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Comparing the PIKO 'hobby line’ and 'classic line’ double-deck carriages
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They have got the same shape, size and weight. So why is there such a big difference in price between a double-deck carriage that belongs to the PIKO ‘classic line’ and one of
those ‘hobby line’ carriages?
At least in Germany the latter is always part of a complete beginner’s set with two double-deck carriages, loco, tracks and the necessary electronic equipment. Some people buy
the set and sell its contents as individual pieces on eBay to make as much profit as possible. Nevertheless that way you can get a ‘hobby line’ double-deck carriage from EUR 20 whereas
the ‘classic line’ type can hardly be found for less than EUR 45!
But is the ‘classic line’ carriage really worth twice the price of its opposite number belonging to the ‘hobby line’? Apart from the slightly more detailed bogies it is the
prints that really make the difference. We have taken photos of each part of the two carriages and put them together so you can easily compare the ‘hobby line’ product with
the more expensive one. Just take your time and discover all the differences!
Our first pictures do not only show the different bogies but also reveal that the big grey stripe below the door windows is missing on the cheaper product:
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But the necessary operating information including registration numbers (which are, by the way, different) is complete on both carriages. The ‘hobby line’ product lacks grey
window frames; they are just engraved but not coloured:
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The green button (for opening the doors) is printed in different positions:
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Some bodywork details which are not engraved but only printed are missing on the left picture:
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And some differerences really catch the eye:
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| conclusion |
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If you are a detail lover you definitely won’t become happy with the ‘hobby line’ double-deckers and therefore should prefer the 'classic line'. But if the model cars on your layout do not
even have license plates the cheaper but still very nice 'hobby line' carriages might be a reasonable alternative for you.
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