Piko 52078 H0 - Diesel multiple unit Desiro Saarlandbahn, DB AG, Era VI, DCC with sound

Digital model of the Desiro diesel multiple unit in DB AG livery

A digital, ready-to-run model of the two-car Desiro diesel multiple unit (Class 642) in DB AG livery for the regional network of the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate from Era VI, produced by PIKO in H0 scale. The vehicle faithfully captures the silhouette and livery of a modern low-floor regional unit.

The model has a factory-fitted 8-pin sound decoder and offers realistic operating sound. It is also equipped with factory-installed, switchable interior lighting and a detailed passenger-compartment interior, clearly visible through the glazing. Two wheels with traction tyres assist haulage, and a special coupler for multiple working is included.

Model technical data:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Item number: 52078
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Railway: DB AG
• Era: VI (from 2006)
• Model length: 479 mm
• Power supply: direct current DC
• Decoder interface: NEM 652 (8-pin sound decoder included)
• Drive: two wheels with traction tyres
• Factory-fitted switchable interior lighting
• Detailed interior visible through the glazing
• Sound effects: realistic operating sound
• Lighting: white and red lights changing with the direction of travel
• Special coupler for multiple working included
• Minimum radius: 358 mm
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Note: a DCC digital command station and a powered track are required to run the model.

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

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

The DCC digital control system allows several vehicles to run independently on the same track. Each vehicle receives individual commands at a constant track voltage, enabling a realistic representation of movement and separate control of the lights and sound effects of each model. In an analogue system all vehicles on a given circuit are controlled simultaneously by changing the supply voltage. The PIKO 52078 model has a factory-fitted DCC decoder with sound and is intended primarily for digital control.

About the Desiro Classic diesel multiple unit (Class 642):

Class 642 is a two-car diesel multiple unit from the Siemens Desiro Classic family, produced by Siemens from 1999. The vehicle was designed for regional services on non-electrified main and secondary lines. The two car bodies rest in the middle on a common Jacobs bogie, and the low floor in the entrance area makes boarding easier even at low platforms.

Each car is powered by an underfloor diesel engine, with power transmitted through a hydro-mechanical transmission. The units are fitted with automatic Scharfenberg couplers, so they can run in multiple – up to three sets together. A total of 232 of these Class 642 units were delivered to Deutsche Bahn, and DB Regio remains their largest operator to this day. The model reproduces a DB AG vehicle in the livery of the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate regional network from Era VI.

Original technical data (Class 642 / Desiro Classic):

• Manufacturer: Siemens Mobility
• Production from: 1999 (232 Class 642 units for DB)
• Number of cars: 2 (on a common Jacobs bogie)
• Drive: two underfloor diesel engines, hydro-mechanical transmission
• Engine power: 275–360 kW per engine (depending on version)
• Coupler: automatic Scharfenberg (multiple working of up to three units)
• Purpose: regional services on non-electrified lines

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German model railway manufacturer with over seventy years of tradition, founded in 1949 in Sonneberg, Thuringia. Today it is one of the most popular model railway brands in Europe and a notable producer of European rolling stock, including Polish prototypes in PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo liveries. Its range covers locomotives, wagons and complete trains from N up to G scale, with selected models equipped at the factory with DCC and sound decoders. PIKO products are valued by modellers and collectors worldwide for their fidelity, functionality and modern digital technology.