Hope this description is not too long: I’m trying to give you a good description of my problem so I don’t waste much of your time. Here goes:

My little girl (9 years old) and I are making a tiny 4'x8' layout—based on the UP theme. After she was pining for a Union Pacific Mikado a year, I final found one: Loco# 37973. It is her “baby”.

My plan was to first to have some fun with my old analog stuff, then convert at least the locomotive function to digital control—but later.

While I was messing around with the Mikado, I left it on the M-tracks--I couldn't wait to get the switches wired up...and started futzing with various switch circuits, forgetting to take the loco off the darned tracks. I screwed around testing this --testing that--sparks flying from more than one short—like the one that melted a spring one switch (turnout) that was dangling.

Truthfully, I wasn’t being too careful while I mad-dogged forgetting about the loco. All of this was done while using a blue 30A transformer built when Jesus was a boy. I wanted to get a few simple things set up so my daughter could finally see how it worked. Later, I woke up from my trance and noticed the Mikado--which was connected at the other end of the same little chunk of layout --and thought to myself, "uh-oh...that can’t be good…".

You guessed it--the loco will now not "go forward". She is happy to go in reverse, but not forward.

I THINK I KILLED IT.

Going back in time, I think something was wrong with the “sound” in the first place--the loco never made any sound, besides quiet "clicks", and did this only when changing direction. But she ran smooth. I didn’t mention to my daughter, “This thing is supposed to make sound”. Maybe there was something a little wrong to start with, and I finished the murder.

In an attempt to solve my blunder, I used the “SEARCH” function on the forum…and think I may have fried the decoder, Part 786 750, “Dekoder mit GerÄusch”— my wig flew off when I saw what MÄrklin charges for this little part! That was Strike 1.

Next, I found a company in Hollister, California, that repairs Marklin stuff, but they are going out of business—strike 2.

More internet searching lead me to learn that a company called ESU sells aftermarket parts but at this point I know I’m in over my head—I have never even seen one these digital layouts—I have no dealer anywhere close to me—Strike 3.

So here I am with my hat in my hand, begging for help:
A) What should I do to fix this? What is the part number for something that will replace part 786750—which may not really be the problem.

B) Maybe something good will come out of this Now might be to go to digital control on the locos—if we keep it simple—we don’t have room for a big layout…we’d like to run 2 or 3 locos—I doubt I will go to C-Track and digital switches. I’ve researched this online but my eyes are spinning. Could someone tell me, “ You dummy, in order to run 2 or 3 digital locos with your analog switches, for your simple layout, you need X, Y, and Z.”

That’s my sad story.

But I better get this fixed quick before the wee-one finds out. If she hears I killed her new “baby”, heads-will-roll. If we can butter-this-over with digital control, we will be heros.

Regards,

Boxcab

Using the older transformers can damage some of the newer digital decoders, such as the one in your Mikado, so it might not have been your messing about with the electrics that did it. Just reversing the loco can do the deed, if your old transformer supplies too high a voltage.

David's advice is very sound. Get yourself a new digital starter set and you'll be set up for any new loco you might want to run. In the meantime, get hold of your nearest Marklin dealer and get them to fix your loco for you. If you have no experience of doing so I would not attempt a decoder change on such a complex model as one with sound.

On the question of sound, that will only work in digital operation, so you would not have heard a peep out of it with your set-up.

There is a market for M track and it can be sold here on this forum. It does prove popular with some people but for good running and the ability to place decoders etc under the roadbed C track is in my view the best.
If you are looking just to run USA I am not sure tha Marklin is the best choice as there is little available new and their support for the US customer is not great. Having said that the three rail sysytem is ideal for a small layout and there will be second hand locos you could possibly purchase.

dave

My layout is a simple small-ish M-track setup, I run it with two MS1's, analogue point control and have had no problems. My setup is as follows:

with your layout set up,(if you can, get lot's of feeder wires) connect the tracks to the MS's "control box" as usual. I got my MS for about $100, not exactly a huge amount.
For the auxilaries(points ect.) connect the brown terminal of your blue transformer to the base of the track. This should pose no problems. If there is a short when the MS is fired up, try switching the brown and yellow wires on the terminal. Now hook up the auxilaries to the switch boxes in the usual way. The only thing you should NEVER do is make a connection between the yellow terminal on the auxilary transformer and the red terminal of the MS control box. This will fry either the MS or your decoders or both.

If it is still unclear, I can draw a diagram to show what I mean.

Rick

Hi Boxcab,

concerning a Marklin dealer close to you the Marklin website states a dealer in East Ventura:

Ventura Hobbies
2950 Johnson Dr. Ste. 128
East Ventura CA 93003-7249
P: (805)658-8138
F: (805)650-0369
contact@venturahobbies.com

That should be roughly 34 miles away from you. You will find authorized service centers following this link: http://www.marklin.com/buy/service.html

Concerning the M-tracks: If you have so many of them and you like them: Keep them. My layout is fully digital and computer controlled still locos do run on the M-tracks! You can choose what ever combination you like from fully analogue to computer control but do not use the blue transformers for driving modern locos. You may, however, use a blue transformer for accessories (points, signals, lights etc.).

Best regards
Besra

Thanks for the diagram Rick so you do not even use those K83/84?? I am M track and just have started Digital with MS2 and want to run the turnouts and signals using the old Blue control boxes and I thought the you had to use those.

Sorry boxcab for thread hijack

The penny has now dropped Ray , thanks for the explaination so now I will use my blue transormers and blue control boxes for the turnouts and signals as more fun doing it manually ;)

Rick also mentioned you can use other feeder tracks throughout and then join back to the MS2. I thought the one feeder was all required from the MS2?

Hi boxcab,
For repair, I send my stuff to RJF trains (rjftrains.com and email is rjftrains(at)aol.com). Robert sells M* stuff also but his website is a pain to buy from.
I prefer buying from ajckids.com. Great dealer and great service.

Rick/Ray a member at the club on Sunday mentioend a valid point of the yellow wire and the turnout light circuit which may cause issues being operated by the old transformer whilst digial trains are going over the turnouts. Is this an issue at all?

Apologies for an old thread being re-invented but just do not to fry MS2 and my new loco's with the Sound Decoders

Regards Dale

I’m the original poster back with an update....now 5 weeks later and still dead-in-the-water.

Background:
I purchased the loco from a member here--and was darned glad to find someone nice who had this loco for sale as I couldn't find one no-where, no-how.

I bought the loco: it worked perfectly. I have no doubt I fried the decoder all by myself. No issue there.

I have since searched high and low for a new decoder.

I sent the loco to a large dealer on the east coast of the US. They tell me that it is becoming nearly impossible to obtain Marklin parts in the United States for themselves. They say they cannot get many parts.

I then accepted the help the member who initially sold me the loco (he was out of the country on vacation in the meanwhile); initially he hoped—and seemed fairly sure—that he could get a decoder from a "Homeboy" in Germany. This idea unfortunately fizzled.

He suggested I get back on this forum to look for a decoder. I plan to start a new thread using this suggestion. But I will finish this topic before I do so.

Word to the wise: if you fry one of these in analog mode, which I found easy to do...you are in deep doo-doo.
It looks to me as though I might have to buy an entire new locomotive, because at the rate this repair is proceeding, my little girl will give me grandkids before we get this thing fixed, if I am fortunate enough to live long enough.

Observations:
This experience has me questioning my own wisdom in getting re-acquainted with Marklin:
A) If a willing buyer like me--who is not quibbling about money cannot get one late-model locomotive fixed, is this really the direction I want to go? Other members here have warned me about this…and it looks like their predictions have been correct. It might be best for me to bail out before we get many too much deeper (thousands of dollars) into this adventure and go to “American stuff”. I want to use this stuff, not “collect it”.

B) If Marklin’s 2011 # 45644 “American” tinplate car set—the one I ordered and paid for in May, still has no delivery date. I ask myself, is this company that is serious?

C) If—even “The largest Marklin/Trix Factory direct Importer Worldwide” cannot get parts, what does this say about Marklin?

I don't plan to mess around with this much longer. We want to build a layout and use it.

Thanks to all those who have tried to help us. But so far, we are all unsucessfull.

Regards, Boxcab.

I agree with TOm, get a good repairer and replace the M Decoder with an ESU Lokpilot decoder.
Ther are some good repairers around. there appears to be an abundance of Lokpilot decoders available.
Nev

Hello Boxcab,

I am sorry to learn of your problems.

For a couple of years now I have been sending my repairs to Mike at Westend Trains in Toronto. My Marklin friend in Chicago uses him too. Mike and, sometimes his father do the work. They are always excellent. He has done some quite complicated feats. He put sound and new motor in my old Br 44, as an example. If something he fixed, or converted to digital, is not right, he takes it back, and fixes it at no additional cost.

My trains and I live at some distance so we use the mails to send things back and forth, and e mail to communicate.

By the way I use M track with my central station digital system. It is not as good as C track, but I am very happy with it.

D