Piko (stylized PIKO, pronounced "peek-oh") is a German
model train
Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale.
The scale models include locomotives, rolling stock, streetcars, t ...
brand in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
that also exports to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and other parts of the world.
[Groundbreaking for the construction of a new high-bay warehouse](_blank)
/ref>[Company](_blank)
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History
Founded in 1949, PIKO was once a state-owned enterprise in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
), supplying a share of model trains in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
. In 1992, after the reunification of Germany
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
, the company was purchased by PIKO Spielwaren GmbH. PIKO Spielwaren GmbH was founded in April 1992 by Dr. René F. Wilfer, PIKO’s President, who had been working in the toy industry since 1986 and had previously managed a model building company.
Products
PIKO manufactures more than 1,500 [PIKO Product Archive](_blank)
/ref> products in various model train scales:
G-Scale
Large scale or G scale (, G gauge) is a track gauge for model railways which is often used for outdoor garden railways because of its size and durability. G scale trains use a fixed track gauge of to accommodate a range of rail transport mod ...
: American and European-prototype weather-resistant models for indoor and outdoor use, including starter sets, locomotives, passenger and freight cars, track, buildings, controls and accessories.
HO-Scale: European-prototype models including starter sets, locomotives (most in both 2-Rail DC and 3-Rail AC versions), passenger and freight cars, track, buildings, controls and accessories.
TT-Scale: European-prototype locomotives and cars.
N-Scale: European-prototype locomotives, cars, and buildings.
Its headquarters factory in Sonneberg (Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and larg ...
) Germany makes the G-Scale and some HO-Scale products, while its PIKO China factory in Chashan, China, makes the HO-Scale "Expert", "Hobby", "SmartControl", "SmartControlLight" and "myTrain" lines, as well as the N-Scale and TT-Scale lines.
Manufacturing
Distribution
In Germany, PIKO products are distributed from the firm's headquarters in Sonneberg to a network of retailers. In other countries, PIKO distributors and representatives perform a similar function. In America, sales and distribution to retailers is handled by PIKO America in San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, CA.
References
External links
PIKO official homepage
PIKO official webshop
PIKO America official homepage
News about PIKO G
{{Authority control
German brands
Companies based in Thuringia
Model railroad manufacturers
Model manufacturers of Germany
Companies of East Germany
Volkseigene Betriebe
Companies established in 1949
1949 establishments in East Germany