Welcome to the group!

Thanks for the welcome Stephen and Peter.

I forgot to mention in my first post that I tried to link to the product details for the two sets on the Märklin website, but in my technical ignorance I couldn't manage it.

I am fairly new to this as well - welcome to the forum where real experienced folks will chime in I am sure. The help here has been valuable indeed.

If you can read German an explanation of the digital icons etc. is on www.marklin.de with the product database - I think a difference may also be the 230 volt tranformer but I have bought sets with parts numbers for 230 volts though, and requested the 120v transformer since I am in US. It looks like the year of production of the 29475 is newer and I "think" there are upgrades available to the Mobile Station since 29470 so you may want to inquire about that - hard to do without being able to physically visit a dealer {note to self - find out if the upgrade would be necessary for my use}

I am not really sure if there are different with regards to digital features - looks like it from the description on Marklin but not sure you could do anything with the differences using the Mobile station?

I would find out from whoever you are buying - there are variations in descriptions of the differences on several sites.

I have used rocousa.com as a source for some english descriptions as well as AJC kids [I have bought from both but they are US supplier and AJC Kids has been very helpful technically]

This is electric so I gather it does not *require* caternary but is designed to run with over head wires, no?

Being early one of the decisions you will need to make is what you want to do - you can go full blown digital with the central staion or aftermarket digital systems

None of the sets you metion offer digital control of turnouts etc. - they are just basic controllers that allow you to run multiple trains simultaneously and are the "new" replacement for the Delta control.

(Yes Delta is digital but there are many more things you can do with a sophisticated digital system - I stuck with the old route where you have to push buttons on a box to switch turnout switches but with a central staion you can control them from the station and control accelleration/deceleration and a slew of other things) - I am using my Mobile Station Transformer to power the track and the Delta transformer to provide power to my turnout mechanisms.

Anyway I guess what I am saying is you may want to have fun with your start set and do some more research before getting into the next one ...................... For me the MS was fine. True Full Featured Digital start sets get you into a much higher price range.

But since you have already ordered, I don't think the 29470 would be a waste - others can answer that. Hope this is not too scattered - I have a bad sinus infection (not my propulsion system :) ) and a bit woozy plus still have a LOT to learn.

Welcome to the forum, Andy

Welcome to the forum Andy.

Welcome, Andy, a nice set to start with Marklin...

Nancy / Andy

RE: "
http://www.maerklin.de/produkte/pdb/index.php

Use the above link and put in part number in artikel nr, the press antzeigen - there are all kinds of other links within the page"

Go to the site, click on the American Flag and, Voila - Anglais!

According to the Märklin product descriptions the differences are:

- The 29475 contains 9 of the 24172 straight tracks. Not mentioned with the 29470. This could be a difference to the favour of 29475, but it might as well be a typo.

- The connection tracks have different numbers: 2290 for the 29470 and 24088 for the 29475. Obviously a typo since the 2290 is K-track!

- It doesn't explicitly state 230 V for the 29470. But it says "Mein start mit Märklin" on the box, so it is probably for the German market, i.e., 230 V.

- It doesn't explicitly say "Attribute:digital" for the 29470, but it is obviously digital anyway.

- It doesn't say "fx" and doesn't show the high efficiency digital drive symbol for the 29470. Probably Märklin just missed it, there doesn't seem to be any difference in the loco functions.

- It doesn't say the 29470 loco has traction tyres. But it almost certainly has that anyway.

- It doesn't show a symbol for "ordinary" (not close) NEM couplers for the 29470 set. Probably also missed by Märklin.

All together, the main difference seems to be that Märklin made better proof reading of the description for the 29475 set than for the 29470. Unless the lack of 24172 tracks in the 29470 is a real difference of course.

So ideally I would want to have the 29475. I'll have to see if I can maybe change my order.

What would these differences mean in terms of operation? I guess the better motor is self expanatory, but the FX decoder means very little to me?

I think I'm struggling to understand the decoder types, just when I think I'm beginning to grasp them another variation appears! As far as my research leads me to believe they are all compatible with the same basic control system though..........right?

As I pointed out in my earlier post, these differences are probably not real, just typos in the 29470 description. But I can't say for sure. It doesn't say "fx" in the 29470 description, but the description of the features matches the Märklin definition of an "fx" loco: A digital loco with at least one controllable function besides the headlights, but without the possibility to register itself in the CS/MS. The extra function in this case is the ability to turn acceleration delay on/off.

Some people interpret "fx" as being on-track programmable. This is however not the way Märklin define it in their catalog.

Nancy,
Most of us here are on a Learning curve. I learn something new almost every day from here.
Nev

That gets a BIG ditto from here, Nev

I'm happy as long as my learning curve is pointing upwards

A good combination though! You will make a good team. I just ordered some scenery books recommended on this site. One thing I did wish I knew about more before I did my layout is prototypical track design though.

Hi again everybody,

the stuff I ordered arrived today and I've been having a play with it and I'm very happy. I'll post some pictures soon.

I've got a small problem with the loco from my original set though, the BR 80.

I want to open it up to change the settings inside to operate with the Mobile Station. According to the leaflet for the loco there should be a screw in the top of the loco to remove the "bodywork" so that I can change the settings. However there is no hole and hence no screw visable in the place shown. I wondered if there is a removable cap, but it appears to be a one piece mould as all the flash lines meet up along the top.

Can anybody offer any advice....the loco part number is 29144 according to the leaflet.

I'll take some pictures and post them in a second.

Andy

Hi Andy,
this should be a cap and flip open. Try careful to open.

I did try, maybe I was being over careful with it.

Anyway....I managed to move the slider through the cab window with a pin! I only needed to move one of them so it wasn't too bad.

Ok. Take a close look at both domes. I guess it could be either. Look for a seam around the circumference of the dome.

I'm in the UK, Norfolk to be precise.