From Left to Right: Roco (69847), Maerklin (37322), Hag (203)






As you can see, I have finally completed my collection of red Re 6/6 models. I now have one each in red from Roco, Maerklin and Hag. I thought that I would share these photos of the three models and provide a brief overview of the aesthetic appearance of the models:

The Roco model is from the 69847 Re 10/10 Set. Having had issues with previous red painted Roco models, I was initially a little hesitant to purchase this lok. The 69841 (Re 4/4II) and 69736 (Re 6/6) models both had problems with the lighting shining through the locomotive shell. Once I was able to confirm that this was not an issue with the 69847 Set, I decided to take the plunge, especially considering that the Set comes with Re 4/4III 11350, the former SOB Lok now working for the SBB. This lok is special as it is the only Re 4/4III with one panto and retains the rectangular buffers from it's days with the SOB.
The Roco model is very well conceived. The outer bogies are motorized (cardan shaft) and the middle bogie is used for current collection. The model has the famous Roco Flusterschleifer (slider), which runs very quietly. It comes with a Uhlenbrock Decoder, which seems to work well, although I don't have a controller to change settings. A very nice feature is the raised inscriptions (lettering) and city crest. The model has a very detailed Swiss crest on the front and has wipers that can be applied to the model by the customer. The model also has the best reproduction of the UIC connector between the two front windows. Another thing that some might appreciate are the molded rear mirrors.
The downsides of the Roco model (red) are as follows: The shell is in plastic. (IMHO this should not stop anybody from buying this model). The footboards on the lok fronts are a little too wide. This seems to be a feature of all Roco Re 6/6 models. The red models also feature silver painted sections on the roof, which IMHO is not prototypical. I have been looking for photos to confirm this detail, but have not as yet found any. The same detail can also be seen on a few other red and cargo SBB Ae 6/6 models from Roco. I did see a few photos suggesting that some green Ae 6/6 may have had roofs where some panels remained silver while the rest either weathered or was repainted in gray. All in all, none of these features detract from the model enough to make this not worth the acquisition.

The Maerklin model is the newest member of this family. It has the usual Maerklin metal shell. This model is the first of the Re 6/6 models from Goeppingen that has an adequate sound module. It makes such a difference. The earlier models 37320 (green) and 37321 (cargo) both had sound modules where only one sound could be played at a time. This meant that the horn would cut off the blower and vice versa. The new model likely has the same sound module as last year's 37360 Ae 610 Cargo. When using the sound, the acceleration and deceleration is more emphasized, as the decoder synchronizes the motor with the decoder. The model comes with gray pantos, which is a very nice addition that we can thank Lutz Hemmerich for, as he seems to have convinced Maerklin to use gray pantos for new Swiss models. The model has the same motor as the older Re 6/6 and the Re 4/4II models, which is ok, as it ensures that they can be run with similar qualities, although some may see this as a downside.
The downsides of the Maerklin model are as follows: Some may feel that the classic Maerklin motor is a minus. While I would prefer a C-Sinus (OK the rhyme was too easy), the motor is not a major issue to me. The improved sound module is a little frustrating to hear in that this reminds you each time that the earlier models had crappy modules. They could have done better and there is not a major difference in the price per model as a result of this improvement. The Maerklin model has printed lettering, city crest and mirrors. It also has neutral (off white) molded parts for the various antennae, which could have been rendered in gray to match the roof. Coming with the full sound module, with the increased delay in accel/decel, this lok may be problematic for use in a Re 10/10 consist unless used with a similarly equipped and adjusted Re 4/4II. The 37320 and 37321 models are likely more suited for this kind of operation. The other issue that I have with this model applies to sticklers. The model represents a Re(f) 6/6, one of 30 Re 6/6 that were equipped for radio remote control in 2000/2001. This limits the prototypical use of this lok to consists after 2000.

The Hag model was the first of the new models of the Re 6/6. This model first appeared in 1987 and along with the Re 4/4II of the New Generation (1986), it has set the bar for modern Swiss locomotive models. The Hag model has the Type 88 Motor, which runs as smoothly as the C-sinus motor. The Hag motor probably has the most pulling power of the three models discussed here. The Hag model has a metal shell and separately applied wipers and other details. The roof paint has a slight metallic look to it. There is even a driver and other details in the cab. The light channels are milled to concentrate the light into a coherent beam, which makes the headlights look like real headlights. The beams shine on the tracks and landscape as real headlamps would. I have not yet seen a Hag model with LEDs, but as long as they continue to use milled light channels rather than simple plastic pieces, the effect should be the best of the lot.
The downsides of the Hag model are as follows: The cutout for the motor bogie allows light to shine through the space and illuminate the rails a little. This can be solved by applying a bit of black tape to the bottom and back of the light channel piece. The Hag model has a rather complicated system of electric contacts inside the shell, which must be treated with care when working on the inside of the model. The Hag model has printed lettering and city crest. The Swiss crest on the front is a separately applied piece, and has a nice metallic sheen.

Each model has features and elements that make that model stand out. All in all, it is very hard to pick one model. I think that they are all winners and you can't go wrong here. For me, the 37322 is the only one of the three that comes with sound. The Hag can be ordered with full sound as well. If your dealer does not have one, it can be ordered from the factory. The Roco model can be adapted, but requires the purchase of an additional decoder and installation.

The Maerklin model, as mentioned, is a Re(f) 6/6. The Roco and Hag models (in my collection) are regular Re 6/6. Those loks can be used to pull pretty much any consist from the period 1985 through 2000. The Maerklin model, with it's more specific designation and details is limited to a more specific period of time, in which the loks were almost exclusively used for freight traffic. A few Re 6/6 have been used with passenger consists, as these loks have on occasion been used to replace other loks that were broken down or otherwise unavailable. I like having a model of a Re(f) 6/6, but I would have liked to have a more generic Re 6/6 first, or at least the option to have one with a more general era of operation.

The Re 6/6, like the Re 4/4II and Re 460 were divided between Passenger and Cargo divisions in September 1999. The Re 6/6 11601-11613 were assigned to passenger use. 11614-11689 were assigned to SBB Cargo. In Fall 2003, the Re 6/6 and a number of Re 4/4II were transferred to SBB Cargo in return for the remaining Re 460 that were required for operation of push-pull IC and IC 2000 trains. By dating the model to post-2000, Maerklin has limited it's prototypical operation. This means that anybody wanting to model a 1980s/1990s Express, IC or EC train with a Maerklin Re 6/6 must use the green lok from the 37320. This is not a problem at all, as the Re 4/4II from that Set can be used on it's own with a short freight or passenger train.

I considered swapping shells with the Re 6/6 11687 (37320) and running that lok with passenger trains. I would also swap the Re 4/4II shell with the shell of the 11376 from the 29859 Set. I could then run the 11666 (37322) with the 11376 as a Re 10/10 and use the 11319 (37320) as an independent lok.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I find it more important to have sound on passenger trains than on freight trains. Somehow, passenger trains have always been more of a focus for me. I guess that this might be related to the fact that as passenger service in North America declined in the 1970s, I was drawn to Swiss trains because passenger traffic was still an integral part of rail operations. You could almost say that for me, freight trains are more of a background accessory, running around while my passenger consists stop in the station.

I guess that once I have converted my Hag Re 6/6 to digital, I can use that lok with one of the passenger trains and keep the 37322 for freight consists. Either way, I am very happy to have all three of these beautiful loks. I am sure that you will also be happy with any or all of these loks.

Regards

Mike C

Edited by user 13 June 2011 19:59:59(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the richly detailed posting. I received my Märklin 37322 yesterday. In all, it is a very impressive model, and I like it very much. Not having purchased any of the previous Re 6/6 models, I am all the happier to be able to benefit from an improved sound decoder. Too bad that Märklin went cheap when it comes to the flat road number and city crest, but I can live with that. My major disappointment is that I find that the loco is noisy (I'm referring to the grinding drive mechanism toy-like noise), which you can even hear despite the sound module. Possibly the cause of this is that the loco is not equipped with a cardan transmission. Go figure!