Hello everyone…this is my first post to the forum. My 7-year-old son was given a Marklin train set and I have been working with him to assemble and use it. We have a black steam locomotive with the following information on it: "DB" is in white within a white outlined box, below that are the numbers 74 1070. I did some digging around the Marklin company sight and think that it is an HO scale BR 74. It came with a Marklin Transformer, 6450, 110v, 50hz, 10va. We cleaned the rails and used some 3-in-1 oil to lubricate the locomotive and put together an oval. Train ran flawlessly, pulling about 8 cars of rolling stock for about an hour. Then stopped working. I checked the transformer: power still going to it, but nothing coming out of it with the dial turned on. I am guessing that the wiring inside is shorting somewhere and would like some advice. Worth taking to an electrician to repair or is there a replacement transformer from Marklin that will work with this set? One concern I have is that the manual that I found on the Marklin site states that I should only use an "AC power, 32 VA transformer, item no.6646 and 6647". So I may be mistaken on the model locomotive that I have. I hope that the numbers that I supplied above can help identify the locomotive. According the serial number post, it appears that our locomotive was from before Marklin started using serial numbers and could mean that the manual I found is not the right one. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Both my son and I look forward to many years of fun with the Marklin trains.

Hello and welcome!

To me, it sounds like your son received a "vintage" set. My guess is this made around 1968.

First, the loco:

If it was part of a factory issued set, the whole set will have a number (probably 2xxx). This locomotive appears to be from the first year of manufacture (1968) as the road number is 74 1070. In 1969 it got a different road number, and was made in various forms up until 2006. The "DB" as stated stands for "Deutsch Bundesbahn" which was the (West) German Federal Railroad at the time. 74 stands for the locomotive class (class 74), and 1070 is the running number of this locomotive. The Marklin part number for this locomotive is 3095.

The manuals on Marklin's site are for newer models, for the most part the information is year 2000 onward, although they do have spare parts lists for models back to the 50s. You do not need to worry about the warning for use with 6646/6647. These warnings are for newer locomotives with digital decoders that control their driving. Reversing the newer locomotives with an old transformer could burn out the decoder. However, your model is safe, it is older than any decoder. These old models are very robust, so I doubt anything serious will be a problem for 3095. They are easy to service as well.

Next, the transformer:

6450 is an acceptable tranformer for this model. It is a 10va AC US transformer. I agree with the above advice from Peter about checking for a short, removing everything form the track, cooling down, etc. However, since your son is playing with it I would recommend you are careful with the transformer as over time the insulation on the wires can break down and cause a shock hazard. At the very least inspect the cord to make sure it's in good shape. More information here:

https://www.marklin-users.net/fo...s&t=16037#post239795

If it's fine, you can choose to keep using it. You can also look for a newer transformer on ebay, I would recommend 6667 (16va) or 6627 (32va) as the oldest transformers to buy used. You could also look for a new or used 6646 (the current US model of analog transformer). Retail they cost around $150 US new, but often go for less used on eBay.

I am guessing you have brownish coloured metal track, Marklin "M" track?

-Brandon

Hi Brandon and Peter,

Thank you for the welcome and the detailed suggestions. Let everything cool down. Inspected power cord: looks good. Checked voltage across outgoing terminals between transformer and track: measured varying voltage. Checked wires from transformer to track: good shape, solid soldered connections. Tried train again and it works flawlessly. Is there a limit to the number of cars we should pull with this locomotive? None of the rolling stock has lights. Perhaps this caused the transformer to overheat and shutdown?

Our track is brown and has a tan colored and textured bed. I think it is M track. That does appear to be our locomotive in your picture, Brandon. I think that we will shop for a replacement transformer to have as a backup, thanks for the suggestions, Brandon. Here are some pictures of what we have to start with…thanks again. We will spend some more time on the forum to track down further information on the trains that we have been given.

Cheers, Mauricio

Locomotive fotos. Clearly a rookie forum member here.

Glad it is working again.

In my old analog days with the blue transformers, if I had a derailment causing a short circuit, I usually had to unplug the transformer and plug it in again later to get it working again.

I never opened it up to see if it had some form of circuit protection inside, but based on the "no power" after a short circuit, I assumed it did.

Hi

Just a suggestion for when you next oil the loc. 3 in 1 is not suggested for Marklin locs. The local hobby store or other members can suggest the appropriate oil. And, of course, don't over oil.

Enjoy.

Regards

Harvey

If you search the forum there have been a lot of discussions on types of oil. There are many good ones. Since you are in the US, if you're looking to pick something up locally, grab Labelle, you should be able to get it at a lot of hobby shops (if you still have one). Otherwise, feel free to research and buy whatever online :)

-Brandon