140 Years of Marklin: Marklin Production Today: It's been a long road from
handmade tin-plate toys to today's mass production in which the hand worker
still plays an indispensable role. Before locos and cars make their appearance
in the shop window or shelf, they have a two-year route to travel through the
various production stages. It starts in the design shop. Here the results of
surveys - in the Marklin Magazine, for instance (it appears regularly in
German) - are evaluated, the latest projects of the national railroad and
railroad companies are looked at, the designs of the loco and car
manufacturers examined, and then all are weighed up in the context of
Marklin's medium- and long-term policies, what chances a new product would
have on the market and whether it can be viably produced with the necessary
accuracy to the prototype. However, what the customer has to say is not always
clear. While young railroad enthusiasts who no longer see any steam engines
"live" on the rails can go into raptures about a smart-looking diesel racing
through a tunnel at 125 miles an hour, the older generation will hanker with
nostalgia-glazed looks after a true-to-life model of a Prussian P8, seeking
lovingly but uncompromisingly to establish whether there are as many rivets
depicted on the body of the locomotive as there were on the original. So all
the alternatives which present themselves in weighing up such considerations
are duly discussed by the builders and technicians at the factory, until the
green light is given by the management. Meticulous Like A Sleuth Using photos
and manufacturers' plans which - especially with historic models - are to be
uncovered only with the meticulousness of a sleuth - the research and
development department gets down to designing the product and its components.
The national railroads and the railroad companies play only a secondary role
in acquiring plans, however. Marklin's engineers turn for the most part
directly to the manufacturing works which then - with the agreement of the
consignor national railroads and companies - make the blueprints available. It
was quite different, though, in developing the "steam loco that never was" -
Marklin model 3102, the super heavy wartime locomotive from the Borsig works.
This colossus was intended for military transportation to the Urals but never
materialized because the tide of war turned against the consignor. Thirty
years later Marklin wanted to build Europe's biggest-ever loco - and its'
subsequent success proved the managers right. But the plans, naturally enough,
were hardly to be found in the "to be resubmitted" tray of the German Federal
Railroad. The railroad did help the Märklin searchers in the quest, though,
and eventually the blueprints for the Mallet-type loco were discovered in a
small technical file. Once the plans and drawings are ready for a miniature
project, the research and development department makes the first brass models
which are then required to prove their functional worth in extensive trials on
testbeds and special facilities. After this those responsible meet again in
conference to decide whether to give the go-ahead. The machine shop then gets
down to designing the tools and molds and other mechanical requirements for
production. Unlike with, say, the automobile industry, all the tools which
will eventually be involved in coachwork production are designed and
constructed by Marklin itself. Here special precision is the rule, because the
quality of molds and tools required to last for production series of several
hundred thousand will, in the long run, determine not just the appearance of
the product but also its durability. The Pilot Run Begins Once the plans are
ready, the mold- and tool-makers take their turn. With minute attention to
detail they get down to building the tools which will already be the
individual components of such details as the Heusinger valve gear of a steam
loco or faithfully-reproduced cabling atop a modern electric loco. The pilot
run is then ready. Here, before the main production begins the quality control
department must first have its say. It checks the components and the first
complete models for operation and "look". Dirty window casings? Unsightly
seams between parts produced by different machines? Nothing escapes the
schooled eyes of the quality control specialists. Not so rarely does it happen
that they will reject a passenger car superstructure in the Mini-club range
because a series number has "slipped upwards". At last, the pilot run is given
the go-ahead. This is the point when the work of the production planning
department pays off. They are responsible for the painstaking schedules
involved in preparing machine tools, for ensuring bulk dyed plastic is
delivered on time, or for the final assembly of motors. Our new locomotive
which has just passed its first test can only go into production if its
scheduling fits in with the factory's overall work. For this, data processing
plays a key role in helping the planners. Once the schedule is finally
prepared, "Day X" is now not to far away: Full production can begin. First
stop is the die casting shop. Loco body, chassis and wheels are cast
independently of each other. At the same time, in the plastic molding shop,
work goes ahead on the remaining body components. The highest precision has to
be the rule in the turning shop. Gear wheels which still guarantee the almost
legendary Marklin quality even after thousands of working hours, bevel gears
and the extremely fine Mini-club wheels acquire their form here. The cast
wheels for HO and gauge 1 locos are finished here, too. Painting - Automatic
And By Hand In order to ensure that the paint holds securely, the individual
zinc die cast units are electro-phosphated. Hundreds of parts are dipped
simultaneously in the various chemical baths, secured on special mountings. In
the paint shop, linked spraying machines apply the basic colors of locos and
cars where these are not already of dyed plastic. Against this, the spray gun
operators need a practiced hand and the right kind of practice for painting
individual sections of the loco bodies. And because not all color can be
applied by spraying or printing, skilled women's hands in the manual paint
shop give the final touch to body and chassis. The print shop, finally, adds
the lines and serial numbers and all the remaining insignia, etched with the
same precision as all the other processes. When the components of our loco
have got this far, it's time for final assembly - a procedure with so many
different demands from model to model that normally it does not lend itself to
automation. Here, again, it's a question of tireless work by hand, applying
realistic detail to the loco body or sub frame. Here you only have to think of
the minute attention to detail in the Heusinger valve-gear of the Mini-club
class 86 steam locomotive, or the connecting rods of the Crocodile. The same
applies to the mounted tubes on the HO steam locos or the way couplers are
reproduced on the 1 Gauge locos. In assembling the sub frames, the raw wheel
frames are turned into high precision trucks. Motor parts are put together
here, too. Again And Again: Quality Control At last comes final assembly. The
completed components are brought together into the Marklin model. Once it
"stands", it is put through a long-distance run, first on test beds for motor
and switching. Every model that arrives at the dealer's has already undergone
many switching and running tests. On top of these come trips over test routes
featuring all the tricks; that can be built using the K and M track programs.
Models that fail to come up to scratch under the controller's critical eye are
ruthlessly sorted out. External details are also given a final check here, and
only then is the loco allowed out for packing and storing in the multifixture
warehouse, from which it starts its journey to anywhere in the world.

Steam Class B VI Loco w/Tender - Digital & Sound Equipped -- Royal Bavarian State Railroad (K.Bay.Sts.B.) Orlando di Lasso Add a real old timer to your railroad. Based on the Era I Maffei class B VI locomotives delivered to the Royal Bavarian State Railroad (K.Bay.Sts.B.) between 1863 and 1871. Slightly heavier than their predecessor B V locos, these locos had 63-5/8" 161.6cm drivers and could be fired with coal or peat. After rebuilding with new boilers maximum steam pressure was raised from 116 to 145psi. The B VI was used primarily to pull passenger trains but was soon replaced by faster locomotives. B VI locos numbers began to diminish service as early as 1895 and continued into the 1920s. Two units in maintenance train service survived into the temporary numbering system for the German State Railroad as roadnumbers 34 7461 and 34 7362 but were retired soon after the new numbering system took effect in 1925. One unit, 34 316, the Tristan, pulled the Royal Court Train for Ludwig II The class B VI model of the Orlando di Lasso features a metal body, two powered axles, two traction tires and a powerful can motor with a bell-shaped armature in the locomotive's boiler. The Orlando di Lasso was equipped for peat firing but did not carry a high-sided peat tender. The locomotive has detailed running gear with an external frame and Stephenson valve gear. The directional headlights will work in conventional operation or with Marklin Digital. Synchronized steam locomotive sounds vary with the speed of the locomotive. A whistle sound, acceleration and braking delay can be controlled digitally with a 6021 Control Unit or M?rklin Systems. Other sounds can be controlled digitally with M?rklin Systems. There is a close coupling between the locomotive and tender and brake hoses and prototypical couplers can be installed on the buffer beam. The locomotive comes packaged in a decorative wooden box.

SBB CL Be 6/8 III "Crocodile" Freight Loco -- Digital Prototype: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) class Be 6/8III. Design with diagonal side rod drive. Model: Comes with a digital decoder, C-Sine motor, and different light functions. 3 axles powered. 4 traction tires. Driving wheels divided into two coupled groups enabling the locomotive to negotiate sharp curves. Three-part metal body with end hoods that can swing out on curves. Separately applied number boards. Detailed roof equipment. Headlights with the Swiss light changeover, conventional in operation, but can be controlled digitally. The changing between the Swiss light changeover and a white headlight / red marker light changeover, as well as the low speed range for switching without the acceleration / braking delay are controlled digitally with the 6021 Control Unit. Length over buffers 23.0 cm / 9-1/8".

Class 18.3 4-6-2 Express Loco w/Tender - Digital & Sound Equipped -- German State Railroad (DRG) This detailed locomotive features a Marklin Digital MFX decoder, metal boiler, three powered axles, two traction tires and controlled, compact design, high-efficiency Softdrive Sine propulsion. Directional LED headlights work in conventional operation or with Marklin Digital. The acceleration and braking delay, whistle, and speed-synchronized steam sounds, compressor sound, firebox flicker, sounds of brakes squealing, and short whistle blast for switching can be controlled with a 6021 Control Unit or M?rklin Systems. Three additional sound functions (the sound of steam being let off, the sound of coal being shoveled, and the sound of the grate being shaken) can be controlled with the 60212 Central Station. The metal-bodied tender is equipped with a close coupler with an NEM pocket and a guide.

Steam Class B VI Loco w/Tender - Digital & Sound Equipped -- Royal Bavarian State Railroad (K.Bay.Sts.B.) Orlando di Lasso Add a real old timer to your railroad. Based on the Era I Maffei class B VI locomotives delivered to the Royal Bavarian State Railroad (K.Bay.Sts.B.) between 1863 and 1871. Slightly heavier than their predecessor B V locos, these locos had 63-5/8" 161.6cm drivers and could be fired with coal or peat. After rebuilding with new boilers maximum steam pressure was raised from 116 to 145psi. The B VI was used primarily to pull passenger trains but was soon replaced by faster locomotives. B VI locos numbers began to diminish service as early as 1895 and continued into the 1920s. Two units in maintenance train service survived into the temporary numbering system for the German State Railroad as roadnumbers 34 7461 and 34 7362 but were retired soon after the new numbering system took effect in 1925. One unit, 34 316, the Tristan, pulled the Royal Court Train for Ludwig II The class B VI model of the Orlando di Lasso features a metal body, two powered axles, two traction tires and a powerful can motor with a bell-shaped armature in the locomotive's boiler. The Orlando di Lasso was equipped for peat firing but did not carry a high-sided peat tender. The locomotive has detailed running gear with an external frame and Stephenson valve gear. The directional headlights will work in conventional operation or with Marklin Digital. Synchronized steam locomotive sounds vary with the speed of the locomotive. A whistle sound, acceleration and braking delay can be controlled digitally with a 6021 Control Unit or M?rklin Systems. Other sounds can be controlled digitally with M?rklin Systems. There is a close coupling between the locomotive and tender and brake hoses and prototypical couplers can be installed on the buffer beam. The locomotive comes packaged in a decorative wooden box.

Steam Class B VI Loco w/Tender - Digital & Sound Equipped -- Royal Bavarian State Railroad (K.Bay.Sts.B.) Orlando di Lasso Add a real old timer to your railroad. Based on the Era I Maffei class B VI locomotives delivered to the Royal Bavarian State Railroad (K.Bay.Sts.B.) between 1863 and 1871. Slightly heavier than their predecessor B V locos, these locos had 63-5/8" 161.6cm drivers and could be fired with coal or peat. After rebuilding with new boilers maximum steam pressure was raised from 116 to 145psi. The B VI was used primarily to pull passenger trains but was soon replaced by faster locomotives. B VI locos numbers began to diminish service as early as 1895 and continued into the 1920s. Two units in maintenance train service survived into the temporary numbering system for the German State Railroad as roadnumbers 34 7461 and 34 7362 but were retired soon after the new numbering system took effect in 1925. One unit, 34 316, the Tristan, pulled the Royal Court Train for Ludwig II The class B VI model of the Orlando di Lasso features a metal body, two powered axles, two traction tires and a powerful can motor with a bell-shaped armature in the locomotive's boiler. The Orlando di Lasso was equipped for peat firing but did not carry a high-sided peat tender. The locomotive has detailed running gear with an external frame and Stephenson valve gear. The directional headlights will work in conventional operation or with Marklin Digital. Synchronized steam locomotive sounds vary with the speed of the locomotive. A whistle sound, acceleration and braking delay can be controlled digitally with a 6021 Control Unit or M?rklin Systems. Other sounds can be controlled digitally with M?rklin Systems. There is a close coupling between the locomotive and tender and brake hoses and prototypical couplers can be installed on the buffer beam. The locomotive comes packaged in a decorative wooden box.

Prototype: German Federal Railroad (DB) class 03. Witte smoke deflectors. Riveted tender. Model: Comes with DELTA electronic circuit. 3 axles powered. 2 traction tires. Buffer plate warning stripes. Equipped for installation of 7226 smoke generator (conventional operation) or Seuthe no. 11 smoke generator (DELTA-/Digital operation). Length over buffers 27.7 cm / 10-7/8".

DB CL 055 Freight Loco w/ Tender -- Digital Prototype: German Federal Railroad (DB) class 055. Former Prussian G 8.1 as it appeared in the 1970s. Model: Comes with a digital decoder and controlled propulsion. High-efficency motor with bell-shaped armature and flywheel in the boiler. 4 axles powered. 2 traction tires. Headlights work conventionally in operation, but can be controlled digitally. Locomotive can be retrofitted with a 72270 smoke generator. Smoke generator contact as well as acceleration and braking delay can be turned on and off with the 6021 Control Unit. Engineer's cab with interior details. Permanent close coupling between the locomotive and tender. Many separately applied details. Length over buffers 21.0 cm / 8-1/4".

DB AG CL 101 Electric Loco #3 -- Digital Limited Prototype: German Railroad, Inc. (DB AG) class 101. Model: Comes with a digital decoder, controlled high-efficiency propulsion and long distance headlights. 2 axles powered. 4 traction tires. Movable reproduction of the mechanical gear for steering the trucks. Engineer's cabs with interior details. Separately applied handrails. High-speed pantographs. Separately applied roof fairing. Headlights work conventionally in operation, but can be controlled digitally. Long distance headlights at the front and rear, as well as acceleration and braking delay can be turned on and off with the 6021 Control Unit. Length over buffers 21.9 cm / 8-5/8". The 37391 electric locomotive is being produced in a one-time series only in 2001.

DB AG CL 101 Electric Loco #2 -- Digital Limited Prototype: German Railroad, Inc. (DB AG) class 101. Model: Comes with a digital decoder, controlled high-efficiency propulsion and long distance headlights. 2 axles powered. 4 traction tires. Movable reproduction of the mechanical gear for steering the trucks. Engineer's cabs with interior details. Separately applied handrails. High-speed pantographs. Separately applied roof fairing. Headlights work conventionally in operation, but can be controlled digitally. Long distance headlights at the front and rear, as well as acceleration and braking delay can be turned on and off with the 6021 Control Unit. Length over buffers 21.9 cm / 8-5/8". The 37379 electric locomotive is being produced in a one-time series only in 2001.

Digital Class 185 Electric Loco -- Veolia Transport w/V&M Special Scheme The class 185 model features a metal body with many cast in details, four powered axles, two traction tires and a special can motor for smooth performance and great pulling power. It comes equipped with a Marklin Digital decoder, directional LED headlights that work with conventional or Digital systems. The acceleration and braking delay can be controlled digitally with a 6021 Control Unit or Märklin Systems. It comes equipped with Marklin close couplers in standard NEM pockets. The model also features manually operated pantographs that are not wired for use with overhead catenary. Patterned after a dual-system prototype, this model comes decorated in a special Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes scheme.

Digital Diesel Class 2016 Hercules Loco -- Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) Weighing in at 80 metric tons, producing 2,000 kW and at home in passenger or freight service at speeds up to 88mph 140km/h, the first Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) Hercules was delivered by builder Siemens in 2002. Part of the Eurorunner family of locomotives, these diesels are classified as class 2016 by OBB. The OBB class 2016 model features a metal body with many molded-in details, four powered axles, two traction tires and a special motor for smooth performance and great pulling power. It comes equipped with a Marklin Digital decoder, directional LED headlights that work with conventional or Digital systems. The acceleration and braking delay can be controlled digitally with a 6021 Control Unit or Märklin Systems. The model is equipped with Marklin close couplers in standard NEM pockets.