Piko
The Piko Toys GmbH (proper spelling PIKO ) is a German manufacturer of model trains and model accessories and is next to Märklin, Fleischmann and Roco as the fourth major manufacturer with a complete range of sizes in the Model G, H0, TT and N
Piko was a state-owned enterprise (VEB) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), who produced electro- mechanical toy and model trains and accessories. The model trains were manufactured in nominal sizes H0 and N ( 1964-1989 ) and sold at home and abroad. In 1991, the VEB has been privatized and is now known as Piko Toys GmbH.
- 2.1 Historically
- 2.2 Current
History
1948-1990
From the Soviet Military Administration in Germany SMAD the development and production of a miniature electric railway was in 1948, even before the foundation of the GDR, decided, as the inhabitants of the Soviet occupation zone could buy any more model railroad items with the still valid currency of the Reichsmark after the currency reform in Western Germany. The production then began in Chemnitz in the former Siemens & Halske plant, the Soviet- owned cable company carried the name (later RFT devices work ) and had been produced measuring instruments.
The first two toy packs H0 gauge were presented in 1949 at the Leipzig Autumn Fair under the name Pico Express. The train sets contained one hand, the electric locomotive ME 102 and on the other hand, the streamlined steam locomotive with a tender ME 101 Where the spelling of Pico with c came from is unknown; but it is likely that Pico Express should be the counterpart to Trix Express.
After a few years, the need for model railroads could no longer be covered by the Chemnitz site, so the production was relocated in 1952 to the VEB electrical installation Oberlind (EIO ) to Sonneberg. The EIO produced in addition to vacuum cleaners now also model trains under the trade name Piko as an abbreviation for pioneering design. For the new production line model trains EIO founded his own development department, whose director Erhard Fickert was. In 1959 established Eio for self- development of Model Railways H0 gauge a field office in Radeburg.
1962, the VEB Piko Sonnenberg was founded and took over the model railway range of VEB EIO and the precision engineering of the VEB Sonneberg was connected. First superintendent was Eugen Furch, who was some time later replaced by Hans show. As early as 1963 the EIO branch was assigned to Radeburg Piko. She had to construct new models and to produce locomotives and wagons themselves. In 1964, the development and construction work of the nominal size H0 were completely shifted to Radeburg, in Sonnenberg, only the development of the N gauge was operated. 1965, the operation in Radeburg has been set and all activities were transferred back to Piko in Sonneberg.
Piko now also took over the distribution of the products of the VEB model railway accessories glassworks, the VEB model train Oybin (from 1990 Sachsenmodelle ) and the VEB model train car Dresden (formerly layer), the model railway carriages and accessories in the nominal size H0 manufactured.
With the establishment of the Kombinat Piko Sonnenberg 1974, the production was extended to electromechanical toys. The VEB Piko Sonnenberg were (later VEB anchor mechanism Ice Field), Prefo (VEB Prefo Dresden) and Presu (later VEB pressing and injection molding Suhl ) directly subordinated to expand its offering and to optimize the production of other plants such as Elmes. Piko was continually expanded over the decades as a leading company for mechanical and electro- mechanical toy.
In 1981 with the Combine Toys Sonnenberg further concentration, the Combine Piko Sonnenberg was consequently dissolved. The VEB Piko Sonnenberg was assigned to this new Combine and Erzeugnisgruppenleitbetrieb for model railways. The model railway products were now protected by the trade name Piko. The products sold by mail order source model railway items were Piko products. 1989 consisted of 15 parts of Piko with about 1000 employees.
From 1991
After the reunification in 1990, belonging to Piko farms were liquidated or privatized by the Treuhand. Piko VEB Sonneberg, which threatened the from was purchased by Dr. René F. Wilfer and bears since 1 May 1992 the name " PIKO ". It turned out to be long-term as necessary to revise the range to modernize production technology and at the same time to extend the vehicle range in H0 steadily. This Piko avoided multiple developments and continued consistently to those models that were not no longer offered by the competitors or. Of the former employees only about 10 percent were accepted.
In the late 1990s, began the construction of buildings for the nominal sizes H0, N and IIm (G). In 2002 the idea of Piko A- track, which Piko H0 in the nominal size was back to a full-range provider. In 2005 came with the Siemens ES64U2 a first pico- model for the nominal size TT on the market. 2010 came with pico Expert H0 out another product line. The vehicles from the pico- Expert program are priced as high between the amateur program and the standard offer. The Expert program is offered in both two-wire track system and in the center conductor - track system.
Products
Historically
Piko, since 1961 center for the manufacture of mechanical and electro- mechanical toys, stand beside model trains in nominal sizes H0 and N children machine tools and home economics toys for girls and boys such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cash registers, drills or plastic toys for toddlers forth. Thus, the international trade fair for technology and consumer goods, the kids sewing machine elektra of VEB Piko Sonnenberg was at the Leipzig Spring Fair, then in 1968 first presented.
The former model railway vehicles bribed by a very high level of detail; about the company clerk from Fürth came the products on the West German market.
Current
The standard range includes many models after models of the Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR and the DB AG. These include such products as the DB Class 82 or DR- 93 Series E caused a stir Piko than 2001 affordable locomotives were offered in the nominal size H0 over the Conrad product for the first time. Thus, it was cheap and simple models for beginners and game workers. The product range was expanded by the ÖBB locomotive type Siemens Taurus, the DB Class 185, 189, DB Class 101 and DB Class 218. The low price is achieved, inter alia, that these models are purchased by a producer from Hong Kong. Other providers such as Märklin followed this example at times.
More affordable locomotives for the nominal size TT came by Piko 2005 sales facilities. This was followed by the ICE 3, which Hercules and the DB Class 151 This also succeeded in entering the TT market, which was very popular in the GDR.
While the old N- range had been completely set before the turn ( only the shape of a double-decker articulated train was largely unchanged the way to Minitrix ), has been around since 2010 new N gauge models of Piko initially based on French models (in cooperation with a French company ). A short time later, work began on a new offer German models.
In the summer of 2006 brought Piko with the Taurus in the nominal size G for the first time a train for the garden path variable in the trade. The range for the G scale has since expanded rapidly, thereby Piko has become a full service provider with locomotives, cars, tracks and building models for G scale. Since 2010 Piko also sells a digital system for garden paths. During the development Piko focuses on standard gauge vehicles that are adapted to the 45 -mm track. Thus, the series 194 (the " German Krokodil" ) was announced as a novelty for 2011.
In addition to a full range of products in the gauges H0 and G, a small range of locomotives and rolling stock for track gauge TT Piko manufacturer of buildings for nominal sizes H0, N, 1 and G. - The digital system of Piko is offered in cooperation with the Uhlenbrock; here Piko waived the usual, costly proprietary developments.