Roco 7500176 H0 - Electric locomotive 189 905-3, RTC, Era VI

Model of the electric locomotive 189 905 in Rail Traction Company colours

A model of the multi-system electric locomotive 189 905 of the private operator Rail Traction Company (RTC). The H0 model reproduces the Era VI condition in the analogue (direct-current) version.

The model stands out for its pantograph contact strip in line with the Italian prototype and its richly detailed roof. The head light is formed by cold-white LEDs, and the switchable head and tail lights are set with a DIP switch. It is a locomotive for cross-border freight traffic.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Catalogue number: 7500176
• Manufacturer: Roco
• Vehicle: electric locomotive 189 905 (Siemens)
• Model length: 225 mm
• Era: VI
• Operation: Rail Traction Company (RTC)
• Motor: 5-pole; flywheel
• Power system: direct current DC (analogue version)
• Decoder socket: PluX22
• Number of driven axles: 4; axles with traction tyres: 1
• Lighting: 3 head / 2 tail lights (LED, cold-white), direction-dependent, additional light function, switchable (DIP)
• Features: pantograph contact strip for traffic in Italy, richly detailed roof
• 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 analogue DC version. An ordinary direct-current controller is enough to run it – no digital command station is required. The locomotive has a factory-fitted decoder socket (PluX22), which makes it possible to equip it with a decoder later and switch to digital DCC control. 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 analogue version (for direct current DC), with a decoder socket allowing later conversion to digital DCC control.

About the class 189 locomotive (Siemens) and the RTC company:

Class 189 is a family of multi-system electric locomotives by Siemens (from the EuroSprinter family), with a Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement, intended for cross-border traffic under different power-supply systems. The private operator Rail Traction Company (RTC), based in Bolzano (Bozen), has been running cross-border freight traffic for over 20 years.

For several years, RTC and its partner company Lokomotion have each operated 5 class 189 locomotives. These machines were acquired from the leasing company MRCE. The RTC locomotives carry red zebra stripes, while those of Lokomotion have blue ones. The reproduced example – 189 905 – has a pantograph contact strip in line with the Italian prototype.

Original technical data (class 189, Siemens):

• Type: multi-system electric locomotive, Bo'Bo' wheel arrangement (Siemens EuroSprinter family)
• Use: cross-border freight traffic
• Operation: Rail Traction Company (RTC), Bolzano; machines acquired from MRCE
• Livery: red zebra stripes (RTC)
• Example: 189 905, pantograph contact strip for traffic in Italy
• Era: VI

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.