
• Continuous rating: 7,440 kW
• Supply voltage: 15 kV 16⅔ Hz
• Top speed: 200 km/h
• Role: TEE and InterCity express trains
• End of regular service: 2003

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.