Piko announce SP Krauss-Maffei ML 4000 in HO

[Nigel Emery]

I don’t suppose many readers of this forum would have been looking forward to Piko’s new items in the same way that European modellers would be.

It was a bit of surprise to find that Piko have announced the Southern Pacific Krauss-Maffei ML 4000 (the original cab units)

https://www.trainsdepot.org/manufacturers/pdfs/view/970/piko_novelties_2023_pdf  Page 22

Hopefully Piko have done their research as Piko (like most continental manufacturers) locos usually come with traction tyres!

 

[steve1]

I tried fighting my way through this confusing catalogue but still couldn’t find it.

 

steve

[Taigatrommel]

It was on page 22, just like Nigel said!  To make life a little easier, at present they're the only items which come up when searching for "Southern Pacific" on Piko's website.

 

https://www.piko-shop.de/en/praesenz/search.html?q=Southern+Pacific+&b_warengruppe_id=0

[Oldddudders]

Let's hope the model is more fit for purpose than the original proved to be in daily operations. 

[mervyn]

Now on Gaugemasters news letter along with the Whitcomb ...

[Darius43]

Be nice if they could issue it in Rio Grande livery.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[John M Upton]

Absolute minefield of detail variations, numbering, etc.  I swear looking at photos that they were altered almost on a weekly basis.

 

Gaugaemaster have them for pre-order:

https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/magento/catalog/product/view/id/94276/s/piko-97447-expert-southern-pacific-ml4000-emd-9002/

 

£275 for the vanilla version.  

 

Rio-Grande would need a different nose, larger main headlight and the lower ones were orientated differently although I would hope Piko are tooling for this in due course.  Then there is the myriad of grills, ducts, tanks and associated pipework that moved around frequently.

 

Of course you can all thank me, I was just finishing my long stretched out project to refresh an old Rivarossi one...

[Barclay]

According to that Gaugemaster ad it does have traction tyres, which must be a massive own goal - US modellers presumably won't go near something so crude, when their own stuff has been so good for so long?

[John M Upton]

I gather it's a continental thing, Mainland Europe modellers get all uptight and refuse to buy when a model is produced without traction tyres!

 

Elsewhere in the world they are seen as the spawn of Satan, along with track rubbers!

[davknigh]

The only possible excuse for traction tyres in a unit like this would be that only one bogie is powered. With a minimum radius of 354mm or so, I suspect that the couplers would be mounted on the bogies which would be another strike against them for sales in North America. So, to sum up; it looks like the model will have:  truck mounted couplers, traction tyres, only one bogie powered.  AFAICS if all this turns out to be true, Piko has hatched a turkey.

 

Cheers,

 

David

[Nigel Emery]

2 hours ago, davknigh said:

The only possible excuse for traction tyres in a unit like this would be that only one bogie is powered. With a minimum radius of 354mm or so, I suspect that the couplers would be mounted on the bogies which would be another strike against them for sales in North America. So, to sum up; it looks like the model will have:  truck mounted couplers, traction tyres, only one bogie powered.  AFAICS if all this turns out to be true, Piko has hatched a turkey.

 

Cheers,

 

David

OK, so I've just checked a random selection of some of my recent Piko locos. All are exactly the same so there’s a good chance this will follow the same design pattern:

Bogies - both powered although on 3 axles bogies only the outer 2 axles are driven. Pickup on all 6 axles. 1 driven axle per bogie has traction tyres. Piko mechanisms are generally up there with the best.
Couplers - these are body mounted but on a cam like mechanism similar to continental coaches which is how I assume the small radius is achieved. So not bogie mounted but different to what the US market is used to.

Unlike other European manufacturers Piko are known for good spares availability so replacing those traction tyres axles should in theory be possible. 
I’m no fan of traction tyres but as others have said not including them gets you an immediate negative comment on DSO (the German equivalent of RMWeb). When I first starting Swiss modelling I initially purchased the extra axles but it’s cost prohibitive with a large fleet so in the end I just went with it and accepted the downsides! 

[TheEngineShed]

No traction tires and RP25 on the "American" version.  

 

https://www.piko-america.com/products/97447-sp-9002-diesel-loco-ho-scale

 

This German site has some pics of pre production models. 

 

https://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?010,10559908

[John M Upton]

What version is being sold in the UK though? US spec two rail RP25 or the European three rail version?

[Nigel Emery]

12 hours ago, John M Upton said:

What version is being sold in the UK though? US spec two rail RP25 or the European three rail version?

I don’t think we’ll know the answer to that until they arrive. Despite being the same part number 97447 (2 Rail non sound) has a different spec on the Piko US website to that on the piko.de website. If I get one it will probably come from Germany as I resent paying Gaugemaster prices. I’d like a US spec one but not at the cost of having to fly one across the Atlantic!

Edited September 26, 2023 by Nigel Emery
Clarification

[Nova Scotian]

Tangent, but same catalogue and continet - those Whitcomb diesels are an interesting addition too!

[jjb1970]

Sounds like it will be worth making the effort to get the North America Market version. Hopefully they will be clearly identified to help customers.