Category Archives: Siding

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.

Railex – K.Bay.STS.B. type weighted tender with fitted plow. Epoch 1.

Siding: For modern snowplow locos take a look at FR’s SJ Tc/DLL snowplow loco.

Z-Modellbau: Locomotives

Z-Modellbau locomotives are the smallest working z gauge locomotives today. And they run perfectly despite their small size and relative weight. How do they do it? Precision engineering and manufacturing are evident when you have one of these superb locomotives in your hand. Z-Modellbau also produces models of prototypes not covered fully by Marklin including operating shunting locos for NS.

Z-Modellbau – Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS (Dutch State Railways) class SIK shunting locomotive, full metal construction with coreless motor.

Siding: Marklin has produced several car sets for NS including 82376, 82522, and 86304, all were Marklin “Export” models for the Netherlands.

FR Locomotives: Switzerland

Switzerland is home to many exciting railway adventures. And many model railroaders gravitate toward modeling Swiss prototypes and scenic byways. FR’s first foray in Swiss z locomotion was modifying Marklin locos, one such example is the class Ae 3/6 electric. Not a great runner out of the box, FR redesigned it with an FR custom circuit board and motor with a flywheel. In order to allow the flywheel to spin freely window glazings had to be removed on that end of the loco. But another very interesting loco for Switzerland was designed and built from tip to toe by FR for the railway Rorschach Heiden Bergbahn, the model is entirely constructed of metal with separately applied details, and the first model of a cog railway prototype in ‘Z’ scale. It also incorporates the new technology of coreless motors.

Marklin 8851 loco modified by FR with upgraded FR circuit board and motor with flywheel. The brass flywheel can be seen in photo #3. I purchased this second hand, it was missing all the glazing. Later I found a shell with complete glazing, and I was able to file the bottom edge of glazing, with very careful positioning I was able to keep all glazing intact. The running characteristics are very good with the FR modifications.

FR – Rorschach Heiden Bergbahn (RHB) class Fzeh2/4 cog railway locomotive privately owned and lettered for RHB in Epoch 2 paint scheme.

*Siding: FR recommends teflon based oil instead of Marklin oil for its locos available from Hightech Modellbahnen.

FR Locomotives: NSB

The first and only NSB locomotive to grace z scale is the EL-18 produced in partial kit form by FR. FR delivered this loco with the shell painted and lettered, it was up to the new owner to make modifications in order to install the snowplows. What is an NSB locomotive without snowplows, and these are very well cast metal plows painted yellow. The modification of the FR EL-18: 1. remove shell 2. trim and level bottom edges of shell either end 3. spot/retouch paint if defects arise from leveling 4. using only epoxy attach each snowplow and hold in place until epoxy has become permanent (plastic glues will melt the shell making for poor results) 5. set shell aside after assembly of both plows are completed 6. chassis: remove both trucks 7. truck modification: trim each just behind coupler (couplers need to removed to allow shell with plows to be installed) 8. holding truck together make a very small pilot hole into the outer edge of truck which will be held together with a screw 9. install screws in each truck, epoxy maybe applied to screw head it is at all loose.

FR #47.198.10 – Norges Statsbaner AS (Norwegian State Railways) NSB, class EL-18 electric locomotive with snowplows. Edition size: 30.

Siding: FR’s NSB EL-18 is based on the Marklin SBB 460 locomotive series which is another very successful series by Marklin. And a great performance loco in ‘Z’. The prototype is also similar to the SBB 460 with modifications, it has proven itself as highly successful locomotive for Norway being used to haul freight and passenger coaches.

Sidings

An idea occurred that might be useful for organizing related notes about information contained in these posts. This section will be titled “Sidings” which can be searched under this category. A Siding is a special note given with a post that connects with things outside the post.

MSI’s: DB passenger coaches

Very few Marklin Special Imprints of passenger coaches exist in comparison to other car types. Many of these never made it to the United States dealers, and today they are usually only available through secondary market or German dealers. Part of the fun is the search, and Ebay can sometimes be the only option, but a careful eye on dealer websites can sometimes be helpful. Some dealers are now featuring a category for consignments on their websites. Putting a special imprint in your train set can add uniqueness and specificity that not everyone can lay claim to. Pull up a chair with a cold refreshment and start hunting!

1a. 87295 – German Railroad, Inc. (DB AG) type DABz 756 1st and 2nd class coach in “Traffic Red” paint scheme. Two sided special imprint car: side 1- idee+spiel – 1000 Spielwaren-Fachgeschafte.

1b. 87295 – German Railroad, Inc. (DB AG) type DABz 756 1st and 2nd class coach in “Traffic Red” paint scheme. Two sided special imprint car: side 2- EUROTRAIN – Modellbahnen 1. Klasse.

2. 87296- German Railroad, Inc. (DB AG) type Dbz 751 cafe car 2nd class in “Traffic Red” paint scheme lettered ZugCafe. Destination signs: RegionalExpress RB50 Dortmund Hbf. One Time Series 2001/02.

3. 8716.1728 – German Federal Railroad (DB) “Silver Coin” 2nd class coach commemorating MIBA’s 40th Anniversary.

4. 87399 – German Federal Railroad (DB) type 2nd class coach with special imprinting: KUNSTHALLE TUBINGEN. Special edition car produced to mark the occasion of Marklin Exhibition at Kunsthalle Tubingen art museum, Tubingen, Baden Wurttemberg, 11/15/2003 – 2/15/2004.

*Siding: Marklin 87399 coach is same car type as the coaches found in Marklin’s 8135 train set “Dompfeil”. It is also a compatible coach for repainting for SJ service, FR has a stencil kit available to convert these coaches to SJ.

Z Trains Weekly

World of Z scale trains!