Roco 7310096 H0 - Diesel locomotive 120 144-1, DR, Era IV, DCC with sound

Model of the diesel locomotive 120 144 „Taigatrommel” in the livery of the German Railways

A model of the diesel locomotive 120 144 (class V 200, popularly the „Taigatrommel”) of the East German German Railways (DR). The reproduced example has the original silencer and wide Dessau decorative stripe, allocated to the Dresden division, Bw Dresden.

The model stands out for its multi-coloured printed engine room, complete brake air lines with fully formed air reservoirs, particularly authentic bogies and free-standing shunter grab rails below the buffers. The model represents the Era IV condition.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Catalogue number: 7310096
• Manufacturer: Roco
• Vehicle: diesel locomotive 120 144 (class V 200 / „Taigatrommel”)
• Model length: 202 mm
• Era: IV
• Operator: German Railways (DR)
• Power system: direct current (digital version, DC Digital)
• Decoder: PluX22; sound: yes
• Lighting: 3 head / 2 tail lights (LED), direction-dependent; cab and engine-room lighting digitally switchable
• Number of driven axles: 6; axles with traction tyres: 2; flywheel
• Features: original silencer and wide Dessau decorative stripe, multi-coloured printed engine room, complete brake air lines with fully formed air reservoirs, particularly authentic bogies, free-standing shunter grab rails below the buffers; allocation Rbd Dresden, Bw Dresden
• Minimum curve radius: 358 mm
• Coupler: NEM 362 standard with close-coupling kinematics
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Note: controlling and powering the model.

The model is produced in the digital (DC Digital) version with a factory-fitted decoder (PluX22) and sound. To make full use of the running, sound and lighting functions, a digital DCC command station is required. If you also intend to run the model on analogue (direct-current) power, make sure that analogue mode is enabled in the decoder (bit 2 in CV29) – running the model on DC voltage with analogue mode switched off may damage the decoder. The model is not a starter set and does not include track or a controller.

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 model described here is supplied in the digital version, with a factory-fitted decoder and sound, ready for operation on a DCC system.

About the class 120 diesel locomotive (V 200 / „Taigatrommel”):

To speed up the change of traction, the German Railways (DR) procured a total of 378 locomotives of class V 200 (later class 120) from the Soviet Union between 1966 and 1975. With a Co'Co' wheel arrangement and lacking factory-fitted train heating, they were used mainly in freight traffic.

Over time the machines were retrofitted with silencers to reduce the engine noise. Because of the loud sound of the power unit, the nickname „Taigatrommel” („taiga drum”) quickly stuck to them. The reproduced example – 120 144 – stands out for its original silencer and wide Dessau decorative stripe; it was allocated to the Dresden division, Bw Dresden. The model represents the Era IV condition.

Original technical data (class 120 / V 200 diesel locomotive):

• Type: diesel-electric locomotive, Co'Co' wheel arrangement
• Origin: imported from the Soviet Union; a total of 378 units between 1966 and 1975
• Use: mainly freight traffic (no factory-fitted train heating)
• Feature: silencers retrofitted later, to reduce noise
• Nickname: „Taigatrommel” („taiga drum”)
• Example: 120 144, Dresden division, Bw Dresden
• Operator: German Railways (DR)

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.