PIKO G-scale 2011

[Richie]

I find that the Piko American freight cars are too small and lack detail they look like the old Roundhouse MDC wagons that were 1:32 scale . I have a old MDC 40" Reefer which is alot smaller than the USA Trains 40" Reefers. The new mogul wouldn't look too bad if it had metal valve gear but also depends on the scale as most of there items have no scale listed most of the new European standard gauge locos and wagons look over size around the 1:26 scale but saying that the silver coaches do look very nice with the new croc .

 

[palmerston]

Thay are old Roundhouse molds....

 

[MR SPOCK]

Thay are old Roundhouse molds....

[align=center]That explains why they are so bleak and devoid of very much detail, shame that no one makes some of the better lional stuff ,
[/align]

 

[Spule 4]

It has been reported by a few sources in the German press that Marklin will emerge from an operational bankruptcy next year without a buyer. I (personally) doubt that Piko have any interest in the matter.

Cool on the Silberfische, I have liked them since my childhood. And I am willing to bet that the Krok ends up on a few LGB-RhB outline railways.

The more troubling bit is another year without any new structures. 8|

 

[WillemD]

It has been reported by a few sources in the German press that Marklin will emerge from an operational bankruptcy next year without a buyer. I (personally) doubt that Piko have any interest in the matter.

Wrong use of words: "will emerge" must be replaced by "is given the last chance to emerge".

They still have a dept of 60 million of the original 90 million. It will be hard to get rid of this dept in one year... They already fired people in Gyor, took a big piece of their salary and asked all dealers to buy extra stock for the shops to give the company more money. What are the planning to do in 2011 then?

I don't want to be a pessimist, but things are still going bad and maybe even worse... If they get out of it now, they will be bankrupt again in a few years because of the bad marketing policy of Märklin.

 

[chris m01]

I guess Marklin having such debts is a major problem for the LGB range. While there is so much debt development it wil be very difficult to invest capital into new models. Also I expect Marklin will not see LGB as mainstream and this is likely to mean that any investment in new models is more likely to be Marklin than LGB.

Full marks for Piko for continueing to build their range. I'm sorry to say that I can't help feeling they are soemwhat lacking in direction though. The European tradition was narrow gauge but Piko are trying to do both standard and narrow gauges. Might this affect their ability to build up a strong following who buy all the products?

Seems to me that the best thing that can happen is for Markilin to sell off LGB to someone who is more able to develop it. I don't have any LGB myself but I can see that a succesful and vibrant LGB is a kind of cornerstone to the garden railway hobby in Europe and the UK.

Is there a new model programme for LGB for 2011?

 

[chris m01]

And I am willing to bet that the Krok ends up on a few LGB-RhB outline railways.

If the price is reasonable (and it looks like it will be) then yes it will.

 

[WillemD]

I guess Marklin having such debts is a major problem for the LGB range. While there is so much debt development it wil be very difficult to invest capital into new models. Also I expect Marklin will not see LGB as mainstream and this is likely to mean that any investment in new models is more likely to be Marklin than LGB.

Full marks for Piko for continueing to build their range. I'm sorry to say that I can't help feeling they are soemwhat lacking in direction though. The European tradition was narrow gauge but Piko are trying to do both standard and narrow gauges. Might this affect their ability to build up a strong following who buy all the products?

Seems to me that the best thing that can happen is for Markilin to sell off LGB to someone who is more able to develop it. I don't have any LGB myself but I can see that a succesful and vibrant LGB is a kind of cornerstone to the garden railway hobby in Europe and the UK.

Is there a new model programme for LGB for 2011?

There will be new models for LGB but only one or two in a year and they will make new locos where they can make a lot of colorvariants from (PIKO's BR218 for example) or that can be used both for standard and narrow gauge (HSB and DB Köf). Conclusion: at short term there won't be models like a Harz Mallet, RhB Allegra because they only can make one model of it.

The 2011 program hasn't been released yet, maybe today or tomorrow. I'll keep you updated!
There are rumors about a Saxon narrow gauge loco, but that wouldn't fit in their new perspectives...

 

[Gareth]

Well what an intersting line up the DB1020 is very interesting have noticed the length quoted 720mm thats big !! The Silver fishes wow also very long 815mm shame no push pull driving trailer ! As for curved points allelulia ! at last the one thing missing form the LGB range of track if only they were available when building our railway ! The mogul is interesting seems to be a new chassis bigger wheels than the Br80 and Usa tank so has distinct possibilities .(Oh for a BR24 2-6-0) I must admit supprise as to what is being released i was expecting a 01/03 Pacific reason on the Massoth website on sound decoders under Piko locos listed in G scale yup I hoped yopu,ve guessed it an 01/03 pacific hmm there is a thought ! In my view Piko is becoming a big player in this gauge very quickly !! And well done !

 

[stevedenver]

well i like the look of the mogul-

what i like is that it is compact and US outline-being compact offers many pluses imho
it is similar to the lgb offerings, but better proportioned and a more modern type of loco-

but with all things piko-i will need to see it in hand-and most importantly-how it performs and how it is priced

 

[WillemD]

well i like the look of the mogul-

what i like is that it is compact and US outline-being compact offers many pluses imho
it is similar to the lgb offerings, but better proportioned and a more modern type of loco-

but with all things piko-i will need to see it in hand-and most importantly-how it performs and how it is priced

The chassis and smokebox look identical to the 0-6-0 saddle tank with a poney truck fixed to the front coupler mount so if you have seen the previous loco you will know what the performance is like. Having got one I can confirm that they run slower and with more power than all the LGB locos with six coupled chassis.

It looks like the chassis is identical, but it isn't. The middle axle is centered on the BR80 chassis, the mogul has the middle axle out of the center.

I hope they do something about the contactproblems and that they use a better quality of nickled axles on the loco's to improve power pick-up..

 

[hornbeam]

out of interest what bits did Piko make for LGB?

It would be good if they make a better valve gear as this must put lots of people off?

Will def get a Croc, glad Piko are in the market place!

 

[WillemD]

out of interest what bits did Piko make for LGB?

It would be good if they make a better valve gear as this must put lots of people off?

Will def get a Croc, glad Piko are in the market place!

The V200 and some startersets.

 

[hornbeam]

Interesting, so guess it shows how much LGB in house production cost.

 

[WillemD]

well i like the look of the mogul-

what i like is that it is compact and US outline-being compact offers many pluses imho
it is similar to the lgb offerings, but better proportioned and a more modern type of loco-

but with all things piko-i will need to see it in hand-and most importantly-how it performs and how it is priced

The chassis and smokebox look identical to the 0-6-0 saddle tank with a poney truck fixed to the front coupler mount so if you have seen the previous loco you will know what the performance is like. Having got one I can confirm that they run slower and with more power than all the LGB locos with six coupled chassis.

It looks like the chassis is identical, but it isn't. The middle axle is centered on the BR80 chassis, the mogul has the middle axle out of the center.

I hope they do something about the contactproblems and that they use a better quality of nickled axles on the loco's to improve power pick-up..

Having looked at the photo again the wheels are larger with more spokes than the 0-6-0 but the image is not of the real model so it might not be what they are actually making.

It's a "vorserienmunster", so it's in further stadium than an AutoCAD design..

We'll see!

 

[mbiff]

well done piko for supporting g scale altho some stuff not for me but will be to others (want a railbus) but dont forget who,s guiding / supporting piko thro this g scale surge - but only son of lgb (Mr Richter or son or mr lehmann dont know which) - got to hand it to piko and ex boss of lgb alliance for keeping g scale alive

 

[mbiff]

but dont forget who,s guiding / supporting piko thro this g scale surge - but only the Richter brothers

I thought one of them died in a car crash?

true i could not recall which one was advising piko so just quoted richter/lehmann bros (whatever)- will amend original post

 

[Otter 1]

out of interest what bits did Piko make for LGB?

I have seen Toytrain Ottos and LCE bodies coming out of their casting machine some years ago. Don´t know, if they assembled them at Sonneberg.

The V 200 body was made in China and assembled in Nuernberg. The 2nd batch was also made in Chna and assembled in Hungary. Less than 2000 were made all together.

I am not too happy with the announced new Piko releases. They do not even tell you, what scale they are made in. Having seen and read about the poor performance of earlier releases, they do not really offer anything, which could attract my interest.

Have Fun

Juergen / Otter 1

 

[WillemD]

I am not too happy with the announced new Piko releases. They do not even tell you, what scale they are made in. Having seen and read about the poor performance of earlier releases, they do not really offer anything, which could attract my interest.

Does LGB or Trainline tell you the scale? Nope!

Performance problems, no. They are just more sensitive to dirty track than LGB locos.

LGB is the one having problems, with parts missing (DRG coaches en some others), extra bits glued on badly (RhB tankcar) and forgotten drilling holes (RhB flatcar), delivery dates postponing all the time (Köf..), new boxes without a little window (much thinner cardboard too) and last but not least, bringing awful fantasy models like the new announced Bernina Express car set.

The only decent model they released this year is the Bernina railcar set.


So actually, PIKO is doing well If they manage to change to better quality nickle axles, they're doing a great job.

 

[mole]

Some mention has been made about the Piko wheels on some of there loco's, the wife brought me the Piko set with the B R 80 loco in it for christmas. I had one of these locos when they first came out and yes the wheels took a long time to get clean This loco had the number 37 100 01*** this new loco has 37 100 04*** so therefore must be a lot later production model the point is the wheels treads on this loco are more like LGB and not the black brasse colour on the earlier loco. from the box this one is a far better runner it is still light so will need a fair bit of weight added Got a couple of 218 locos and a railcar and have not had running problems with the wheels on any of them