Piko 59371 H0 - Diesel locomotive G1206, Northrail, Era VI, DCC with sound

Digital model of the G 1206 diesel locomotive in Northrail livery

This H0-scale model reproduces the four-axle Vossloh G 1206 diesel locomotive in the colours of the Northrail company, in a livery characteristic of Era VI. This version has a factory-fitted PIKO XP sound decoder with a matching speaker and is ready for full digital control.

The bogies, fan grilles and roof section are precisely reproduced. Fine engravings – handrails, railings and front grilles – make the vehicle particularly attractive, and the wheel discs are printed to match the prototype. Power is transmitted by a strong motor via cardan shafts to the gearboxes, which drive all four axles.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Item number: 59371
• Manufacturer: PIKO
• Model length: 169 mm
• Era: VI
• Operator: Northrail (private railway)
• Power: DC / digital DCC
• Decoder interface: NEM 652
• Decoder: 8-pin PIKO XP sound decoder, factory-fitted, with speaker
• Drive: strong motor, via cardan shafts to all 4 axles; traction-tyred wheels (2 pcs.)
• Coupler: NEM pocket (without close-coupling mechanism)
• Minimum radius: 358 mm
• Lighting: directional, white / red
• Sound effects: realistic, with many functions
• The model is painted and ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and up

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 and independent control of the lights – a DCC command station is required (for example PIKO SmartControl or another DCC-compatible controller) connected to a powered track. The model can also be run on a classic analogue layout supplied with DC, but only provided that the decoder has its alternative-power (analogue running) function enabled – in the DCC standard this is controlled by bit 2 of register CV29. It is active by default, but if it has previously been switched off, 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 one receives individual commands at a constant track voltage, which makes it possible to realistically reproduce movement and to operate the lights and sound effects of every vehicle separately. In an analogue system, all vehicles on a given circuit are controlled simultaneously by varying the supply voltage. This model has a factory-fitted decoder and is intended primarily for digital control.

About the locomotive – Vossloh G 1206:

The G 1206 is a four-axle diesel-hydraulic locomotive in a B’B’ arrangement, designed in the mid-1990s at the Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) works and subsequently produced by Vossloh in Kiel. It was created for heavy freight and shunting work; power is transmitted hydraulically (Voith transmission) to both two-axle bogies. It is one of the most popular modern diesel locomotives in Europe – over 340 examples were built, operated by numerous private railways and freight carriers, as well as in national variants (including for the SNCF).

These machines are widely used by leasing companies and private operators for freight and shunting duties. Depending on the version, the G 1206 reaches speeds of up to 100 km/h and develops around 1500 kW. The example reproduced in the model carries the livery of the Northrail company.

Original specifications (Vossloh G 1206):

• Manufacturer: MaK / Vossloh, Kiel
• Build years: from 1997 (over 340 examples)
• Wheel arrangement: B’B’ (4 powered axles in two two-axle bogies)
• Drive type: diesel with hydraulic transmission (Voith)
• Length: approx. 14.7 m
• Weight: approx. 80–90 t
• Power: approx. 1500 kW (depending on the engine fitted)
• Maximum speed: up to 100 km/h (depending on the version)
• Use: freight and shunting duties

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.