Piko 37130, G-Scale Starter Set

My second PIKO 37130 train arrived a few days ago, so maybe it's time to write some words about my first impressions of the set. The set cost me 191,98€ which is 20€ less than the PIKO's recommended retail price. It was purchased at MSL and the delivery cost was none even though it was an international shipping which is really, really cool.

Let's start with the things that we get that are not the train itself. Here's the content of the box:

Going from the top-left we have:

• 22V power supply rated 32VA
• train speed controller
• 12 pieces of 30° curve track, radius 60cm
• alternative buffers for the locomotive and the cars
• train separator tool (simple but handy uncoupler)
• track connection cables
• 14 track clips that go between the track pieces and keep them together

It's everything you need to start enjoying your train. Although it needs to be mentioned that the amount of track you get is not really that much if you consider how long the train is (it's a large scale!). When running on the default oval layout it does look like a dog chasing its tail, so more track is the first thing you're going to need.

Let's move onto the locomotive. This one is really colourful and pretty:

I'm not really sure how realistic that look is. Perhaps trains used to look like that but it must have been before the colour photography became popular, since I wasn't able to google up the original. So, yes it does look very nice but it also looks a little... toyish? kiddish? or perhaps fairytalish?

The locomotive feels heavy indicating some serious stuff inside. It definitely does not hold like a toy and you have to use both hands when putting it in and out of the box. It feels like it could have some significant pulling power which is a nice surprise for a cheap starter set.

The outside is all plastic. It does not feel cheap although there are elements that could have been metal, since they look like they might break off easily. The most important example here would be the wheel rods which feel very fragile. And some details that are sticking out - the bell, the whistle and the golden railing. We'll see how long those survive in a garden full of children. And yes, you can always order replacement parts from PIKO.

The locomotive is of course analogue and it does not offer any sound or smoke effects. It can be upgraded for those which I'm planning to do in the future. But if you want sound and smoke without going digital, other PIKO starter sets might be a better choice for you.

The front and back lights are of course functional and they switch on/off with the direction of travel. They're both white.

Let's move onto the cars. Those look really nice. There's a red car:

And a blue car:

I have to say I really love the colours on those cars. The beige top is subtle and the bottom red/blue stands out nicely. They really look great on the green garden background and are definitely a great choice if you want a train that looks nice. On the other hand, they might be a poor choice for people who care about realistic/weathered look.

The cars are of course all plastic and again they do have parts that look like they might break. BUT the plastic in the cars feels sturdier than the one in the locomotive details so I'm less worried. The cars definitely do not have a toy-feel and they give the impression like your money was well spent.

The doors and the windows do not open/close. The windows that are half-open are half-open for good. This is of course to be expected in a relatively cheap starter set.

The bottom of the cars has some details, too:

I do not know how realistic that bottom is but it's always nice to have something to look at when you pick up your cars. The wheels are of course made of plastic:

which is disappointing but again - expected in a starter set. My personal feeling is that they don't drive that well. Of course the locomotive can pull them all right but just pushing them on the floor does not make them run that far. I was planning to replace them with something that can pick up power for the internal lighting, so I don't really care that much.

Speaking about the internal lighting, the really nice surprise is that the cars have some rest-rooms modelled inside. This is what it looks like:

I'm not sure what you're seeing here but I'm seeing a place to put my electronics in and to hide the cabling running from the wheels. It is perfect. And the space the G-scale gives will be just enough for a laaaaarge flicker-free capacitor :)

The train runs just fine. The 60cm radius seems tight: there's no real problem here but it does not look very natural. I really wish I had the space to build a larger radius curves but I don't.

The locomotive did seem loud at first but I think it got quieter after running for about an hour. And of course it did seem loud when running indoors, outdoors the engine noise is fully acceptable. Here's my first garden test drive:

Final opinion:

• What I liked most? The cars with their beautiful colours.
• What I liked least? The fragile parts in the locomotive.
• Price? Seems just about right. 
• Buy? Definitely yes.