Category Archives: Siding

Marklin train set 81411: BR V 31 loco and hoppers

The 81411 train set was released as a 1997 One Time Series by Marklin for their MHI Program thus finding itself on the cusp of the future transition to the 5 pole motor. No fear the 5 pole motor upgrade is easy with this locomotive type: part number is E211903. Locomotive comes with 4 hinged roof hoppers for the transport of limestone these cars are classified as Tds Seitenentladewagens with various road numbers. Here is a train set that features weathering, one of the few I might add, but this weathering is lightly applied around the hinged roof covers in the form of lime dust. The weathering appears to have been applied with an airbrush in a separate application over the printing: very good! Attractive train sets are abundant in Marklin Z, but one cannot have enough! I like this set very much, it worked great right out of the box with the original 3 pole motor, but I opted for upgrading to 5 pole which was very easy to do. Motor upgrades are pretty easy on locos without side rods with few exceptions including multi unit sets. Great detail and color plus the less common “Lollo” locomotive make this a great set to add to a collection. At least the color of the loco and its type make it different than everything else.

81411- HEG train set that includes loco and 4 hinged roof hoppers with light weathering, MHI One Time Series 1997.

Siding: Original 3 pole motor can be upgraded to 5 pole with part #E211903.

Marklin weathering: experts in Z!

Marklin has released ‘weathered’ rolling stock before, but the weathering on a current release of 10 cars is so good it deserves special praise. Those 10 cars are none other than the GI 11 boxcars for the DB in three versions: 82175- 82178 type GI 11 without hand brake, 82261- 82263 type GI 11 with brakeman’s cabin, and 82264- 82266 type GI 11 with brakeman’s platform. In 2014 Marklin released these same cars lettered for the DB in a 10 set pack without weathering, they showed off Marklin’s excellence in injection molded plastic; you can see all the bolts and planks that built the prototype along with crisp lettering throughout: car set 82559 is long sold out but some are still available from some of the Ebay listed dealers. The 10 individual cars this post is dedicated to is currently out of production (short shelf life for these beauties!!!), but Walthers still has them in stock! The weathering is coal soot from the loco and other floating dust and grime from many miles traveling the rails. Authentic to the prototype, this weathering is applied to the lower extremities of the cars in varying thickness and spread: no two are the same! I would to see more of Marklin’s obvious weathering skills applied to other locos and rolling stock thus making the world one step closer to being complete and true! Bravo to Marklin!

Three car types from set 82559 side by side with the newly released heavily weathered same car types.

Siding: wheel sets are also complemented with authentic weathering. Wheel sets from Marklin Z rolling stock can be similarly weathered and aged using an airbrush with water based pigment, they simply unclip from the chassis, hold them in place and give each a light swipe from the airbrush gun!

“Lollo” that’s the name! or BR V 160 for sure!

“Lollo” is the cutest nickname for a hardworking diesel locomotive, but what’s in the name? The loco was nicknamed “Lollo” as an apparent allusion to the actress Gina Lollobrigida and because of the apparent shapely front end of the loco (?). After a quick google search, I told my Wife about the nickname given to this loco, my Wife rolled her eyes when hearing that a loco would be named after an Italian sex symbol; one wonders what else is named ‘Lollo”?

Thus far to the best of my knowledge Marklin has produced 4 variations of the V 160: 3 individual releases and 1 with a train set. Note: two of these locos were renamed in 1968 following Germany’s new classification thus they are technically BR 216’s.

from top:

8866- German Federal Railroad (DB) BR V 160 pre-production general purpose diesel locomotive. Operating number V 160 003. Era III (1962). Originally sold with 3 pole motor. Build date: 1990-1994.
88785- German Federal Railroad (DB) BR V 160 pre-production general purpose diesel locomotive. Operating number V 160 005. Era III (1962). Current catalog.
88782- German Federal Railroad (DB) BR 216 005-9 former BR V 160 reclassified in 1968 as BR 216. Operating number 216 005-9. Build date: 2005-2008.
81411- HEG – Hersfelder Eisenbahn GmbH privately owned former BR 216, operating number BR V 31. Sold as part of train set 81411 which included loco and 4 hinged roof hoppers. Originally sold with 3 pole motor. Build date: 1997. One Time Series for MHI (Marklin Handlers Initiative).

Photo: the new “Lollo” with bright new grill is second from right!!!

*Note: LED’s on all these locos with warm white and red lamps that change over with direction of travel. Great feature found on all versions of this loco type even with the early ones!!!!! And they are superb runners!

Siding 1: 8866 and 81411 can be upgraded with E211903 5 pole motor.

Siding 2: check out the cool elliptical window that disappeared following modifications to the V 160.

Siding 3: In 1968 the V 160 was reclassified as BR 216, V 162 became BR 217 and V 164 was reclassified BR 218. A very informative Wikipedia page is dedicated to the V 160 that fans should check out.

What was once is here again: 8866 + 88785

The ‘pre-production’ 1962 BR V 160 “Lollo” was released as Marklin 8866 in 1990-1994, here it is again as 88785 with the recent release. Class 160 was an important locomotive development in Germany thereby creating a successor to steam unmatched by other locos at the time. Germany’s new classification of 1968 renamed it BR 216, by then it had also undergone a transformation which will be presented in other posts.

from top:

8866- German Federal Railroad (DB) BR V 160 pre-production general use diesel locomotive. Operating number V 160 003. Build date: 1990-1994.

88785- German Federal Railroad (DB) BR V 160 pre-production general use diesel locomotive. Operating number V 160 005. Build date: current catalog.

Variations in the Marklin models are subtle: Paint maybe a little brighter (?) on 88785, door numbering is smaller on 88785, frame no longer says ‘Made in West Germany’, electrical equipment insignia has been removed from side panels on 88785, door latches painted on 88785, bright silver grills on 88785, different operating numbers, wheels darkened on 88785, and 5 pole motor is standard with 88785.

Siding 1: 8866 can be easily upgraded with 5 pole motor #E211903.

Siding 2: All variations of V160, BR 216 and BR 218 have always used LED’s thus warm white and red lamps that change over with direction.

Marklin 5 Pole Motors

Marklin 5 pole motors have been around for awhile, they were introduced in 1999 with the release of the DB class 143 loco #88431. The 88431 release made no mention of this new motor, but it was soon found out and happily too! The 5 pole has been the standard motor for all locos since, but it is important to mention the 3 pole was a record setter and powerhouse. Marklin makes available 5 pole motors for older locos, should the conversion be made? Brushes have become hard to come by for 3 poles which helps to sway the decision for converting to 5 pole, and your loco with the 5 pole will be more responsive at slow idling and quieter. The price of 5 pole motors varies greatly and availability has become less and less; Walthers lists several motor types as ‘sold out.’ Ebay is a good source when your dealer cannot provide them.

The following is a picture guide of five mini-club motors I use:

E211903 is installed in most Marklin Z locos by far (SBB 460’s, American F7’s, VT 11.5’s and more), it features two standard gears at opposite ends of the armature.

E209452 features worm gear both sides, it is used in all railbuses. Note: motor sold without brushes. This is the only Marklin Z 5 pole motor produced in Germany all others are China.

E211914 features gear on one side, it is used for one purpose: replaces 3 pole motor in 8998 turntable. *See my blog on making this repair. Note: 5 pole motor is available for 8994 transfer table.

E211904 features worm drive gearing on both ends, it used in 8856 and 8852 ‘Krokodil’s’.

E211905 features worm drive gearing on both ends, it is used in BR 144’s such as 8825.

Siding 1: The very successful class 143 electric loco was developed in East Germany as class 243. Marklin’s interpretation of the prototype includes the DR version as well as DB versions with LED’s and superb detailing. The current 88435 is one such example of a privately owned class 143 lettered for RBH Logistics GmgH.

Siding 2: Before installing a new 5 pole motor run it in both directions to break-in brushes. A common reason locos don’t run after 5 pole motor installation is likely due to circuit board whiskers not making contact with capacitor.

Marklin 8873: Tales of HOS!?!?!?

I just received the original Marklin TEE VT 11.5 train set 8873 and matching coach set 8793 from a dealer’s old inventory. For a train set that has been stored for almost 20 years and probably on its side I expected HOS (hardened oil syndrome), I wasn’t disappointed! Not only did the trucks not move freely, but the loco shells were cemented onto the chassis. With gentle nudging on each side of the shell I was able to eventually work them free, but the window glazings came too! Typically HOS is evidenced by an opaque tan clay like substance from the oil drying out, but this time it was an all over clear residue that even leaked onto the outer chassis thereby gluing the window glazing tight to it. The motors were even glued to the chassis frame thus began the repair and restoration work that started with soaking all unpainted surfaces in a mild solvent otherwise known to this blog as ‘Original’ Windex (blue) followed by the pain staking process of using no scratch toothpicks to gently loosen the rough crust of old dried up oil. Usually bringing back an old Marklin Z loco is straight forward and easy, but this time was very unusual due in part to too much of the wrong oil used and then long term storage on its side. Patience is expressly stated for the best results and lots of toothpicks. After moving points are cleaned up use new Labelle oil (viscosity for Z only) sparingly and enjoy the fruits of your labors. Window glazing was reattached using 5 minute epoxy. *Use only 5 minute epoxy when reattaching plastic parts, it is the only glue for tough durable repairs that don’t damage plastic. ****Avoid plastic cements like Faller ‘Expert’, they will melt your loco and coaches.*****************

Siding 1: The shells of both end units on all VT 11.5’s and versions should easily slide off using gently pressure with a small screwdriver placed in the car end located in the coupling hole (*remember to remove coupler before attempting to remove shell) if it is sluggish work both sides with very gentle pressure to avoid cracking or marking shell housing.

Siding 2: 8873 greatly benefits from upgrading the original 3 pole motor to the new E211903 5 pole motor. Because each end unit is powered this train set will require 2 motors with an approximate cost of $100 total, but you can sell the old motors on Ebay for $20 each.

Siding 3: Store your Marklin Z locos on their wheels otherwise the oil will pool inside the loco and not out the bottom. This is an important rule for long term storage.

Marklin Railbuses

Marklin Z Railbuses were introduced in 1988 with model 8122 and MSI model “McDonalds” followed in 1989 with 8816. Model 8122 was a railbus and trailer set decorated and lettered for the regional line “Cheimgau-Bahn” and 8816 was a standard class 798 railbus (*trailer was sold separately). In 1991 another MSI model was released, this one was made by Railex and lettered for RAG Germany’s largest coal mining corporation, special edition RAG railbus and trailer set was sold unpowered which included the shell only for the powered end unit. Next came the 8802 in 1991 (released in two versions) and later (1999) replaced by the 5 pole motor version 88021. 8802 and 88021 were very interesting MOW railbuses, but in Z they are used for cleaning track with the unique and very interesting design using a buffing wheel that successfully dislodges large dirt, grease, oil and oxidation needs to be removed with a pass of denatured alcohol on a clean cloth. Not pictured in this collection is the MSI 88161 with imprinting for 5. mini-club Treffen Speyer 28./29. September 96: One Time Series 1996. The Austrain railbus 88162 was a One TIme Series in 1998, it is much sought after today. From 1994-2008 the 8831 lettered for “Jagermeister” enjoyed the longest run in railbuses from Marklin with early ones employing the original 3 pole motor and late ones with the 5 pole motor installed. Two MSI’s followed in 2001 and 2002: 88164 + 88165. In 2008 a One Time Series for the MHI program was released in a special edition, the railbus and trailer were lettered for Doorncaat and included two Doorncaat glasses. Finally the limited release of the railbus and box car set 88313 in 2010.

from top:

88701 – Special imprint class 798 railbus lettered “McDonald’s voll in Fahrt,” Koll’s #88701, edition size: 1000. Originally sold as a starter set with track and 9 volt battery throttle.
8112- Chiemgau-Bahn class 798 railbus and class 998 railbus trailer. Build date: 1988-1994.
91702 – Special imprint class 798 railbus and class 998 railbus trailer lettered for RAG (Ruhrkohle AG). Collaboration between Railex and Z-Club International. Class 798 railbus included shell only and boxed in a standard Marklin plastic case with trailer.

4. 8802.2- SCHIENENREINIGUNGSWAGEN class 724 rail maintenance railbus for the DB. Build date: 1991-1995. 5. 88021- Indusi – Messwagen class 724 rail maintenance railbus for DB AG. Build date: 1999-2010. 6. 8816.5 + 8817- German Federal Railroad (DB) class 798 railbus and class 998 railbus trailer. Five versions of 8816 were produced with subtle design changes in lettering. 7. Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) class 5081 railbus and class 6581 railbus trailer. One Time Series 1998. Originally sold with 3 pole motor.

8. 8831- German Federal Railroad (DB) class 798 railbus with advertising for “Jagermeister.” Build date: 1994-2008. 9. 88164- Prignitzer Eisenbaum GmbH class 798 railbus and class 998 railbus trailer, privately owned and lettered for Prignitzer Eisenbaum regional rail Berlin. One Time Series 2001. Originally sold to dealer members of Eurotrain/idee-spiel cooperative. 10. 88165- Elbe-Weser GmbH (EVB) class 798 railbus and class 998 railbus trailer, privately owned and lettered for Elbe-Weser (EVB), Lower Saxony German regional line. One Time Series 2002. Originally sold to dealer members of Eurotrain/idee-spiel cooperative.

11. 88311- Elmshom-Barmstedt-Oldesloer Railway (EBOE) class VT 98 rail car and class VS 98 control car. Painted with advertising for spirits of the sixties, lettered for “Doornkaat.” Includes two Doornkaat schnapps glasses. One Time Series 2008. 12. 88313- Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) class 798 railbus, type Gos-uv 253 box car, and type Gbrs-v 245 box car. Limited production. Released 2010.

Siding: Marklin Z railbuses are easy to repair and upgrade. Check out Marklin Z Repair Notes category.

Marklin V100’s + BR 212’s

V100 locomotives took a little while before appearing in the Marklin roster, but Marklin listened to collectors and designed a beautiful cast metal locomotive that they have produced in many versions to widespread popularity. This collection reflects many but not all versions, they always seem to sell out fast with never enough to go around. Examples can also be found in passenger train sets.

from top:

88690 – German Federal Railroad (DB) class 212 diesel hydraulic locomotive in turquoise and cream paint scheme
88691 – Deustche Bahn AG (DB AG) class 212 locomotive lettered for DB Cargo
88692 – Sersa AG class Am847 ( former class 212) locomotive privately owned by Sersa AG, Zurich, One Time Series 2002
88694 – SECO/DG class 133-05 locomotive privately owned by French construction firm SECO/DG, used for construction of channel tunnel, One Time Series, Export Model for France
88698 – German Federal Railroad (DB) class V100.20 in crimson red paint scheme, One Time Series 2011
88699 – Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) class 212 locomotive in ocean blue and ivory paint scheme with current DB logo

7. 88219.1 – German Federal Railways (DB AG) class 213 in current traffic red paint scheme, One Time Series 2014. Version #1 with locomotive operating numbers printed below DB logo on locomotive end

8. 88219.2 – German Federal Railways (DB AG) class 213 in current traffic red paint scheme, One Time Series 2014. Version #2 without locomotive operating numbers printed below DB logo on locomotive end

9. 88216 – German Federal Railways (DB AG) class 212 in orient red paint scheme of the Deutsche Bahn AG. Prototype from 1994-1995. Operating number 212 041-8. Features large ‘DB’ logo. One Time Series MHI Release.

Siding: Marklin z V100’s are beautifully designed and easy to maintain, shell is held on by tension through a snug fit, careful pulling on each end will pop it off for under the hood service.

Siding: FR currently offers a two car K3 box car set that goes perfectly with the Sersa loco 88692.

Siding: Not pictured: 88693 class V100.2 in crimson red and 88695 BR 212 lettered for H.F. Wiebe Industrial, both are rare and highly sought after.

Marklin MSI’s: Locomotives

Cheese adorns the SBB class Am 4/4 diesel locomotive produced by Marklin as a special imprint in 1994 along with an Hbis car the same year.

Marklin 88820 – Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) class Am 4/4 diesel locomotive with special imprinting: “Kaselocher”, Koll’s #94701, edition size: 1000 + matching freight car: 88656.5 – SBB class Hbis with special imprinting: “Kaselocher”, Koll’s #94702. Edition size: 300

Siding: Edition size for car and loco vary as reported by Koll’s more research is required to confirm the veracity of Koll’s recording.

Railex: Maintenance of Way

Maintenance of way rail vehicles comprise all equipment that performs some type of track maintenance. In the 19th century a weighted tender fitted with a plow and lanterns was used for snow removal. Advancements in snow removal have been made in a variety of ways for the past 150 years, Railex’s Epoche 1 snow plow looks a bit primitive by today’s dedicated snow plow locos and snow blower locos.