PIKO BR 218 Serie Manuel D'utilisation page 4

Dear PIKO garden railway
friend
We are pleased that you have chosen
a G scale locomotive from PIKO. Like
all PIKO models, this locomotive has
been designed by our employees with
great attention to detail, carefully
assembled and intensively tested during
development to guarantee you maximum
driving pleasure and a lot of fun with the
locomotive.
To match your locomotive, we offer a
whole range of car and building models
as well as attractive accessories for
your garden railway layout. For more
information, simply take a look at our
detailed PIKO G catalog, the PIKO web
shop at www.piko-shop.de, or visit your
local dealer and convince yourself of our
extensive range.
If you have any suggestions for
improvement or positive criticism about
your PIKO models, you can send us your
feedback by e-mail to hotline@piko.de,
by fax +49 3675/8972-50 or by mail to
PIKO Spielwaren GmbH,
Lutherstraße 30,
96515 Sonneberg/Thuringia, or use the
social networks to get in touch with us.
Thank you for your purchase and have
fun with your PIKO G scale diesel
locomotive.
Your PIKO Team
4
The Prototype BR 218
The BR 218 is a four-axle diesel-hydraulic
locomotive of the Deutsche Bahn that
has served as the image of West German
mainline diesel power for nearly five
decades. It is the last member of the V 160
locomotive family and has incorporated
numerous advancements of previous V
160 (BR 215 – 219) series like hydraulic
dynamic brakes and a 2500 HP diesel
engine that eliminates the need for an
auxiliary engine for train heating. The BR
218 is used in both passenger and freight
service and reaches a top speed of 140
kmh (87 mph).
The first twelve prototype locomotives
were delivered in 1968 by Krupp to
the Hagen-Eckesey and Regensburg
locomotive terminals. Between 1971 and
1979, 398 production units were built by
Krupp, Henschel, and Krauss-Maffei. Over
the years the BR 218 has worn most DB
paint schemes as well as special schemes
like those worn by the 10 units working
in CityBahn service on the Cologne –
Gummersbach line or the DB Touristik-Zug.
The BR 218 has gradually been replaced
by newer locomotives or self-propelled
passenger trains. By 2004, the number
of BR 218s on DB AG's roster had fallen
by more than half. With the delivery of
the BR 245, their use has declined to the
point that as of 2017, DB AG rostered only
106 units. At the same time, the number
of private train operators from which DB
AG rents locomotives on an as-needed
basis has increased. Thanks to the number
of privately owned BR218s, the variety
of paint schemes has again increased
significantly.
The Model
The PIKO model of the BR 218 is
a highly-detailed G-Scale model,
constructed of weather-resistant
materials for years of trouble-free
outdoor use. The model incorporates the
following features:
Technical Features
• A powerful high-precision 5-pole motor
in each truck, with protection against
moisture intrusion
• Reliable electrical pickup through 8
wheels
• Further electrical reliability assured by 4
sliding pickup shoes, 2 in each gearbox.
• Die-cast and precision-machined metal
wheels
• 2 traction tyre
• 2 large weights for superb pulling
power and low center of gravity
• Directional LED lighting
• Ready for easy installation of a PIKO
digital decoder and sound unit
• Speaker mounting enclosure built-in
• Double buffers, changeable to single
center buffers
• LGB-compatible hook-and-loop
couplers
• Weather-resistant construction
throughout for years of garden railway
service
• Length: 615 mm (2.02 ft.)
• Weight: ca 4300 g (9.5 lb.)
Details
• Finely profiled spoked wheels made of
die-cast zinc with chrome-plated treads
• Black colored wheels
• Weather-resistant plastic body with
numerous authentic details such as
handrails, grills, and doors
• Separately applied brakeman's
handrails on both ends
• Accurately modeled cab windows
• Correct black frames on windshields
• Correct silver frames on cab side
windows
• "Smoked-glass" windows on engine
compartment
• Separately applied windshield wipers.
• Detailed cab interior and control stand
with engineer figure
• Removeable roof with detailed grills,
vents and exhaust stacks
• Authentic reproduction of truck
details, such as journals, springs and
suspension
• Prototypical color scheme
• Authentic and detailed markings