Hello,

I am a new to the world of model trains. A week ago i purchased a starter set Märklin 29721 to me and well me 3yrs boy :) .
Everything worked just well the train uses mfx(+) ? protocol etc. Well as i said with this train everything is ok.

But i just purchased the Märklin 36342 train mostly because of telex couplers. Opened the package removed my 94 Class train from set 29721 and inserted the new train to rails and powered everythin up. After a while the mfx loco is registered and ready to be driven. It is in the second memory slot of my mobile station.

I tested the train for about 10 minutes and it was a very nice experience. After about 3 hour pause we started to play with it. And it was the only train on track soon i noticed that when i do stop it. it won't start to drive even if there is 1/2 throttle applied ??? The telex couplers and led light do work so the current is flowing. Then when i do push it or tap it a little it starts to move. The throttle response is ok. Then i start to slow it down and stop it (i do not use the stop button) and i press the throttle button to reverse direction. The arrow changes but i do apply some throttle but it just won't move. I try the leds and yes they do lite up.

Then i dim the leds. And press the throttle button to drive forward. It just won't move. I push it about 30cm without any result. Then it suddenly starts to run. Again i add max throtte everythin is ok. I do stop it and reverse direction and everythin is ok. Forward -> reverse -> forward -> ok

But then i do drive forward, brake it to stop. And light up the leds and add throttle -> nothing happens. Press the throttle to change direction and yes the leds change white / red as they should but the train just won't move any given throttle.

And if i try my Class 94 from the set everything works. and it is very easy to see if the current is flowing from the leds. The 94 from the set works as it should. But the new 36342 just seems to stopped working. It partially works and then when i try to stop it and reverse -> no go.

I have tried to factory reset the mobile station and the 36342. I also noticed this and this sounds weird -> I removed manually the train from mobile station. Turned the power of from my set. Waited a couple of minutes placed only the 36342 to the track to get it automatically registered. And nothing no loco??? Then i tried the find it manually from ms -> no loco. Then power cycled everything (power of maybe about five minutes) -> and yes loco found.

Still the problem exists. So something got burned the decoder ?? A bad contact inside the loco ?? Or have anyone else experienced this problem with Märklin locos -> current is flowing but the train just won't move. and then starts to work ok to fail again ??

I do think that this 36342 is broken. For some reason it lasted only about 15mins

Are these Märklin products without any quality or is this just bad luck

Any ideas ??

Thank you for your help.

Yes,

I do also think that this has something to do with the motor brushes. Sounds exactly like that problem. But for me this is something that is very hard to believe because this is a new loco with "quality form germany"

But again this seems to be the only possible cause and of course i do return this item.

And yes, maybe this was just bad luck and these locos work at least 20yrs.

Hi,

Yes, of course it could have been made in china or whatever because there is no 'made in germany' text. But still there is the german-feel of quality
It is good to know that the motor should be bullet proof or something like that. Probably just bad luck. In general i haven't seen any defect product that is defect out of the box since 90's. But again thanks for your contribution.

So in Märklin we trust.