Piko 59376 H0 - G1206 Diesel Locomotive, RTS-Swietelsky NL, Era VI

Model of the G 1206 diesel locomotive in the livery of the Dutch branch of RTS Rail Transport Service, Swietelsky group

The fleets of companies that build and maintain railway lines follow their own rules — high-visibility colours, work under line possessions, heavy trains of ballast and rail. This PIKO H0 model depicts a G 1206 diesel locomotive in the colours of RTS Rail Transport Service, the Austrian company belonging to the Swietelsky construction group, in the version of its Dutch operation in Era VI. The machine has the classic outline with a central cab between hoods of unequal length, carried on two two-axle bogies.

The model reproduces the bogies, fan grilles and roof section precisely, and the body is completed with fine engraving of handrails, railings and front grilles. The wheel discs are printed to prototype, while the paintwork and printing render the operator's markings. A powerful motor transmits torque through cardan shafts to the gearboxes so all four axles are driven; two wheels carry traction tyres, giving strong pulling power with heavy works trains. The model has direction-dependent white and red lighting and an 8-pin NEM 652 decoder interface.

Model specifications:

• scale: H0 (1:87)
• item number: PIKO 59376
• manufacturer: PIKO
• length over buffers: 169 mm
• operator: RTS-Swietelsky NL (private railway)
• era: VI
• power supply: DC
• decoder interface: NEM 652 (8-pin), decoder to be purchased separately
• sound decoder: PIKO no. 56555 available for retrofitting
• drive: motor with cardan shafts to the gearboxes, all four axles driven
• traction tyres: 2
• coupling: NEM 362 pocket
• minimum radius: 358 mm
• lighting: direction-dependent white and red lights
• wheel discs printed to prototype
• ready to run, factory painted and printed
• age recommendation: 14 years and over

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

The model is not a starter set and contains no track or controller. As delivered it runs on a conventional analogue layout supplied with direct current, so a power pack with variable voltage and a track connected to it are enough to get started. The built-in NEM 652 interface allows a DCC decoder to be fitted at any time; the manufacturer lists PIKO sound decoder no. 56555 as the matching item. Once installed, the model gains the full set of digital functions, including independent control on shared track, smooth acceleration and braking, and switching of auxiliary functions.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

An analogue layout works as simply as possible: the power pack feeds direct current to the rails, and its level and polarity determine the speed and direction of every vehicle on that section. A DCC system keeps the track permanently energised and superimposes addressed commands for the decoders fitted in the locomotives — each vehicle then responds only to its own instructions, several trains can run at once, lighting and sound can be switched, and acceleration and braking inertia can be set. This model is delivered as an analogue locomotive with a prepared decoder interface, so it works equally well on a simple DC layout and after an upgrade to DCC.

About the G 1206 locomotive:

The G 1206 made its debut in 1997 at the Maschinenbau Kiel works, a year before the manufacturer was absorbed by the Vossloh group. It appeared just as the European rail market was opening to private operators, who needed a versatile diesel locomotive — powerful enough for heavy shunting and industrial work, yet able to take a train onto a main line. That dual capability decided the design's success.

The layout is classic for European shunting and trip locomotives: a central cab, two hoods of unequal length, two two-axle bogies in a B'B' arrangement. A Caterpillar 3512B DI-TA diesel or an MTU unit from Friedrichshafen develops between 1,500 and 1,570 kW, transmitted through a Voith hydraulic transmission. Service weight lies between 80 and 90 tonnes, starting tractive effort reaches 282 kN and top speed goes up to 100 km/h. The fuel tank holds 3,150 litres.

By the end of production in 2016 more than three hundred and twenty locomotives of the class had been built, working in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France and Luxembourg, where CFL classified them as class 1500; SNCF took twenty-three as class BB 61000. A separate heavy shunting variant, the G 1206-2, was built with 920 kW and a top speed limited to 50 km/h. Locomotives in RTS colours serve mainly on works trains and construction transports — the company was founded in 2004, is based in Graz, belongs to the Austrian Swietelsky group and handles construction site logistics, freight and special transports, operating beyond Austria as well.

Prototype specifications (MaK / Vossloh G 1206):

• builder: Maschinenbau Kiel, from 1998 Vossloh Locomotives (Kiel)
• build years: 1997 to 2016
• number built: more than 320
• wheel arrangement: B'B'
• length over buffers: 14.70 m
• width: 3.08 m; height: 4.22 m
• service weight: 80–90 t
• engine: Caterpillar 3512B DI-TA or MTU Friedrichshafen
• power output: 1,500–1,570 kW
• transmission: Voith hydraulic
• starting tractive effort: 282 kN
• maximum speed: up to 100 km/h
• fuel tank capacity: 3,150 l
• purpose: heavy shunting and mainline freight work

About the manufacturer – PIKO:

PIKO is a German model railway manufacturer from Sonneberg in Thuringia, in continuous operation since 1949. More than seventy years of experience have produced one of the broadest ranges in Europe — H0, TT, N and garden-scale G, from starter sets to collector models. The brand's diesel locomotives are valued for their dependable drives, good traction and straightforward decoder installation, while the PIKO Expert series combines high detail with modern digital technology. PIKO is also a leading producer of Polish prototype models, including PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo vehicles.