Original page created on 03/11/2022; updated on 29/08/2023.
Brand - Reference
Piko 58556
Type
Sleeping car of the Soviet Railways (Sovetskiye Zheleznyye Dorogi, SZD) type Y WLABm, Görlitz 1973.
| UIC number | Revision date |
| 52 20 70-80 090-2 | GTZ 19.4.74 |
Weight
151 g (NEM: 112 to 146 g).
Comments
There are ten compartments (30-seater coach) plus a technical room and a service compartment. Three compartments are in daytime position, the others in night-time configuration: three singles, one double and three triples.
Compared to the productions of Robo Modele, to remain among the Eastern European models, of a comparable price, this Piko coach is of a lower level.
Comparison between Piko and Tillig coaches. The shades of green and yellow are quite
different… Please note that these coaches don’t belong to the same series.
See:
- Loco-Revue Forum.
- gamos81.altervista.org for the reference list of issued Russian Y sleeping car models.
History
Series of 200 coaches, UIC No. 52 20 70-80 003 to 205, built from 1973 to 1976 by Waggonbau Görlitz (GDR).
The exchange code 52 means international non-air-conditioned variable gauge car (1435 to 1520).
Documents
- Piko instruction leaflet.
Note: on this second photo, there is a larger gap between the buffers and the body. This is due to a bad reinstallation after disassembly and has since been corrected.
Paris-Nord 1974 - Photo eurocity64 on forum.e-train.fr.
| Dimension | Actual | 1:87 | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall length | 24 580 | 282.6 | 283.0 |
| Chassis length | 23 280 | 267.6 | 268.5 |
| Body length | 24 200 | 278.2 | 278.4 |
| Width | 2 893 | 33.3 | 34.6 |
| Height | 4 230 | 48.9 | 48.2 |
| Pivot distance | 17 200 | 197.7 | 198.2 |
| Bogie wheelbase | 2 400 | 27.6 | 27.4 |
| Wheel diameter | 1 000 1 | 11.5 | 11.4 |
| D | B | U | |
| 1.05 | 14.3 2 | 24.3 | |
|
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This model has a finer engraving than the Tillig’s. The chassis underside has the brake equipment inserted; these are a little fragile (brittle material), as are the bogie cross-beams.
Despite prices tending to catch up with those of other manufacturers, there are still no attached heating jumpers. The footsteps are to be installed by the user. They are quite easy to install and do not require gluing. There is an additional pair, as well as three sets of buffer beam parts: steam and brake hoses, dummy coupling hooks. There are also route plates for an Oslo - Moscow train.
Wheel set characteristics: see table opposite. The wheels have too big flanges for my taste and are shiny. There are no metal bearings, but the running is very good.
The body is easily separated from the chassis: the tenons are very small. The interior is in two parts of the same brown colour. One part comprises the floor and the transverse partitions; the other part has the corridor partition and the beds. There are no colour accents to brighten this up. There are no curtains on the windows either. Photo of the dismantled coach.