Hi All!

Does any one think it is worth converting a 3071 to digital? or would it diminish it's value Anyone know it's current value?

I had mine converted to digital with a Loksound. I was also able to get the seats as indicated in this link and put them in. This set is one of my favorites!

http://www.frankenbahn.d...rzeuge/maerklin3071E.htm

Very good idea with all kind of conversions ... you never know!

Cem.

A couple of thoughts here...

You can convert the 3071 to digital using the appropriate conversion kit. The instructions must include details on how to connect to ensure that slider selection is still operational.

There have been several models since then which have either Delta 3471 or digital 39700. Those models also came with interior details and a darker red paint scheme. The 39700 also came with one of the original C-Sine motors. Both models come with built in interior lighting.

The other alternative would be to consider one of the models from Roco (69121/69123) which are 1:87 and very nicely detailed. There is also the model from RailTop (marketed by LS Models) which is available from Huenerbein321 on eBay for a good price.

It all depends on the cost of the upgrade(s) and your personal preferences.

1. Digital Conversion Kit
2. Interior Detail Parts for 3471/39700

Regards

Mike C

I just bought one (4 pieces) for € 122 on Ebay. I'm still waiting for its delivery, so I have no details about its quality.
I'm planning to convert it. Does anybody know how to incorporate the changing of the slider? Use an extra relay? I think I have still a 66032 Delta decoder at hand.
Regards, Henk.

[edited: I'll have a good look at the posting of Svein (Intruder) first!]

I'd agree with Mark - get the ESU pickup shoe switching unit. Note that this unit only works with the ESU 21-pin decoders, so you'd be tied down to purchasing the corresponding decoder from ESU with it.

Uhlenbrock are due to come out with their own slider switching unit in 2009. Again, it only works with their own decoder.

Alternatively, there are various postings on the web for modifying the 60902 decoder that came with the 60904 conversion kit. It involves lifting two of the IC's pins off the PCB and building a supplementary circuit using a relay, so it's not for the faint-hearted!

I have a 3471 due in; I'll probably go for the ESU solution although it won't be cheap - I guess 50 Euros or so in total...

I'm thinking of a relay switched by the headlights: direction changes, headlights change, relay switches to other slider. Maybe the moment without power would be a problem, but probably not with a Delta decoder.
Will see how it works out, but first the 3071 has to arrive! (and I need to find a relay, preferably with end-switch-off and/or low power consumption).
It feels good that there are several solutions.
Regards, Henk

from what I see these sell for on ebay (analog), you will have to wait a LOOOONNGGG time to get a decent return on your initial outlay. You're better off convertign to Digital - more people will want it that way - to operate/run.

Well yesterday my 3071 was delivered and it fulfills every expectation about quality and operations. It has been running for over an hour in both directions and is doing fine. Red rear lights and yellow front lights, changing with direction. Two sliders, motor driven by front slider.

What has been puzzling me, is how this all is operated. In the train there are only two leads, one red and one yellow. Schemes earlier in this thread have four leads through the train. I haven't opened it yet, but apparently the rear (red) lights are always on. It appears they are fed by the slider in the control-unit (the one without motor), since if I put the control-unit alone on the tracks, the red lights are on and if I put the motor-unit alone on the tracks, it has no lights (red nor yellow) and runs only in one direction. So probably all lights are fed from the control car slider, but the headlights are switched by the relay which is controlling direction of travel.
So I think the red wire through the train is power from the slider in de control-unit, and the yellow wire is for the headlights if the train is travelling with the control-unit in front (and the motor-unit pushing).
If this is correct, I'm still thinking of converting it with a Delta-decoder and an extra relay to switch the slider in use, which is operated by the headlights.

If anyone has a scheme of the wiring of a original (analog) 3071, I'd appreciate it!
Regards, Henk.

WHAT????????????

The 3070 was the original version of this trainset. The 3071 came out a few years later with an updated reverse relay, which enabled the connections between coaches to be reduced from three to only two. It was not an "economy" version of the first set.

The 3070 had the markings for the SBB (RAm) version of the trainset. The 3071 came with neither SBB nor NS markings and could pass for either version. The 3070 had silver framed windows. The 3071 did not.)

The reason why the lights are on when the pilot coach and other coaches are on the tracks is that the lighting is powered by the rear slider. The power coach will only move in one direction if it is placed on the tracks alone. If you click on reverse, the motor unit will no longer function, although I believe that the red lights do go on. (It has been a long time since I did this.)

One wire powers the lights from the pilot coach (red taillight) and front lights of the motor unit or powers the motor (when power coach at rear.) The other wire powers the pilot coach (front lights) and coach lights (from the power unit).

The original set was designed so that power from the pilot coach slider would be sent to the reverse unit, and the rest of the train would be powered by the other two cables depending on direction.

The more recent 3471 Delta and 39700 Digital C-Sine versions include multi-cable connectors, as the decoders require that power to the lights be routed through the decoder and the ground can no longer be picked up directly from the track.

I found the 3071 to be much easier to connect than the original set. The 3471 and 39700 may be even easier.

Regards

Mike C

1) The 3070 did NOT have interior details. That feature only appeared in 1998 with the 3471 trainset. Prior to that, a separate kit was available which included either an open seating or dining car arrangement which could be built into the 3070/3071 or any of Maerklin's 24cm coaches. If your 3070 had interior details, they were added by somebody after purchase because the model did not come that way.

2) The 3071 did not include any markings other than those common to both Swiss and Dutch trainsets because Maerklin wanted to maximize the appeal to modellers from both countries. I don't know precisely why the window frames were not painted silver.

When the 3471 was released, the trainset was labelled for the NS. The 39700 Set was once again labelled for the SBB with the silver window frames.

Regards

Mike C

It depends on how far you want to go with this. You could just fit a resistor as mentioned. You could also turn the red light on and off "properly" by having an additional wire running through the train from the motor unit. Finally, you could have a separate function decoder, powered from the motor unit (additional wire required again) to turn the red light on and off, and have other decoder functions do more wonderful things (F1=cab lights perhaps?).

You could probably order the wiring harness and connectors from either the 3471 or 39700 trainsets and retrofit them into your 3071.
This would then give you the full control options that are built into the later models.

If anybody is looking to acquire such a model, it may be a better idea to look for a 3471 or 39700 before settling on a 3070/3071, especially as the two more recent sets come complete as a 4 unit set and do not require the additional 4070/4071 coach.

Exploded view diagrams of all of these models, including parts list and part numbers should be available on the net.

Regards

Mike C

What am I thinking..... well I got my 3071 set today in the mail for A$150.00, which I thought was a very good price...... so HEMAU please keep us informed of your progress ( with pics ).

I will convert mine, but I run it anologue first to see how it all runs...
Regards, Bahn-an-arama

Thanks,yeah and it has a box which is in ok-good condition,otherwise the set doesn't look as if it has much running time.

Also, thanks to everyone for their comments...keep up the discussions!

Why don't you send us a pic and show your beauty off!! Even after reading everyone's comments, I'm still not willing to start yet another digital conversion project! I have got too much incl. the layout on the go as it is!
lol.....

Thanks for the link- Indeed, excellent. My one is in excellent condition, it was a bit dusty however appears to have had very little run-time. Box is not as good as your though- has shop labels on it, which are not easy removable...

Here's link to see it running(analogue) on my layout.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=aulnCyo_ags


Cheers, Glenn