This New Inexpensive Battery Operated Piko G Scale Model Train Is Very Cool!

[@aaronshaffer6112]

Jim! My 6 year old wanted to say “I love your trains, I like how you make it go through your backyard. And I like your model trains so much.”

[@JimZim]

Please tell him that I say hello!

[@jamesfrommanitoba.1992]

Jim I’m sorry to say I think that’s my favourite locomotive. I love that thing. Great find sir.

[@buentaste]

Thanks for showing that lovely, tiny, cute loco....

[@michaelcjgreenway4788]

Good video! Have always loved the smaller and switcher engines, so this was more than welcome.

[@caseyjonessnr1200]

Excellent video and review of a superb locomotive. I have two of these locomotives and I concur with your conclusions. I gave up track powered running 9 years ago and I now only run battery powered RC locomotives or live steam locomotives. 7:47

[@zacharyspinks6207]

This Engine looks Amazing, Piko is a great Company.

[@chasesrailwaylinesrr6447]

A very cute little engine looks like something you would see in Shunting yards I didn't know Piko made lots of G scale I knew they made HO

[@larryjohnson9406]

One would think that a rechargeable train set would be available these days. I mean we have Tesla cars all over the place. Great video and hello from the New Braunfels Railroad Museum

[@CloudStrife8894]

Hey Mr. Zim, My nephew wanted to say "I love your lay outs, Engines, and your ideas for layouts :)"

[@dw.7655]

Hello Jim, as a G scaler as well, but have slowed down a bit with LGB purchases, I did purchase the LGB Amtrak Baggage car to go with the older first run of LGB Amfleet passenger cars. When I got it, I was very disappointed that the side doors did not open, as they are molded solid with the body shell. I’m sure if that model was built under the direction of Wolfgang , bless his soul, it would have been a built with sliding side doors. Have to agree that Piko is great for the new members of G scale enthusiasts. That GE switcher is a good foundation for them to make a larger 45 ton center cab locomotive, with 2 , 2 axle 4 wheel trucks. Nice report. 👍👍

[@railfanningisthebest]

that can be an amazing starter engine. you Jim got amazing trains added in your collection. I have a lot of Lionel model trains

[@XBOXShawn12thman]

That little guy is AWESOME!!!!! 😳

[@jorgesabater8640]

Thanks for this very helpful video. By the way, you can purchase 1:25 scale vehicles for your layout at CVS pharmacy.

[@graffb.5531]

Thank you for your video. Just about to buy one of these, and the Santa Fe was a possible choice. Now it’s my definite choice. 👍

[@bncsystemsshortline]

That's an awesome little loco!! Love the start up and shut down sequences.

[@rickbennett5072]

Hello Jim Good explanation of this locomotive.

[@Terrys-Steam-and-Bricks]

I have been thinking about one of these. Great review. Thanks.

[@brentpiontek3118]

I am a huge train fan Jim and I am one of your biggest fans for the Train videos really interesting to watch

[@Northcoastrails]

Thats a cool little engine

[@carltongadgettmannprice352]

Inexpensive plastic G scale track will work great for this locomotive. I have plastic track secured on my outside deck and the track has held up well thru all weather conditions.

[@KandiKlover]

I was about to say, you can save even more on track by going plastic. I’ve seen plenty of nice looking ones out there.

[@rjmyers5713]

How long have you been running Plastic track? Am going to remote and battery!

[@vuurvrproductions4656]

Love to see more G Scale Videos!

[@marshallluddite]

Gosh your house is so clean ! Would be ashamed to show my floors with my two dogs ! lol greetings from the UK

[@waterloocentral9production475]

Awesome video! Definitely need to grab one of these, funny enough, that 25 ton you showed on the information section of the video was the one in fort Erie. I managed to get a cab ride in 2 of them, one in the video from fort Erie while there is another one in port Stanley.

[@rogerlollar4325]

It's so stinkin cute I wanna adopt it

[@DCSk8er529]

It would make a good Christmas locomotive outside when the snow starts falling. Or perhaps when it's raining. That's smart to design it to be RC controlled.

[@madmaxmxp7811]

I'm not really sold on the whol battery thing but the remote controll can be quite a money saver if you want controllability without buying a digital system. Just built one into a almost 30 year old lgb Stainz yesterday and I really love it.

[@Razer_-fe9mo]

Looks like a great model!

[@nigelbilsby3826]

Nice video Jim Zimmerlin, wish I could find one in England but still nice to watch!

[@graffb.5531]

Garden Railways Limited and Gaugemaster stock them in the UK.

[@christopheredwards788]

Very nice. And the startup and down sounds like a lawnmower.

[@OgaugeTrainsplusslotCars]

Nice locomotive

[@davidmeacher1320]

Hi Jim, great video, I guess these type of RC trains would work fine on playmobil G scale track. This is a heavy duty plastic track I have set up in my garden for the kids.

[@mspenningtons]

I'm wondering this as well. Although the beautiful LGB track in Jim's fantastic video looks so great, I would like to start building my garden layout with much more affordable track. Later we will see. Jim, what's your take? Would the battery powered loco do well on Playmobil track? Any other cheap track suggestions appropriate for running this loco? Thanks for your expertise and responses to all our questions.

[@JimZim]

@mspenningtons I can't offer any advice about cheap track, simply because I have no experience with it. The only track I've ever used for my trains is the expensive LGB brass track. I'm not familiar with the Playmobil track at all, or any other types of track other than LGB. But perhaps other people can chip in with what they know about alternatives to LGB track.

[@markhenry2826]

Well done...

[@thegreypenguin5097]

Trainworld includes sets with these locos for only $400! what a steal for the loco, track, and coaches for an extra $50!

[@mspenningtons]

I know this is a year-old post, but the loco, track, and coaches for $400... was it for the Piko Santa Fe Railway General Electric 25-Ton? If so, do you have an old link? Thanks.

[@JimZim]

You can see all of Trainworld's Piko sets at www.trainworld.com/train-set/g-scale/piko-g-scale-train-set.html If you look at the last one listed, I think it's the one that the person was commenting about. With a year's worth of inflation, it's up to $450 currently.

[@captiy9676]

I just wanted to say I found my g scale power supply for around 20 dollars, the official LGB one online on Ebay, cheers! And I got my whole setup for around 200 dollars, that’s a power supply, a Stainz locomotive, a goods wagon, a loop & four straights! Cheers, Igor

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

While I love watching your G Scale steam engine videos, I don't have room for G Scale in my own home. I'm sticking to the much smaller 00 gauge model railway, in my bedroom (the Cat Valley Steam Railway). However, I'm looking to buy a third analogue 00 gauge train set to have a small oval of track round the base of my Christmas tree. I just love the theme of a Winter Wonderland in my own abode.

[@thomascomeau9271]

The G scale Piko Clean Machine and now the Santa Fe Railway General Electric 25-Ton diesel switcher locomotive are from Piko, they are both battery powered General Electric 25-Ton diesel switcher locomotives and are nearly identical to each other except the Piko Clean Machine has cleaning pads and the Santa Fe Railway General Electric 25-Ton diesel switcher locomotive #21 has sound effects and a remote control! We can get the G scale General Electric 25-Ton diesel switcher locomotive in four different paint schemes. You, Jim Zim, opted for the Santa Fe Railway Warbonnet paint scheme because you are a fan of the Santa Fe Railway! But the rest of us can also get it in the United States Army paint scheme, the KLW Thumper in the black with a green stripe paint scheme and the Pennsylvania Railroad paint scheme! It is based on a real life full scale locomotive that can be used in railroad switchyards and large industrial facilities. It is based on the General Electric 25-Ton diesel switcher! I love the G scale battery powered General Electric 25-Ton diesel switcher locomotive in the Santa Fe Railway Warbonnet paint scheme with a road number of 21 and also with sound effects and a remote control from Piko! Piko is making G scale, HO scale and now N scale model trains! As always I am Thomas Comeau signing off for today!

[@Strasburg90fan]

The remote control looks like car keys lol 🤣. Nice job! Also I think the Strasburg Rail Road has one of those.

[@JimZim]

Yeah, I very nearly put my Toyota remote next to it in the video to make that very same point!

[@sunnysiderails397]

That thing is AWESOME!

[@timothyS_taproductions]

Next time you get a new train, you should do another race. It'd be amazing to see and update on how your collection is doing!

[@thomascomeau9271]

Wow, this is the Santa Fe Railway General Electric 25-ton diesel locomotive from Piko in the Santa Fe Railway Warbonnet paint scheme and has a road number of 21! It is nearly identical to the G scale Piko Clean Machine except with sound and a remote control! That makes 26 G scale model locomotives in your G scale model train collection! I can't wait for you to get a Union Pacific diesel locomotive from Bachmann and/or a Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotive to add to your G scale model train collection and then you can preorder Duck the #8 Great Western Railway 0-6-0 Engine and Edward the #2 Blue 4-4-0 Tender Engine from Thomas and Friends manufactured by Bachmann to add to your G scale model train collection when Bachmann release them! As always, I am Thomas Comeau signing off for today!

[@thomascomeau9271]

You have preordered the Union Pacific EMD F3 ABA diesel locomotives from MTH Electric Trains and expect the delivery on January of next year which is 2024! I can't wait to see the Union Pacific EMD F3 ABA diesel locomotives in your G scale model train collection! Two A units and one B unit that makes three! And you also booked a cruise on February of next year on Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean International using your travel agent, Caitlin Gallagher of Ambren Travel!

[@Lego-ninjago-rouge23]

Jim I’m a fan of your videos.

[@Modeltrainscarsstereos614]

I actually kinda like that little engine.

[@jamesholton2630]

That small Santa Fe engine shares the name model as the clean machine

[@PatrickCooperPhotography-nw1pp]

A very informative video. I notice this train seems to be more stable when it's running at an extra slow speed. Out of curiosity, would it be possible to use the remote to move this train in short, consistent bursts? For example, say a few mm at the press of a button? I would be interested in mounting a camera and recording time lapse. Though for this, I would need the train to move extremely short fixed distances after every photo is taken.

[@RailfanLoy]

I’ve seen one of those in downtown Knoxville

[@thomascomeau9271]

There are now seven locomotives for the Santa Fe Railway! Four of them are in the Santa Fe Railway Warbonnet paint scheme, one is in the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Swoosh paint scheme and two of them are steam locomotives! One is in HO scale and six of them are in G scale. The Santa Fe Super Chief diesel passenger train lead by an EMD F7 diesel locomotive #202 from LGB, the General Electric Dash 8-40CW diesel locomotive #868 from MTH Electric Trains, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway steam locomotive #707 from Piko, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway steam locomotive #49 AKA the Valvoline Train from Bachmann, the General Electric 25-Ton diesel locomotive #21 from Piko, the BNSF EMD SD70ACE AH diesel locomotive #9370 from MTH Electric Trains and the Santa Fe Railway diesel locomotive #6067! What manufacturer is the Santa Fe Railway diesel locomotive #6067 in HO scale from? What type is it?

[@thomascomeau9271]

Oh wait, I already know that the Santa Fe Railway diesel locomotive #6067 in HO scale is made by Bachmann!

[@KCDash4400cw-2]

we need to have stuff like this in HO scale

[@jcarolm1]

Can you please make a video about the Bnsf train pulling lots of freight cars and also you are mixing up the white pass cars on the white pass trains. the green cars are for the steam train and the brown are for the white pass diesel. love the videos.

[@stephenbloomer567]

What would be nice is the use of rechargeable technology that charges from a section of track, while parked up.

[@theventuracountyrailfan]

How much does it pull? I have a track powered 25 ton and it can’t pull one 40’ boxcar! I love your vids, have a good day!

[@allanegleston4931]

cool. if i knew how . id add rc to it for remote foreward and reverse and stop.

[@VineyKumar-xx3no]

Thenk you sir to advantage of outdoor g scale layout but it, s very important to know about track detail of G 2nd rolling stack with track power control system is perfect 12 v dc

[@newbright2629]

Hey Jim you can use that locomotive as a camera locomotive I think that a good idea right Jim? And do you know what I have a camera locomotive to .

[@alexfarrell5533]

This reminds me of the Piko Track Clean Train.

[@JimZim]

Yes, I feel like the Piko Clean Machine was version 1.0 and then they thought "hey, we should add a sound card and a remote control" and that was version 2.0

[@alexfarrell5533]

apart from no sweepers

[@chuchuchip]

Not to be picky but this is the newest version. The loco has been on the market for a while. This is also available as a track cleaning loco, no remote. This is the version I have. Replacement scrub pads are available.

[@danmanproductions]

I assume this locomotive could be used in conjunction with a live DC circuit? For example, running yard switching operations on sidings while DC activity continues on the main line/whole layout receiving DC current?

[@JimZim]

I've never tried it, but I bet that would work without damaging the battery powered locomotive.

[@TheLordFinwe]

Bought the standard DC version of this and used its chassis too build a proper scale gauge 1 J70 Toby tram engine.

[@raghu3262]

Super bro

[@tracybrown9634]

Have you done any switching puzzles?

[@baronjutter]

Is there any way to upgrade this to a more professional grade batter pack? Like the types RC planes or cars use these days?

[@BringMayFlowers]

I'm probably not being helpful, but KLW is a real company, the Knoxville Locomotive Works, which repowers EMDs for Tier 4 emissions standards. I like them, though it seems like few companies have bought locomotives from them and I suppose it makes sense when on the used market a GP7 is $60,000 and an SD45 is like $150,000; probably costs more for an SE20B or an SE32C and if you don't need any other modifications done and just want to run it it makes more financial sense. Still, I do hope they're more successful in the future and I really, really like the demonstrator SE44C built from an SD70M, I always had a soft spot for the early 70/80M[AC]s and their uncut cabs. I'm kind of surprised Piko made them into a livery of all companies for something like this, especially since they don't do anything GE (and GE isn't exactly in the business of allowing anyone to use their locomotives post-lease, either). Would love to see a KLW livery on a potential SW1500 styled battery-powered switcher, though!

[@carmenscialla4855]

Hi Jim! Will there ever be other battery operated models put out by Pico or anyone else?

[@JimZim]

I would think that there probably will be. It solves the problem of electrical conductivity on rails that have been sitting outside in the weather for long periods of time. I think they should make one with a built-in rechargeable battery that you can just plug in to a USB charger.

[@ATSF2926Productions]

Hey Jim LGB has just released new amtrak p42dc's and amtrak amfleets like, café car, coach car, ect. Now I think those you'd like and they would make a great addition to your collection aswell!

[@JimZim]

Have you seen the prices on those? $1,350 for the locomotive, plus $2,320 for the five matching passenger cars. That's $3,670 for the set. I'm pretty sure that I will not be buying those!

[@ATSF2926Productions]

@@JimZim OOF, Yeah no never mind, that would definitely blow a hole in your bank.

[@ATSF2926Productions]

@@JimZim I don't think LGB is going the right way with those prices, I mean gosh, you'd be crazy to buy that! I'm sorry for suggesting that, my mistake.

[@dennistejada8289]

Hey Jim it would be great if there were model trains going through a bridge that's made of wood.

[@nicolasstagg4657]

Hi Jim, fantastic review, can you run these locomotives on LGB track, without running power to the track?

[@JimZim]

That's exactly what I'm doing in the video.

[@VictorianMaid99]

I want one !

[@sherylmccrystal3804]

Thanks for your train videos. My husband has a set from an older (now deceased) family member. If our grandkids lived anywhere near we'd have it set up instead of packed up. Anyway, if we do decide to set it up, how do we find out what scale it is? (We may need some new tracks or other accessories.)

[@JimZim]

Measure the exact distance from the center of one rail to the center of the other... or from the center of one wheel on the locomotive to the center of the other. Reply to your comment, right here, with the measurement... and I should be able to tell you the scale. I need an exact measurement, preferably using the metric system, not inches.

[@sherylmccrystal3804]

@@JimZim Thank you! It will be a while. We are coming into gardening season. I’ll have to dig around in the attic. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to it in the fall. I’ll let you know. 😉

[@cec_oregon]

Im thinkingabout making a g scale industrial railway, its gonna go from my house/ a station to my pond, pick up some rocks, then come back.

[@JROCKSRAILROADS]

that looks exactly like your piko clean machine, i definitely need to get one! and do you know if they have a piko clean machine for ho scale trains?

[@JimZim]

Yeah, I think it probably wasn't too hard to adapt the design of the Piko Clean Machine by adding a sound card and a remote control. I looked on the Piko web site, but it appears that the Clean Machine is only a G scale product.

[@janemarsh3119]

im planning to make a big g scale layout outside and i have 3 locomotives a circus train a 0-4-0 green shunting train and an small atsf steam sloped tender

[@Wawa111_Mainline]

You should get a g scale live steam

[@morgangrechika8237]

You might wanna get an Amtrak, California Zephyr

[@haroldmueler7399]

Is that running at top full speed or close to it?

[@JimZim]

It is.

[@saludagradeproductions]

Does it need to be on the tracks to work?

[@JimZim]

If you're asking "could I just run it on a hardwood floor without tracks?" then I guess the answer is yes. That's not what it's designed for, but I guess it would work. Just don't try to run it on carpet, without tracks... as fibers from the carpet could get up in to the wheels and the gears and that would not be good. But really, a model train is designed to run on tracks... so, that's the best way to run it.

[@saludagradeproductions]

@@JimZim yippee!!!!

[@saludagradeproductions]

@@JimZim also I mean it like could I put it on a shelf and just turn it on and Play the sounds

[@JimZim]

Yes, I just tested it to verify this. On the shelf, the start-up sound works, as does the bell and the horn.

[@saludagradeproductions]

@@JimZim poggers

[@Trip0905]

I expected $100-$150 not $380..

[@Slowedbeatlesandbeachboy8796]

It looks like the cleaning Locomotive

[@JimZim]

You're absolutely right about that. I'd be willing to bet that after the cleaning locomotive came out, someone at Piko started thinking about how they could take that same basic concept and make it better. How about if we add sound to it? How about if we add a remote control? My guess is that the concept was born pretty much like that. I actually see that same kind of thing in the cruise ship world, too. A cruise line comes out with a new generation of ships. Then a few years after that, they figure out a way to make that same basic concept a little better. At Norwegian Cruise Line, they have the Breakaway class of ships... and then a few years later they came out with the Breakaway-plus class... which was essentially the same thing but with a few big changes to make it better.

[@tylermason7447]

I feel like the g scale would be perfect for a built-in battery pack with a rechargeable USB cable. Does anyone else think that or just me

[@JimZim]

I absolutely agree with you. Piko would be smart to do that with the next generation of this product.

[@EliotJohnson]

IS Piko the only company that has battery operated g scale trains?

[@JimZim]

It's the only one that I know of. Perhaps someone else will comment if they know of one that I don't. What I really think Piko should do is make a locomotive with a built-in battery that can be recharged via a USB cable, like charging a cell phone. Or perhaps a removable battery (like a digital camera has) that can be recharged on a charger that comes with it.

[@EliotJohnson]

@@JimZim that would be awesome . I'm getting ready to build a planter for a train. My backyard doesn't have a lot of options for external power

[@tracybrown9634]

Wish that it can in navy's " hase Grey " sceem

[@Jamari-ff4bh]

hi

[@timothykeinard8085]

RUN FOR HOUR PRR