The IC coaches of the DB are a complete new design by PIKO in a scale of 1:160. The groundbreaking concept of the IC '79 was introduced by the Federal Railway at the beginning of the summer timetable in 1979 with the well-known slogan "Every hour, every class." This new approach became necessary as the purely first-class Intercity trains were hardly economically viable due to the ongoing decline in passenger numbers. With the introduction of a second class, the frequency was also increased to an hourly rhythm. Intended reductions in travel times were achieved through the expansion of many routes and the increase of maximum speeds. These faster trains led to further time savings, eliminating baggage and postal cars, and were divided into first class, dining cars, and second class for quick transfers at major stations. Following the success of the concept, the IC network was expanded from four to five lines in 1985. To this day, the IC remains an important backbone of long-distance rail travel.