Hi All,

What Train would you buy?

I hope to get a lot of opinion on this from Marklin Users.
After restarting my love affair with Marklin, I sneakily bought a double set of 4228 RHEINGOLD carriages (and all from a coin jar I have been adding to all year).

I will later try to buy the 41928 Carriage set (or the 26506 set that comes with a green loco - in which case I'll consider that set complete)

Currently, I only have analog, but I am 100% convinced to move into the digital age. However, there are quite a number of items on ebay that are either; Delta, digital, Hobby, analog or unspecified. I have only been running on the "Look" of a Loco, and wether it appeals to me. But before I jump in on a analog 9that I will have to convert) or delta or what?

things that have caught my eye so far are: in Blue or Black ?
39023
33186
33183
3318
3511/3611 ?
37184 (to go with the 41928 carriage set)
37551
3518 (i-like the gold banding)


The 4228 Rheingold is my number 1 favorite carriage set, and the beauty of my 'master Plan", is that my wife now wants to get me for Christmas a train or 2 to match! God lover her!
So, in choosing, what 2 x Loco's would YOU choose?
I am looking for STRONG opinions here, give me your Personal, financial, aesthetics, purist /authentic, delta vs digital vs analog considerations, etc.

I know I can say get an Analog loco, and then convert etc, but am I better just to get a digital version to start with? what about with Delta?

Oh, and importantly, please give me the model # of what you would choose, so I can start hunting one down.

Really appreciate all assistance on this one.
Tim

Hi!

Experts on German fora (I'm not an expert with respect to the Rheingold) say that many different classes hauled the Rheingold - and the BR 18.4 with small powered wheels (as modelled by Märklin) is not one of them.

So for authentic classes, take a BR 01 (e.g. #39011) or a BR 18.3 (but note that the blue #39023 is just a fantasy livery).
The 01 was used in the early '30s and is not perfect for coaches that represent the late '20s. I don't know if the coaches were modified in these few years (I use a BR 01 and don't give a dang).

Märklin's BR 18.4 is an old construction and the detailing is not state of the art. Märklin advertised her for the Rheingold as they didn't have a better match.

With respect to authenticity, a black BR 18.3 probably is the best choice. The coaches could be slightly incorrect for a BR 01 (and the 01 from Märklin has an "incorrect" number). The details of the BR 18.4 are slightly incorrect for the Rheingold.

In the train room you are the king in your own country. So if you decide the blue BR 18.3 is a good fit then go ahead and get it.

If you didn't know: the 41928 coaches are plastic, the others are tin plate. I prefer the plastic coaches because they are light and run easily. OTOH the heavy tin plate coaches are impressive when you hold them (but give the loco a hard time).
I bought a separate baggage car for the 41928 set because at that time, a baggage car had to run behind the loco. Now both baggage cars in the train have the same number (so still a compromise).

Tim,

Märklin recommended 33184 (Delta) or 37184 (Digital) to go with 4228 in the 1997/1998 catalogue.
This is the DRG class 18.4, with gold painted boiler bands and smoke stack rim. It is certainly a pretty loco -- I have 33174 upgraded with a LokSound mfx decoder (not an especially difficult conversion).
It does look good in front of my 4228 set.

I can't comment on the accuracy of the choice of loco -- there is no doubt Märklin can be "flexible" with that sort of detail.

Regardless -- it looks great, and I am King in my train room (attic, actually...)

I'd recommend an 18.4 (33187/37184 with newer decoder).

Hi Tim,

Have you check 42283 six coaches pack in 2011 new items?

My 4228 runs with a black 18.4 DRG with gold stripes on boiler, but no red/white band on smoke stack.
I run the train as a special/museum train in teh 1960´ies, so not many concerns reg. accuracy ;-)