Category Archives: Marklin Laser-cut Buildings

Sugar Beet Train Set: Marklin 81773 + 82396 + 82540

Marklin 81773 train set (announced 2025)

It has arrived: Marklin train set 81773 and freight set 82396. Identified as sugar beet freight train of the firm Grafschaft Hoya (VGH) both offerings include type Eo 17 gondolas with sugar beet loads. A build kit for loading equipment is also included with the train set.

The important arrival (this author’s opinion) of 81773 marks another release of the German V36 diesel-hydraulic locomotive in the mini-club line-up.

261 WR 360 C14 locomotives were built in Germany during wartime as a less conspicuous alternative to steam locomotives in shunting operations. After the war surviving WR 360 C14 locomotives were designated V36, and their future operations included Branchline passenger and freight as well as shunting, their useful life extending to early 80’s.

Marklin 82396 (2 car freight set to supplement 81773 train set)

More than 10 years later Marklin has released locomotives and train sets (8) with variations of the V36: 88770 Double Diesel class BR236 German Federal Railroad (Insider 2015), 88771 East German Railroad (DR) class BR 103 (former V 36) announced 2018, 88772 class V36 DB Museum Nurnberg locomotive (limited 499) announced 2021, 81341 German Federal Postal System train set: class V 36 locomotive, 3 freight cars and Tempo vehicle (MHI Release) announced 2022, 81770 German Federal Railroad commuter train set: class V 36.2 locomotive and 3 type “Thunderbox” coaches announced 2016, 81771 Railbouw Leerdam (Netherlands) maintenance of way train set: class V 36 locomotive and 3 type side dump cars announced 2023, 81772 German Federal Railroad (DB) freight train set: class 236 locomotive, 3 low side freight cars (as new tooling, 1 with hay load), and tractor + trailer (MHI Release) announced 2018, 81773 Grafschaft Hoya (VGH) beet transport train set: class V 36 005 (former DB 236 237-4), 3 type Eo 17 gondolas with beet loads, and build kit for beet loading machine announced 2025.

As Marklin charts new territory with technology and design mini-club’s future is bright with possibilities. And as a collector I never imagined the trains we are offered today back in the late 80’s. This new set is an example of what Marklin has made possible which was not possible in the 90’s: reliable motive power in small locos. And with working headlights and trailing lights.

Sugar beet transport does not subsume conversations concerning rolling stock of America railroads, but it should. In North America sugar beets are harvested in numerous colder climate states and Canada. A few years back my Wife, Mother and I witnessed a sugar beet loading facility in North Dakota, their equipment was not unlike what is seen in Europe. And of course it is an important crop in North America finding it in many food items for good or bad. Marklin has loaded up the gondolas of the train set and supplemental freight car set with very realistic sugar beets from a Fall harvest. Sometimes loads are labeled with manufacturer stickers in this case no labels can be found, but I believe the loads for this train set were likely made by Heico-Modell as they are known for very very good sugar beet loads for model railroading. High praise is warranted for these sugar beet loads which fit snugly in Marklin’s gondolas, and heaped over top edge of gondolas realistically suggest the natural loading process at a sugar beet facility.

Marklin 81773 (type Eo 17 gondolas with sugar beet load)

Marklin 81773 (sugar beet load possibly manufactured by Heico-Modell)

Locomotive features LED lights, motor with bell-shaped armature, and very very dark green paint scheme which almost looks black under most lighting conditions. Paint scheme has similar but different attributes of PRR’s Brunswick Green. Almost electric yellow striping around body of loco with matching engine grill, red frame and wheels make for its interesting appearance.

Operationally the loco runs flawlessly when tested with realistic tiny headlights and trailing lights which change over from white to red depending on direction of travel. If I were to run this on a layout with turn-outs it might stall within a switch as it is short and lite. But keeping good current running through your layout with clean track and solid connections should likely remedy this potentiality.

Interesting to read Marklin’s description concerning the locomotive which is a preserved museum locomotive, it is required to maintain last paint scheme in service, and it must remain in the area of its last activity.

I bought 2 of these sets, one was delivered with missing part which I feel is important to include a photo of as it conceals screw holding shell to motor/chassis (I think?). Marklin is sending me a replacement snap on part in 4-6 weeks.

Defective (missing cover) V36 (set 81773)

Included in the train set is a build kit for sugar beet loading, it is modeled after the prototype which features wheels. Two functions of prototype appear to include shaking off dirt and loading in rail car. The model is okay, its scale along side the train is very big and basic functions are suggested not detailed in the finished build. Build instructions are basic and confusing requiring a little extra patience thus much time is needed even for this small kit. Parts are very small to tiny and made of lightweight paper materials, thus it will challenge even the more experienced laser-cut cardboard builder. Lots of room for improvement, but it is important with its flaws to accessorize a sugar beet facility.

Marklin 81773 Sugar Beet Loader (laser cut cardboard build-kit)

This is the second time Marklin produced a sugar beet themed Z gauge item. In 2016 they announced a Swiss freight set for sugar beet harvest which introduced new tooling for the EANOS high side gondolas: 82540. The freight set also included a build kit for another example of beet loading this one superb. Sugar beet load for 82540’s EANOS gondolas identical in appearance to that included with the current train set. 82540’s sugar beet loading machine is smaller than 81773’s, but it loaded with many more details and signage based on a more mechanical prototype.

Marklin 82540 Sugar Beet Loader (left) and Marklin 81773 Sugar Beet Loader (right)

Several Marklin dealers have this train set and freight car supplemental set still available, I highly recommend it.

Fish Belly Bridge: Marklin 89758 Building Kit (2019)

Here is a build kit suitable for Germany and the United States. Released in 2019, Marklin 89758 is another laser-cut cardstock building kit based on a fish belly bridge. Such a design allows for very heavy freight trains, in the United States Lehigh Valley Railroad built a steel fish belly bridge in 1901, it connected Easton, PA and Phillipsburg, NJ. This bridge is now abandon, but its original purpose was transportation of very heavy freight trains hauling coal. Interesting to note: this bridge was built on piers built in 1866, it stands today far outliving its useful life.

Marklin’s 89758 is described in Marklin literature as similar to one historically protected in Plettenberg, Sauerland, Germany.

The bridge model represents a steel bridge with quarried stone piers. It measures: 8 5/8 inches (length) X 1 1/8 inches (width) x 1 1/8 inches (height). The build is straight forward comprising precision parts that fit together without modification thus a very fine kit. My only criticism for the kit is a limited number of gusset plates. I may opt to use paint with dry brush and/or air brush for an added layer of weathering perhaps making the bridge look for ‘steel’ like.

Marklin Himmelreich Station Build Kit: 89709

Marklin 89709 (build-kit) and Marklin 88856 (class 03.10 Express Locomotive)

As many of us are familiar with laser cut card-stock building kits I won’t go into the details of handling/building with paper except to say they are superior to plastic in my opinion. True to scale and even more detail than the plastic kits we have been presented with for many years. Plus the material is opaque when lit from within for added realism. Biggest challenge with paper is gluing small parts and straight alignment!

Onto the recent Himmelreich build-kit with Marklin item #89709 which is modeled after the “Bahnhof Himmelreich” located in the Black Forest having served the Hollental Railroad. As is stated in the item description the building is as it was before renovation. Numerous photos are available with a simple google search which all in all confirms a very good translation of the building into Z gauge.

The build-kit is another collaboration with Marklin and the firm Modellbau Laffont who have designed and constructed kits for Marklin including the big Hamburg Dammtor station a few years back. Overall an enjoyable kit to build, but maybe too much for one session, I spread it out over 4 days working on it here and there. Many small parts require tweezers and finesse. Perhaps the kit lacks the solid material construction of an Archistories building, but it is non-the-less an interesting architectural model. The finished build looks good to me, but the station signs are those that need to be carefully cut out of the instructions with a matt knife: ugh! These signs are something to consider toning down in the future; they identify the building but cheapen the look of it too. No partition walls, if you plan on realistic lighting you will have the added step of masking. And finally chimneys need better design than are offered by this manufacturer.

The odd pairing of Himmelreich station and the German Express Class 03.10 (Marklin 88856) locomotive is pure fiction; they are used here to illustrate scale. Stay tuned for more on the 88856 loco which is brilliant and beautiful.

Good luck and have fun!

Z -Modellbau: “Vanoli” Koff II

One of the smallest locomotive types offered by Z-Modellbau is the Kof diesel who’s line-up includes this Swiss one plus German, Austrian and Norwegian variants. Painted and lettered for the private firm “Vanoli” this class Kof II features dark gray and yellow paint scheme.

Z-Modellbau Kof II “Vanoli (#3107) + Marklin 82484 + Administration Building from Marklin set 89982

Locomotive features full metal construction and brush-less motor making this one of the smallest locomotives in Z with its own motive power. Unique coupler design interfaces with Marklin, it is otherwise unobtrusive. Non functioning headlamps are very precisely painted in. Fully glazed operator’s cabin plus separately applied parts include coupling hoses.

Because of its short length the locomotive can potentially have difficulty thru turnouts otherwise the operation is smooth with very sensitive braking characteristics.

Paired with a funnel flow car the scale of this locomotive is truly impression considering it too can easily pull a line of freight cars through a yard. Unique in recent offerings by Marklin are second release freight cars which feature authentic ‘weathering’. The Swiss firm Wascosa has been featured numerous times in the Marklin mini-club line-up, but for the first time Wascosa’s paint and lettering scheme was applied to the newly produced funnel flow car type in set 82530 (2013) which included 4 blue Wascosa cars as part of the 20 car set, it was later released in ‘weathered’ variants (item #82482- 82485).

Administration building for the DB can be seen along the tracks, this laser cut building was included with Marklin turntable 89982.

Marklin Z Tank Loco 8895: evolution of design

photo: courtesy Marklin
Marklin 8895 (2000-2006) German Federal Railroad (DB) class 74 tank locomotive. Era III.

Almost 20 years since the 8895 (2000-2006) debuted featuring the relatively new 5 pole mini-club motor (1998) with 7 variations in between.

Tank locomotives are smart steam locomotives featuring water tanks mounted alongside the boiler with coal bunker located behind cab. A few early example tank locomotives featured a coal hopper above cab and worked with gravity to self feed the system which for one man operation was ideal or at least manageable on small railroads. For a whole host of reasons the tank locomotive was the smart choice for economical and efficient operation for commuter traffic and the like.

The evolution of this locomotive class modeled in Z includes notable examples of various railroads and era’s. Plus of course increased detailing of locomotive’s running gear and side rods. An overlooked increase in side rod movement of Marklin’s new steam locomotives is a complex detail feature much improved from earlier examples. Thus far this locomotive has not been built with a brush-less motor, but the future seems just around the corner for what comes next.

Marklin 88951 (2003-2004) Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG) class 74 (operating number 74 690). Era II.

Marklin 88951 (2003-2004) Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG) class 74 (Era II) with destination boards: “Wannsee.”

Marklin 88952 (One Time Series-2005) Royal Wurttemberg State Railways (K.W.St.E) class T 9. Era I. Note: modified from delivery with added pick-ups connected to wheels of coach thus electric is picked up from wheels of locomotive plus 4 wheels on coach: benefits traveling through turn-outs with dips in electric flow.

Marklin 88952 (One Time Series-2005) Royal Wurttemberg State Railways (K.W.St.E) class T 9 (Era I) with Faller laser-cut building “Quakenbruck Town Hall” (282774) in background

Note: Marklin’s 2005 release of 88952 celebrated “200 Years of the Kingdom of Wurttemberg”

Marklin 88953 (One Time Series-2015) class 74 painted and lettered for **Marklin Magazin** Note: features for the first time improved running gear

Note: metal front coupler was replaced with standard plastic one with 88953’s release

Marklin 88954 (2015-2017) Belgium State Railways (SNCB) class 96 locomotive. Era III. Note: features hand-painted boiler bands for the first time and handsome paint detail on the cylinder

Marklin 88954 (2015-2017) Belgium State Railways (SNCB) class 96 locomotive. Era III.

Note: German locomotives feature red paint in their design to make stress fractures easier to detect on inspection

Marklin 88955 (2017-2018) German Federal Railroad (DB) class 74 tank locomotive. Era III.

Marklin 88956 (2016-2018) French State Railways (SNCF) class 130 TB. Era III

Marklin 88956 (2016-2018) French State Railways (SNCF) class 130 TB. Era III. Note: trailing lights are suggested and non-functioning

Marklin 88957 (One Time Series for MHI Program-2017) Royal Prussian State Railroad (KPEV) class T 12 based on 1915 prototype which was used for commuter service in Berlin. Era I.

Marklin 88957 (One Time Series for MHI Program-2017) Royal Prussian State Railroad (KPEV) class T 12. Era I. Note: two trailing lights in this version

Marklin Laser-cut Signal Bridge: 89601

Marklin laser-cut building 89601 + Marklin 88031

The recent release Marklin 89601 Signal Bridge is an inexpensive but extremely impressive building for Z modelers. One of the more important buildings to include in a layout is a relatively modern signal bridge thereby incorporating multiple possible era’s within a German model railroad. Marklin’s new release class 24 steam locomotive 88031 provides interesting scale to the new building, it represents an extensive redesign of the ’24’ with new coupled tender and improved running gear: side rod action on this locomotive is lively and expressive in a way early versions are not.

A very interesting small build kit with a very reasonable price based on a preserved prototype in Germany, 89601 is not an easy kit to build, it has it’s challenges, but it is none the less a good and recommended kit to try.

For one the building exhibits excellent scale in one particular way: trains running along side her are magnificently modest as they travel along under her wing. The scope of the building includes an attached shed and transecting observation and control room with controls depicted in cut-out illustration.

Such structures are common enough that their omission on a model layout should be reconsidered.

Build Notes: consider attaching all small parts after building the structure, these parts include small window sills and architectural decorative moldings as these may be exposed to excessive handling during completion of the building. Further veering away from printed instructions consider adding steel roll-down sheeting on two windows with attached parts otherwise omit in accord with personal preferences. Presumably the sheeting is covering adjacent windows rapping a corner to allow more wall small within the structure (?).

Another build note: extension over tracks is supported by a modeled steel framework which is a delicate part and inserted into a cardboard base, photos for this post do not show the main structure and supporting structure comprising base for track-over extension cemented to a base therefore they appear crooked or “out-of-sync” with each other, please disregard building will be perfectly lined up after permanent cementing.

Another build note: consider filling gaps between parts with wood glue followed with painting part ends/seams to create a seamless edge-to-edge appearance. *building depicted in this post document the building without any finishing touches.

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