PIKO 97253 SBB RABDe 12/12 “Mirage” Railcar in Striking Red

The Prototype – SBB RABDe 12/12 “Mirage”

The SBB RABDe 12/12 was developed in the 1960s for the heavily used suburban Zürich–Rapperswil route along the right bank of Lake Zürich’s “Gold Coast.” With stations spaced closely together, SBB needed a purpose-built train capable of rapid acceleration and powerful braking capabilities. Twenty trainsets, numbered 1101–1120, were delivered between 1963 and 1967 by a consortium of Swiss manufacturers including SWP, FFA, SAAS, BBC, GF and Bührle. ModellDepot_2-2024

Each three-car set weighed 170 tonnes and could reach 125 km/h. Passenger accommodation comprised 56 First Class seats, 144 Second Class seats and space for 160 standing passengers, while the middle car incorporated a 10 m² luggage compartment. Much of the body construction and interior design was based on the SBB Standard Coach I. ModellDepot_2-2024

The original livery featured a striking bright wine-red body with a silver roof, which was later changed to dark grey during the first phase of modernization. The railcar earned the nickname “Mirage” due to its exceptional acceleration capabilities, synonymous with the Mirage fighter aircraft introduced by the Swiss Air Force around the same time. Built specifically for intensive suburban operations, the RABDe 12/12 were among the early S-Bahn trains to feature all-axle powered drivetrains and could even operate in multiple-unit consists, with up to four units controlled by a single driver. ModellDepot_2-2024 ModellDepot_2-2024

The PIKO Model

The PIKO RABDe 12/12 is a completely new H0 model construction of the famous three-car “Mirage” in its original red Era III appearance. The model captures the distinctive character of the prototype with finely detailed bogies, pantographs and windscreen wipers, together with a multi-coloured interior. modelldepot_1-2025_v5_online

The drive is housed in the centre car, where a powerful five-pole motor with two flywheels drives four axles. Two traction tyres provide additional grip, while current-conducting close couplers connect the three vehicles. The model is equipped with a buffer capacitor and extensive factory-installed lighting, including interior, driver’s cab, control-desk and separately switchable luggage-compartment lighting. modelldepot_1-2025_v5_online

For even greater operational realism, PIKO has designed the train so that multiple RABDe 12/12 sets can be coupled together, reflecting the way the prototype regularly operated in multiple-unit formations. The three-car train measures 840 mm in length.

Model Features:

• Completely new model construction
• Faithful reproduction of the original red RABDe 12/12 “Mirage”
• Finely detailed bogies, pantographs and windscreen wipers
• Multi-coloured interior
• Drive housed in the centre car
• Powerful five-pole motor with two flywheels
• Four powered axles
• Two traction tyres for improved adhesion
• Current-conducting close couplers between the three cars
• Buffer capacitor
• Factory-fitted interior lighting
• Driver’s cab and control-desk lighting
• Separately switchable luggage-compartment lighting
• Multiple-unit operation possible
• Imitation GF coupling and operational standard coupling included
• PluX22 digital interface
• PIKO XP5.1 digital sound decoder