PIKO rolls out steam, electric and freight models across four scales

PIKO’s latest release sheet has an unusually practical mix: one wave covers steam, electric and diesel traction across four scales, while the stock list adds the coaches and wagons that make a train feel finished rather than half-built. That is the real appeal here for model railroaders, because the strongest pieces are not competing for the same place on the layout. They each solve a different operating need, from heritage steam scenes to modern border-crossing freight.

Modern power for mixed-traffic layouts

The most obvious fit for present-day layouts is the BR 248 Dual Mode. PIKO describes the class as a Siemens Mobility introduction from 2019 and positions it as a locomotive that can run on electric power or diesel, which makes it a useful answer for layouts that need a bridge between wired main lines and less-developed branches. In model form, that matters because it gives you one locomotive that can credibly work both sides of a transition point without breaking the realism of the roster.

PIKO’s G-scale model presentation pushes that idea further with a sharp list of operating details. The sound version includes a factory-fitted smoke generator, opening doors, separately attached windshield wipers and digitally switchable cab and engine-room lighting. The non-sound version is priced at €799.00, while the sound-equipped version is €999.00, so the class is clearly being aimed at buyers who want a statement locomotive with working features rather than a simple shelf model.

The PKP Baltic Express BR193 Vectron fills a different modern need. Where the BR 248 is the do-anything bridge between electrified and non-electrified routes, the BR193 gives continental layout builders a current-era electric with a strong international look. Together, those two models cover the sort of mixed mainline operation many European-outline layouts are built to portray, especially when the scene calls for cross-border freight, long-distance passenger work or a locomotive that can plausibly appear anywhere from a trunk route to a terminal approach.

Steam-era collectors get more than one flavour of heritage

PIKO’s TT-scale BR 91.3 DR is the clearest signal that steam remains a serious part of the programme. The company staged its official premiere on May 27, 2026 at Schauplatz Eisenbahn in Chemnitz, where it said visitors came from all over Germany. PIKO describes the T 9.3 prototype behind the model as a robust tank locomotive used in both passenger and freight service, and that dual-purpose pedigree makes it especially attractive for small to medium layouts that need a steam engine with real operating flexibility.

The wider steam lineup broadens that appeal rather than repeating it. The DRG BR91, PKP TKt48 and CSD Rh335.1 stretch the roster across German, Polish and Czechoslovak prototype interests, which is exactly what helps a continental layout feel assembled from a real railway world rather than a single-company fantasy. For collectors, that spread matters because it offers recognizable classes from different systems without forcing every shelf or roster to look the same.

The G-scale BR 103 sits at the heritage end of the electric story and still carries the kind of credibility that collectors notice. PIKO’s earlier rollout took place on October 18, 2018 at the DB Museum in Nuremberg, where the model was shown beside the real 103 224-2. That kind of presentation gives the class a prototype presence that goes beyond catalog appeal, and it explains why the BR 103 remains one of the brand’s most important flagship subjects.

Freight and passenger stock turn the locomotives into a train

The locomotive announcements would be less useful without the accompanying stock, and PIKO has filled that part of the shelf as well. The release includes coach sets, tank wagons, hopper wagons, sliding tarpaulin wagons and maintenance stock, which means the models are not just about isolated power units. They also help build believable consists, yard scenes and working freight turns that can actually justify the locomotives in service.

That is especially important for operators who want more than a showcase engine on a loop. A BR 248 makes more sense when it can haul a freight or work a regional diagram; a steam tank engine feels alive when there is passenger stock or a short freight to handle; and a Vectron looks right only when it is paired with the kind of wagons or coaches it would really meet on the main line. PIKO’s mix of rolling stock gives these locomotives a job to do, not just a place to sit.

Four scales, three trim lines and plenty of sound options

PIKO’s June 2026 new-items flyer is dated May 27, 2026 and covers G, H0, TT and N, so this is not a single-gauge flourish but a coordinated release programme. The same broad spread is reinforced by the company’s use of Hobby, Expert and Classic ranges, which lets different prototypes appear in different levels of finish and presentation. For buyers, that means the story is not only about what is new, but about how widely the new ideas are being offered across the line.

Several of the models also come in DCC Sound and AC Sound versions, which matters in a market where many buyers want ready-to-run convenience without giving up realism. Sound-equipped locomotives, especially in the larger scales, make the release sheet feel aimed at working layouts as much as display shelves. PIKO has also linked new items to public premieres and detailed presentations, which suggests the company is treating this as a joined-up product push rather than a set of isolated announcements.

That wider message fits PIKO’s own 2026 emphasis on growth, digitalization and new products, which the company highlighted alongside its 14th Open House Day in Sonneberg. Taken together, the BR 248, the BR 91.3 DR, the BR 103 and the freight stock around them show a release wave built to solve very different roster problems at once, from a steam collector’s next purchase to a modern layout’s missing main-line power.