Bad luck!
I do not fancy these plastic cars from Marklin anyway,cheap production,a shame for Marklin really.
Prefer much more the tinplate boxcars and tankcars,Marklin have issued some new sets over recent years,which is good.

Sorry to read that there is another victim. This issue with the 40 ft box cars was addressed in this and other forums. I experienced the same last fall with the PRR and the ATSF sets. For that reason, I "converted" to 50 ft tin plate box cars ever since.

I returned the faulty articles - through my M* dealer - to mother M*. After almost one year without reaction, the M* dealer increased the pressure on M* after receiving more customer complaints on warped 40 ft box cars form other customers, too. Last news: M* wants to see the purchase receipt...

To be continued.

Hi everybody,

It's true that those boxcars were actually made in China between 2004 and 2009 at least. The problem is that the floors of those US cars are made of zinc alloy, and the Chinese factory often used an impure mix or the wrong proportions. I had most of those cars as well, but back in 2012 I read the story and saw a few photos on Stummis Forum, so I decided to sell them all on Ebay. I didn't get much money for them because most buyers have heard about the 'modern' zinc pest by now, but I got rid of them in time.

Actually, I remember that one Ebay member asked me an interesting question about one of those sets. He wanted to know if the couplers of the box cars were difficult to move. They should get back into the middle position automatically if you move them left or right with your finger. If that's NOT the case, you have the first symptom of the zinc pest. My cars were not warped, but one Santa Fe box car had that little problem with the couplers.

It's true that only some cars are affected, but the zinc pest can still strike many years after the cars were produced. I even sold the sets that were produced in 2012 because I don't know where they were made, and I only have metal box cars now. Unfortunately the Märklin company was run by hired managers for a long time, and most of them were poor decision-makers. Now there are new owners who really care about their company.

Märklin has certainly stopped using metal parts made in China now, so this year's plastic box cars should be all right. The present owners will not repeat such mistakes again and are working hard to deliver good quality. I still trust and buy Märklin products, but I check everything very carefully when it is delivered.

Best regards,
Mark

This is a worry, I have about 60 of these cars, dating back to the launch of the Big Boy.

Are the livestock cars and hoppers also effected, how far does this date back?

No problem till today,i have 40 of them.

In addition to possible warping,i found that the plastic boxcars are holding fragile parts which easily come apart,for example the footsteps on the corners,they are simply pinned in,no glue.
Once departed they are very hard to find back on the floor is my experience.
I asked the Marklin shop in Rotterdam,the answer being:no spare parts,you have to buy new cars!

So,once again: tinplate boxcars for me!

Hi,

If you're so cynical, why haven't you sold your Chinese-made box cars? Why are you holding on to that stuff while criticising the China production non-stop? That's neither logical nor coherent. Are most of the Märklin products you own made in China? In that case I can understand why you don't like Märklin. I've nearly finished selling my Chinese-made stuff on Ebay, so it's not a problem for me any more.

Märklin had about 6-8 bad years between 2000 and 2009, so it's taken some time to fix all of those problems. Mr Sieber has announced in interviews that metal parts are now made in Germany.

If I were a Märklin manager, I would hope that the bashers would never buy anything again, but the problem is that they can't forget the company and go on ranting forever. In a way, Märklin bashers are the most loyal fans ...

Best regards,
Mark

Did he say this unconditionally and without restrictions? Probably not.
Some naïve Märklin lovers who claim to be not naïve often write untrue statements about Märklin because they leave restrictions and conditions out.
Can you give us a link to that interview?

I have no problem with items made in China and therefore I see no need to sell them.

I don't believe Märklin gave up production in China completely. And I ask for sources if naïve Märklin lovers produce statements I cannot believe.
You call this stalking.
You're "stalking" with your "pro Märklin" statements: where can I read that all Märklin metal parts are completely made in Europe now?

I want transparency. I ask for references when I read something I don't believe.

Juha,buying trains is like buying cars,what the one person finds ugly the other person finds beautiful,same with women,houses,clothes,anything.
For me,i am not looking for ultimate detail,i am looking for the Marklin "feel" a memory from my youth,a time of poverty,me as a boy playing with my first Marklin starterset on the floor of the livingroom,near the only stove in the house,i must have been the happiest boy in the world at that time!
As such,i am still collecting sixties style Marklin items,call it my trauma if you wish.
I think the tinplate USA boxcars are superb,and almost indistructable,i recently bought the 45644 10 car set,and more will follow,they look great behind the 3060/3061 Santa Fe F7 units,first sold in 1961!
Next set will be the 47760,six tinplate boxcars with a Union Pacific caboose.
Same with locomotives,purchased last week the classic 3084 and the 3093,heavy metal with limited detail,i just love them!
In addition,i bought a factory new gauge 1 Maxi 3-axle steamer called Rossle,a toy for some,but for me heavy metal Marklin to show in a glasscabinet!
As the saying goes: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

Cheers,
Paul.

I don't have any of these cars, and have never seen this problem other than on pictures; but:

How can you conclude that this has anything to do with zincpest??

The floor-plate of those cars looks like they have grown in length, OR the plastic upper part has shrunken.

I don't know if the floor-plates contain any zinc; but I have never seen any metal grow like that,
caused by things like zincpest, without clearly visible deformation.

Shrinking or expanding plastic, on the other hand, is quite "normal", and can be found on numerous other plastic products, Märklin not excluded.

Usually the problem comes if you mix two different kinds of plastic, which expand or shrink differently.

Are the floor-boards of these car metal, or are they plastic?

Not that this in any way help the owners of these cars, unfortunately

Per.

Thanks Tom.

From what I see on those pictures, the base plate of those cars are way too long, or the top part way too short.

I would love to be able to see this for real, it just looks very strange to me.

Per.

Sure, all items from your list probably used to be made in China for Märklin until about 2010 or 2011, precise date unknown. There I agree with you. That's why hundreds of people lost their jobs in Göppingen in 2004 and 2005. My latest Märklin engines (or cars) with a 'made in Germany ' label date from 2004. Märklin certainly deserves criticism for what happened during those unfortunate years, but Mr Pluta started moving production back to Europe.

I used to have the very nice-looking DSB Köf. No problem with it, but I've sold it (like the plastic box cars) because I don't want the risk of the zinc pest.
But you're wrong in hinting that they the stuff on your list may still be made in China now. On Stummis forum you wrote that you would bet that the Traxx engines were Chinese-made, but one member replied to you and said that he had witnessed the production of the Traxx die-cast houses in Göppingen during a factory visit. That evidence is good enough for me, but you don't have any evidence to prove that Märklin uses metal parts made in China now. Plastic cars may still come from there now, agreed.

I don't approve of what Märklin did between 2003 and the insolvency, but I'm glad that Mr Pluta and the Siebers have saved the company. A few problems remain, but I trust those people to do a good job. Everybody has to decide what to believe for himself, of course. The customer's king, and Mr Sieber knows that ...

Best regards, Mark

The metal fatigue issue in the Made In China boxcars was reported a few years back and anybody who is affected by this issue should contact their dealer, Jeff S at Walthers (Marklin USA) or send an email to service(at)maerklin.de

Maerklin may claim that they do not have to honour any obligations from prior to their restructuring (2009), but you should ask for a goodwill accommodation and see if they consent.

Regards

Mike C

I have the 45651 box car set and I first noticed the problem about three years ago when running a long line of freight cars behind a Bigboy. I was getting shorts occasionally and finally isolated it down to the cars in this set. The couplers wouldn't move on the cars which caused them to be pulled off the tracks going through curves. It is my opinion that the chassis area expands which them warps and breaks the plastic bodies. And the chassis becomes extremely brittle. I never did anything with them, I think I still have all three stashed away somewhere.

Robert

Hi Robert,

That's interesting. So the guy who asked me on Ebay if the couplers of the cars in my auction were easy to move was right; he knew what the first symptom was. Out of about 30 or 40 box cars or reefers I used to have, only one had that little problem, and of course it was a car from the 45651 Santa Fe box car set. The cars from that set seem to be the most common victim of the zinc pest.

According to what I have read on other MRR forums, Märklin might replace the cars if they were purchased from an official dealer and if you can provide a copy of the receipt, but there's no guarantee. You may contact their customer service. A friendly email in which you explain that you have been a regular customer for a long time and state the name of your Märklin dealer won't cost anything, but might help. They're scheduled to produce new US cars this year ...

Best regards, Mark

The issue is muddied by the fact that EU and US norms for country of origin are different. US regulations require that the COO (country of origin) is labelled as the country where the lion's share of production occurred while the EU regulations require that the country where the final assembly takes place be in the EU to qualify as "Made In EU". This means that Maerklin or other companies can continue to use parts sourced overseas in models that are assembled in the EU.

This means that an item for sale in the EU will be labelled "Made in EU" while the same item imported into the USA would have to state "Made in China" or "Made in Hungary" as the case may be.
Of my Hobby Traxx, the 36856 has a sticker "Made in Hungary".

That said, if Maerklin began the manufacturing of the Traxx models and commissioned 10.000 or 20000 chassis parts from China, there is a good chance that they are still using those parts in models that are today assembled at the plant at Györ.

I have a number of coaches that were Made in China (the 28cm TEE coaches), the 46321 type Grains Hoppers and others, so I periodically inspect them to ensure that there is no damage.

Many people expect that with the prices we pay for this hobby of ours, that we should get quality. Companies outsource production to make less expensive goods, but it seems that the savings have not been passed on to the clientele in terms of cheaper prices, but have been used to satisfy banks and shareholders in terms of profit. This is short term thinking that in the long run will affect the bottom line as quality shortcomings will reduce the profit in the future as the brand is damaged.

Regards

Mike C

I noticed the symptom of the couplers in the hopper car of the 29570 starter set.I realised the problem when this car always derailing on turnouts.I have not any of the others cars of the 29570 starter set.

Hi,

I can agree with some things you write, but others are really doubtful. I've been a Märklin customer since my childhood and got started in the 1970s. Like you, I'm also disappointed by the poor finish of a few models that were delivered to me in 2013. This year's order has been delayed, so I can't comment on that yet.
It also seems to me that the paint coat is more sensitive than it used to be in the past, and sometimes, engines are scratched or have minor defects when they are delivered to the customer. Such problems were the exception in the past, but now they are more common. I also wonder if workers at the factory in Hungary, where most Märklin products are painted and assembled now, are unprofessional, overstretched or do not care. I don't know the answer, but I agree with you that the quality of Märklin products is not always what it should be.

As for the turnover, the lion's share of that is still Märklin H0 professional, not myWorld or Start Up. The new focus on toy trains for children is the only way to build the next generation of Märklin fans. Märklin is the market leader because in the past, Märklin trains were suitable for children. The kids of the 1950s, 60s or 70s are todays's customers, so the Siebers' toy offensive is the right thing to do, and it's the same thing Märklin used to do in the past. Books about the history of the company reveal that Märklin's strategies have not changed a lot in the last 100 years!!

The Siebers have invested so much money into Märklin. Can you blame them for wanting to make a profit? I'm sure you would also want a return on your investment if you were in their shoes. It's just a fact that it will take a long time until their investment really pays off, especially in a difficult and shrinking MRR market.

Let's make a historical flashback. Who were the previous owners, and how much did they care about Märklin products?
The three families that used to own the company until 2006 (Märklin Safft, and Friz) did very well until the late 1970s, when the last co-owner who worked as CEO, Herbert Safft, retired. After that the old owners increasingly disagreed and cared less and less about the company until they finally sold it to make a fast buck. Even back in the 1970s, when Herbert Safft was still co-CEO, the quality of Märklin products was compromised in some ways. They applied a thinner paint coat on engines to save money, some steam engines like the S 3/6 or the Br 03.10 were only powered on one axle, Primex products were simplified, the Br 03.10 (3094) got the wrong undercarriage (from the S 3/6) at first, etc. This was all done to increase sales and profits by lowering prices, so there's a historical precedent for what they are doing now. The worst profitmakers were Kingsbridge, who bought Märklin in 2006, but ironically, the company didn't make any profits then. Only Mr Pluta brought back profitability. If you like, you may call him a moneymaker because that's what he was supposed to do! The Siebers care a lot more about Märklin than most previous owners.

I know that quality was better in the 1990s than it is now, but if adjusted for inflation, prices were significantly higher back then as compared to 2014. As in the 1970s, Märkin is adapting to a market that demands lower prices. Real incomes are not rising any more, but have fallen slowly in many countries.

However, the historical perspective also reveals that today's quality problems are unprecedented. In the 1970s they made some compromises, but the overall quality and reliability of Märklin products was still very good as compared to now. The engines I used to play with as a child could run on dusty tracks on our unheated attic for hundreds of hours with very little servicing. They were much sturdier, true. I agree with your last point that today's focus on electronics is exaggerated and is partially responsible for some problems, but not most. Cost-cutting has been pushed too far, so some customers have stopped buying. I also order less now ... Every book about Märklin I have says that this company triumphed over its competitors in the past because of the superior quality of its products, but for the first time in history, that's not true any more.

Yesterday I watched a one-hour movie that was made by Hagen van Ortloff, the expert for railways on German TV, for Märklin's 140th anniversary in 1999. It showed the highly skilled and reliable workers Märklin used to have in Göppingen, but by now most of them have either retired or been sacked and production in Göppingen is the exception, not the rule ...

Best regards, Mark

Sorry to hear that Armando!
Your dealer is in a tough situation, the manufacturer seems to ignore the whole problem.

Regards,
Juha

If I were in your shoes, I would be writing a direct personal email or letter to Florian and/or Michael Sieber of Simba-Dickie, the 'new' owners of Marklin.

Under the takeover agreement, Florian Sieber will join the current dual leadership of the company as the third Managing Director of equal rank, working alongside Wolfrad Bächle and Stefan Löbich. Sieber is well-aware of the responsibilities that his new role involves. ‘The Märklin name is synonymous with a whole category of toys, and has stood for top German quality since 1859’, he explains. ‘That is why it is my great pleasure to help shape the future of this traditional brand with a history dating back more than 150 years.’

The above excerpt from this link makes it clear that Simba-Dickie knows the value of quality.

And even though they may not have been in control at the time these items were produced, they did purchase the company, and I suggest this means not only taking on the positive prospects for the future, but also acknowledging the mistakes of the (recent) past - I say recent because you have to be reasonable or realistic. I think anything less than 5 years old and which is clearly a materials or production defect should be covered. Items 5-10 years old more on a case-by-case basis, anything beyond 10 years probably no change.

Marklin should in turn, have recourse on the actual manufacturers of the items to supply or manufacture replacements.

World-wide, what would be the value in replacing (or crediting toward a different purchase) those defective items, compared to their overall revenue?, especially when out of the overall production, probably only a small percentage who are informed via forums like this will bother making a claim anyway or even know about the problem.

It's the old story, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil". You have nothing to lose by writing and it would be very informing to see what the official response is from as high up as you can get. And, I would write first in English. Afterall, they produce also for the English market, otherwise there would not be translations on their literature and packaging. And I would expect someone as young and educated as Florian Sieber would have a good working knowledge enough to respond.

Cookee.

I just learned: Märklin sent item 45645 to replace the 45650 and 45651 as the latter two sets are no longer available. This is very generous in my view.

Voilà, success !

Just picked up the full five car set 45645 plus one extra 45645-04 hopper car for free as compensation for the "lost" six box cars.

Thank you, Maerklin !

:o)

If the plastic cracks your best bet for repair is probably to wedge it closed, and then paint the inside of the crack with liquid poly cement.

Don't be tempted to use tape or a rubber band on the outside as the cement will wick into the crack and possibly come through. If there's nothing touching the outside then at worst it'll form a slightly raised line (which you may be able to scrape off without leaving a mark after it dries). If something touches it the paintwork will be smeared. Use something like a heavy book against each end.

This is real metal zincpest - the metal warps and the plastics break as a result of the warping metal.
Märklin cannot replace the plastics parts, but if you notice the zinc pest before the plastics break, you can return the metal frames only, thus retaining the box car liveries you bought.