Piko 53349 H0 - 3rd class passenger coach, SNCB, Era III

Model of the 3rd class passenger coach in Belgian National Railways livery

This H0-scale model reproduces the four-axle 3rd class passenger coach of the Belgian National Railways (SNCB) in a livery characteristic of Era III. The prototype is a former Saxon compartment coach – vehicles of this type passed to Belgium after the First World War and served for years in passenger service, including express trains.

The model represents the version without a brakeman’s cabin. Characteristic features of the design are the arched roof without a clerestory and the side doors leading directly into the individual compartments. The finish stands out with separately applied handrails and vents and very fine engravings. The coach is fitted with a coupler pocket to NEM 362 with a close-coupling mechanism.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Item number: 53349
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Model length: 199 mm
• Era: III
• Railway: Belgian National Railways (SNCB)
• Version without brakeman’s cabin
• Separately applied handrails and vents, fine engravings
• Coupler: NEM 362 pocket with close-coupling mechanism
• AC (Märklin) wheelsets available separately – No. 56060
• Minimum radius: 415 mm
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and up

About the vehicle – Saxon compartment coaches in SNCB service:

The Saxon State Railways built compartment coaches for passenger service even after the First World War, including four-axle vehicles with a characteristic arched roof without a clerestory and side doors to each compartment. After the end of the First World War, numerous German compartment coaches passed to Belgium as reparations and were taken into the fleet of the Belgian National Railways (SNCB). There – repainted in the colours of their new operator – they served in passenger traffic for years. The compartment design, with separate doors to each compartment, proved its worth both in local services and in express trains.

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, offering a complete range in H0, TT, N and G scales – from indoor models to robust, weather-resistant garden railways. Its catalogue includes locomotives, wagons, starter sets, buildings and accessories. PIKO models are valued by modellers and collectors worldwide for their detailing, reliability and well-thought-out construction.