Roco 6600253 H0 - Set of 2 open goods wagons type Omu, DR, Era III

Model of a set of two two-axle high-sided open goods wagons in the livery of the German Railways (DR)

A set of two two-axle high-sided open goods wagons of class Omu of the German Railways (DR), reproducing the Era III condition. The wagons belong to the most numerously built family of German open wagons of the Verbandsbauart standardised design. One of the wagons has a brakeman's cab and the other does not.

The variety of the two wagons makes it possible to form a realistic, varied freight train. The models are faithfully painted and lettered in line with the prototype.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Catalogue number: 6600253
• Manufacturer: Roco
• Set composition: two two-axle Omu open wagons (one with a brakeman's cab, one without)
• Set length: 226 mm
• Era: III
• Operator: German Railways (DR)
• Power system: direct current DC (two-rail)
• Coupler: NEM 362 standard with close-coupling kinematics
• Models ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Note: this model consists of hauled wagons – a locomotive and a powered track are needed to run it.

The set is not a starter set and does not include track or a controller. The wagons are hauled by a locomotive. The model is produced in the DC version; for operation on a three-rail AC (Märklin) system the manufacturer offers replacement AC wheelsets cat. no. 6560.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

A digital DCC system lets you control several locomotives independently on the same track at a constant rail voltage, whereas in an analogue system all vehicles on a given circuit respond simultaneously to changes in the supply voltage. The models described here are hauled wagons – they have no drive or decoder of their own, so they run equally well on digitally (DCC) controlled and analogue layouts, since the control method applies only to the locomotive. The model is produced in the DC (two-rail) version.

About open wagons of the standardised (Verbandsbauart) design:

Open wagons of the Verbandsbauart standardised design are one of the most numerously built freight stock designs in history – more than 200,000 were built between 1913 and 1928. They carried almost all goods that are not sensitive to moisture, especially bulk materials such as coal, sand and agricultural produce. The body was formed of vertical steel sections with wooden planking.

After the war these wagons remained in service for a long time with the railways that emerged from the former Reichsbahn, including the East German German Railways (DR), where they were classified among other things as class Omu. Some examples were fitted with brakeman's cabs – a legacy of the days of manual braking.

Original technical data (open wagon, class Omu):

• Type: two-axle high-sided open wagon of the standardised (Verbandsbauart) design
• Body construction: vertical steel sections with wooden planking
• Purpose: carriage of moisture-resistant bulk goods (coal, sand, aggregate)
• Equipment: one wagon with a brakeman's cab
• Operator: German Railways (DR)
• Era: III

About the manufacturer – Roco:

Roco is an Austrian model railway manufacturer that has been operating since 1960, founded in Salzburg and today based in Bergheim near Salzburg as part of the Modelleisenbahn GmbH group (alongside the Fleischmann brand). It released its first locomotives in 1976 and earned its reputation early on through precision and fidelity to the prototype. The brand introduced a number of innovations to the industry, among them unshortened, true-to-length coaches, track with a lower rail profile, and snag-free close couplers. Roco's contemporary H0 models stand out for their rich detail, while the digital range is rounded out by the Z21 control system. Roco models are valued by modellers and collectors throughout Europe.