Piko 59377 H0 - G1206 Diesel Locomotive, RTS-Swietelsky NL, Era VI, DCC with Sound

Model of the G 1206 diesel locomotive in the livery of the Dutch branch of RTS Rail Transport Service, with factory-fitted sound decoder

Works trains are a world of their own: brightly painted locomotives, consists of ballast and rail, night-time possessions. This PIKO H0 model depicts a G 1206 diesel locomotive in the colours of RTS Rail Transport Service — the Austrian company of the Swietelsky construction group — in the version of its Dutch operation in Era VI. The vehicle has the classic outline with a central cab between two hoods of unequal length, carried on two two-axle bogies.

The finish covers precisely reproduced bogies, fan grilles and roof section along with fine engraving of handrails, railings and front grilles; the wheel discs are printed to prototype. A powerful motor transmits torque through cardan shafts to the gearboxes so that all four axles are driven, and two wheels with traction tyres provide strong pulling power. The model is factory-equipped with an 8-pin PIKO XP sound decoder and a matching speaker, so operating sounds and digital functions are available as soon as the locomotive is placed on the track. White and red lights change with the direction of travel.

Model specifications:

• scale: H0 (1:87)
• item number: PIKO 59377
• manufacturer: PIKO
• length over buffers: 169 mm
• operator: RTS-Swietelsky NL (private railway)
• era: VI
• power supply: DC
• decoder: 8-pin PIKO XP sound decoder fitted at the factory, NEM 652 interface
• sound: matching speaker, digitally controlled operating sounds
• 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 DCC command station and a powered track are required to run this model.

The model is not a starter set and contains no track or controller. To use its full capability — sound, lighting and auxiliary functions — a DCC command station is required, for example PIKO SmartControl or another DCC-compatible controller, connected to a powered track. Running on an analogue DC layout is possible only if the decoder has its alternative power source function, that is analogue operation, switched on; in the DCC standard this is governed by bit 2 of register CV29. The function is active by default, but if it has previously been switched off, applying direct current 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?

In a classic analogue setup, speed and direction depend on the voltage the power pack feeds directly to the rails, and every vehicle on that section responds to it in the same way. In a DCC system the track is permanently energised and the command station superimposes coded instructions addressed to individual decoders — several locomotives can then be driven independently on one track, lights switched, sounds triggered and acceleration and braking behaviour shaped precisely. Supplied with a factory-fitted sound decoder, this model is intended above all for layouts controlled digitally to the DCC standard.

About the G 1206 locomotive:

Development of the G 1206 ended with the class entering production in 1997 at the Maschinenbau Kiel works, a year before the manufacturer was taken over by the Vossloh group. The opening rail freight market created demand for a dual-purpose diesel locomotive: powerful enough for heavy shunting and industrial branch work, yet capable of hauling freight trains over main lines. That versatility decided the design's success.

The locomotive has a central cab and two hoods of unequal length, the whole resting on two two-axle bogies in a B'B' arrangement. The diesel engine — a Caterpillar 3512B DI-TA or an MTU unit from Friedrichshafen — develops between 1,500 and 1,570 kW, with torque transmitted by a Voith hydraulic transmission. Service weight is 80 to 90 tonnes, starting tractive effort reaches 282 kN, top speed goes up to 100 km/h, and the 3,150 litre fuel tank allows a full shift without refuelling.

Production ended in 2016 with a total of more than three hundred and twenty examples. The locomotives went to 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 heavy shunting variant, the G 1206-2, was also built with 920 kW and a top speed limited to 50 km/h. Examples in RTS colours are used mainly on works trains and construction transports — the company, founded in 2004 and based in Graz, belongs to the Austrian Swietelsky group and handles construction site logistics, freight and special transports, operating outside 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:

Founded in 1949, PIKO has been producing model railways in Sonneberg, Thuringia, for more than seventy years and ranks among the most popular brands in Europe. Its catalogue spans H0, TT, N and garden-scale G, covering everything from indoor layouts to models built to run outdoors. Locomotives with factory sound use PIKO's own XP decoders, while the PIKO Expert series combines high detail with modern digital technology. The brand also plays an important part in the Polish market as a leading producer of domestic prototype models — PKP, PKP Intercity and PKP Cargo vehicles.