Released in 2012, Marklin #39023 is a BR 18.3 of Deutsche Reichsbahn in blue livery, and come with mfx decoder plus sound. A display track on wood base is included in the box.
This is an example of Marklin's excellent quality, but at a list-price of 429 euro (I paid a discounted price of 379 euro inclusive german VAT), this is not a break through in term of value. The previous #39022 which is similar in many aspect, except the motor and livery, carry a list-price of 399 euro when released in 2011, but one year later apparently the stock could not be absorbed by the market and Marklin released those excess to some big shops in Germany which then sold it for 299 euro. This stark differences show the fat margin which Marklin is playing on premium items.
The #39023 has metal boiler, metal tender, and use a coreless-motor with flywheel instead of SDS motor as in #39022. It run smoothly on K and C track, negotiate R1 curves and switches without any issue, even at full speed. My only discontentment is the balance between whistle and operating sound. It seems as the whistle sound is too weak compared to the operating sound, I don't know whether the volume of each sound can be adjusted independently. However, in overall I'm satisfied with the quality.
Marklin chose number 18 320 to be printed on this locomotive. But I failed to find any reference to the prototype carrying number 18 320. The german wikipedia:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badische_IV_hstated that only 20 locomotives had been built, and numbered in three groups:
18 301 – 303
18 311 – 319
18 321 – 328
Clearly there was no 18 320.
Therefore it is either Marklin used imaginary number (no real prototype ever existed) or there was a re-numbering exercise at later days. Does anybody have information on this?
The box:

Side view photo of the locomotive on its display track:


Frontal view of the locomotive:

Top view:

Chassis view, showing two axles with traction tires

Printing quality is excellent on plain color, but grainy and a bit unclear on metallic (gold color) due to coarser particle of the paint.


Inside of the boiler, there is LED board, smoke generator contact, and the motor. Nice design with no exposed cog wheel.

Inside the tender, there is a decoder with sound module including a loudspeaker, and LED board.

Photo of the tender and its bogies

Cab-side view of the tender

Inside the cab:

Front side of the boiler is well detailed with several separately attached parts and cross patterned platform, however, some small platforms are just "line patterned" probably because they were moulded into the chassis/boiler instead of separately attached.

The large wheels and "see-through" chassis really close to prototypical appearance of this locomotive. The spokes of the wheels on both sides are precisely aligned, an excellent example of Marklin precision assembly.
