Piko is selling a set and cars of the ICE 3 in Amtrak colors.
GER: ICE 3 Amtrak Start-Set m. Bettungsgleis Buy modeltrains | PIKO Webshop (piko-shop.de)
ICE 3 2nd Cl. Passenger car Amtrak Buy modeltrains | PIKO Webshop (piko-shop.de)
ICE 3 1st Cl. Passenger car w/pantograph Amtrak Buy modeltrains | PIKO Webshop (piko-shop.de)
I do not think this is a "fantasy" model because on the box there is the official Amtrak logo.
Will Amtrak replacing the Alcea trains by ICE 3's?
No, Amtrak is not obtaining ICE trainsets. The Acela replacements are already being delivered and stored in Philadelphia while their testing phase is underway.
They are in a photographable spot. At 30th. One drives. The other takes the pic as you go past. The pics from the parking deck aren't as good. Unless you want roof detail.
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
I searched a lot, but only found the ICE-1 on demo tour in North America in 1993.
There however was the Danish IC3 (silly thing about easily confused names, did Piko fall for this, or was it a "toy" train idea?), a totally different train from the ICE3, that was tested by VIA in Canada, and returned, see rolling stock for VIA in wikipedia.
The IC3 wikipedia entry (NOT ICE3, just IC3) itself also lists Amtrak as a former operator, so they probably tested it as well.
So it looks like that was a totally different train though, but those Piko cars appear to indded loosely match the DSB IC3, which was actually a self propelled multiple unit, so relationship to the ICE3.
As far as I know, the only German Siemens ICE type ever run in North America was the original ICE-1, that toured USA in 1993, but was not bought.
I stress Siemens here, as Bombardier in the late 90s and early 2000s had bought out several old German locomotive smiths, and was producing high speed locos, multiple units, cars, etc in Germany, so the Acela still has a lot of German engineering, but is not officially in the ICE family.
Having said that, the ICE family has roots in the 80s, ICE3 dating to 1999, and they were built by consortiums. The individual consortium members were varied, and there were once about 1/2 dozen or so railway equipment makers in Germany alone. So, the companies that Bombardier absorbed were all likely involved in ICE building!
It is all a bit messy, but the Piko train in Amtrak dress ... right now seems to be a fun toy, and that is what our little trains are after all. At age 59 and after 55 years with model trains, I am not past enjoying a fun fantasy machine as an escape in a fantasy land :)
The set VIA tested was the same set Amtrak tested. It was used on a handful of routes around the country in the mid 90s, before heading to Canada. It went back to Israel afterwards.
I have a copy of a railfan video covering the IC3 'lamprey' set that came here.
The model is clearly a DB ICE 3. The Amtrak paint scheme is a fantasy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICE_3
AEP528 The model is clearly a DB ICE 3. The Amtrak paint scheme is a fantasy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICE_3
Totally agreed about the Piko base set not being a reality based model. I merely also mentioned the IC3, because that could explain an "accidental" confusion at Piko, plus the add-on cars listed earlier really look a lot like the IC3, not the ICE3, but then it also gets a bit tricky with the perspective shift in the pics. That one center door on the base set looks odd compared to the add-on cars for sure.