H0 Expert electric locomotive 144 001 DB IV 51180ff

20.08.2024 H0 Expert electric locomotive 144 001 DB IV 51180ff

First an innovator, then a workhorse: the E 44

51180 Electric locomotive 144 001 DB IV 249,00 €
51182 Electric locomotive 144 001 DB IV, incl. PSD XP Sound with PIKO TrainSound® onboard 359,00 €  
51183 ~Electric locomotive 144 001 DB IV, incl. PSD XP Sound with PIKO TrainSound® onboard 359,00 €

The highlights of the PIKO model summarised in bullet points:

• Completely new design
• Detailed replica of the roof equipment
• Extremely vivid engravings thanks to high-precision mould construction
• First large-scale production model of the pre-series locomotive 144 001-5
• Filigree windscreen wipers in etching technique

Some information about the prototype and model:

The success story of the E 44 series began in 1930 with the E 44 001 pre-series locomotive built by Siemens-Schuckertwerke, which was followed from 1932 by the first series of single-axle electric locomotives without running axles in Germany. With the participation of Krauss-Maffei, Henschel & Sohn and Lokomotivfabrik Floridsdorf, 180 locomotives were built. After the Second World War, the locomotives remaining in the Soviet occupation zone had to be handed over to the USSR as reparations. In the mid-1950s, 46 locomotives returned to the GDR and were extensively refurbished. Initially, the locomotives were used in central Germany, but later they also travelled to Rostock, Schwerin and Wismar. In the mid-1980s, 23 locomotives were still operational, the last ten of which were taken out of service at the turn of the year 1991. With two rebuilt and seven rebuilt locomotives, the young Bundesbahn initially had a total of 125 machines. Areas of operation and stationing were limited to the south of the Federal Republic. Designated class 144 since 1968, the last locomotives were taken out of service at the Würzburg depot in 1984.

Our prototype: Pre-series locomotive 144 001-5 of the German Federal Railways, BD Munich, Bw Garmisch

As part of this project, the well-known pre-series locomotive E 44 001, later 144 001-5, was realised as a large series model for the first time. The miniatures of both the pre-series and series locomotives shine with their precisely scaled realisation, including the different roofs and roof extensions. The roof area is also characterised by pantographs without visible screw connections, fine insulators and the 0.2 mm thin replicas of the cables to the pantographs. The pre-series locomotive 144 001-5 has front ends with engravings in the area of the fan louvres and doors that differ from the series locomotives in line with the prototype. The extremely elaborate design is also continued in the running gear area with numerous specially attached parts on the striking bogies. The free-standing axle leaf springs, the filigree speedometer drive and the depiction of the different axle bearing covers are particularly eye-catching. Technically, the model leaves hardly anything to be desired: The drive is precise and robust, and a PluX22 interface enables a digital decoder to be retrofitted. In this constellation, it is possible to switch the engine room and driver's cab lighting, for example. The variants equipped with vehicle sound at the factory bring the typical ‘growl’ of the Tatzlager drive to the model railway.

With the E 44, one of Germany's most characteristic locomotives in terms of technical history rolls onto the H0 tracks in the highest quality.