In the rare collectible category of Marklin Z special imprints is one for 8661 style box car. The early box car type with brakeman’s cab (8661) models an era I and II freight car, it has been released in Marklin’s regular program for many years primarily as a bier wagon but also as a general freight car with and without advertising. The prototype’s wooden construction is detailed in the model depicting vertical boards, corner iron mending plates, round buffers, and windows on all sides of brakeman’s cab. Using this style of freight car is another category of special imprints, other freight car types include modern examples. As few as 100 wagons were produced for any given design starting in 1991. Historically a special imprint was commissioned by a private individual/firm in collaboration with the design team at Marklin thus limited Marklin productions.
Note: outside firms through the years have purchased unpainted freight cars of various types from Marklin for private printing, these cars are referred to as “Industry Prints”. Industry Prints differ from Marklin special imprints with the omission of ‘m’ often but not always printed very small on two sides of freight cars. Further verification of a Marklin special imprints can be found using the Miba/Monk list, if it is on the list Gilles Monk has collected it and archived these treasures on his exclusive list; Mr. Monk only collects Marklin special imprints thus Industry Prints will not be included on his list or confused with the Marklin models.
As a collector of Marklin special imprints I can attest to the patience required finding these cars, my 8661 car collection is 10 years in the making with as few as 1 found in a year to more recently finding 10 within a two week span. Most special imprints are secondary market thus having passed through at least one collection. More successful collectors will find these cars listed by European dealers on Ebay, but ZTrackResale.com is another source for Marklin collectibles as well as other Z gauge items in gently used condition (highly recommended source!).
Included here are 10 special imprints of the 8661 style box car recently added to my collection:
Wimpfener Heimat-Bote released 1995. Koll’s #95701. Miba/Monk #895. Edition: 100
Konigsbrunner Edel-Pils (DR) released 1996. Marklin #8661.013. Miba/Monk #1009.
Konigsbrau OGGENHAUSEN (Wurttemberg) released 1996. Marklin #8661.025. Miba/Monk #1025.
Zotler Bier-Rettenberg (Augsburg) released 1999. Marklin #8661.051. Miba/Monk #1213. Edition: 100
Engelbrau RETTENBERG (Augsburg) released 1999. Marklin #8661.053. Miba/Monk #1249. Edition: 100
Nattheimer Ochsenbrau (Wurttemberg) released 1999. Marklin #8661.054. Miba/Monk #1246. Edition: 100
Brauerei Stolz Isny (Wurttemberg) released 1999. Marklin #8661.056. Miba/Monk #1248. Edition: 100
Memminger Burger&Engelbrau (Augsburg) released 1999. Marklin #8661.057. Miba/Monk #1250. Edition 100
Bell Basel (SBB CFF) released 2003. Marklin #8661.909. Miba/Monk #1586. Note: originally sold in Switzerland
Hasen Brau Augsburg Aktienbrauerei Zum Hasen ZFI (DR) released 2013. Marklin #8661.081. Miba/Monk #1723. Edition: 150
Siding: those new to this blog will find other box cars in this category under section Marklin Special Imprints: 8661.