I think it's good to approach new customer groups.
I remember my first Märklin starter set with a 3029 type locomotive. Also very cheap and toy like.
If you want young people to start with the hobby it's essential to offer cheap sets with enough room for their fantasy. No need for very detailed models.

It is not the "Weselsky Edition" on sale, is it?

https://www.marklin-user...-Edition.aspx#post473267

:-)

Here is the link BTW:

http://www.aldi.nl/aldi_...inset_48_5_959_9763.html

I think that is fantastic to have that type of exposure. Other than Thomas at toy stores, we only have train sets in hobby shops. Having them available at a store that all parts of the family visit will make them think about getting a train set and introducing them to the hobby. A great idea at the Christmas season.

The Marklin productnumbers are 29284 and 29285.

Now that is interesting, they have different model numbers in Germany - 29281 is the Steam Loco and passenger train that is identical to that pictured for Aldi.NL, but the picture on the front of the box has the identical shot of the train, but the track picture, instead of being the oval with a siding shows an oval with the point going outwards, and then two long sidings made from the track of the other start set, with text indicating you can have this layout by combining the Autozug and Personzug. [edit] Actually this track diagram is on the back of the box, the front of the box is as shown in the pictures above, but I think those pictures are mock-ups as the actual opening in the box allows you to see all four items (loco and three pieces of rolling stock) [/edit]

[edit] The German version of the Autozug is 29280 according to the instruction leaflet. This leaves 29282 and 29283 as missing numbers for Aldi sets in another country? [/edit]


The control unit looks like a wired version of the Infra red one that comes in the My World sets.

There are four versions on the Faller building sets available. There is a station set, a railroad workshop set, a village with church set, and a town street set consisting of three buildings and a several street lights and signs.

All the buildings from the various sets have been long term items in the Faller catalogue, so it has been a case of bang out another run from some old molds that have already had a lot of use, but they are still worth getting.

Although the Marklin sets have catalogue numbers - and my box has only German language on it, which I suspect is why the number is different from the Dutch set (which presumably has only the Dutch language on it) but the Faller sets have no catalogue numbers and only one of the bar codes has numbers with it, and I suspect that is only a subset of the bar code numbers.

I have bought the steam Loco set, and the Faller Dorf-Set. However I think SWTSMBO is warming to the idea of getting the other three Faller sets as well, at €29.99 each. I don't think I can convince her that I need the autozug set as well.

I'll put pictures of both items up later.

The loco and wagons, along with controller and track connection. Note that controller is permanently soldered to the track, and the joints protected by a pretty solid silicon rubber to protect from the roughness of children when setting up and breaking down. However they haven't notched the track to allow the wires to come out and allow the track bed to sit flat! First minor modification coming up ...

The coaches are lettered identically both sides, the bicycle transport van is lettered in four languages ...

I believe Australia has Aldi supermarkets, and there has been talk of Aldi coming to NZ, although Aldi themselves are saying they have no plans at this stage.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/t...ays-no-plans-to-enter-NZ

Don't know if Aldi Aus sell the Marklin sets, but I think xxup has previously said they don't.

I got mine at an Aldi Sud around Stuttgart.

The Aldi Nord and Sud split came when the two brothers who set up the Aldi chain had a difference of opinion over the product range that should be stocked. There was an obituary of one of them in The Times (UK) during the year that explained the split quite well.

I don't think that this product would sell well in the UK/Ireland/Australasia as it is too European based. If there was a Thomas version or a UK themed version then that would probably sell well.

and to get one you would have to be at the shop on the day they start selling, as they seemed to sell out real quick. There was not a large stock at the shop we went to, and by the second day some of the Faller items were sold out. It does not appear that there are continued shipments of stock to the shops, it is one shipment and that's it.

But I did see a late primary school age lad eyeing up the two Faller kits that I went and got last night, as I was queuing at the checkout.

I just noticed that the goods wagon carries the sign "Bicycletransport" and the Danish word "Cykeltransport". Aldi in Denmark carries Märklin sets as well.

Does anybody know if it is possible to change the address of the locomotive using the controller from the set? I was asked about this. The infrared controller can do it, but can the wired one? I have not been able to find any information regarding this - and I do not have a set myself.

OK, I have grabbed the leaflet that came with the set, and it is certainly possible to change a loco address. I suspect the procedure is the same as the IR controller.

Here is the German ...
Adresse ändern:
Sollten Sie 2 Lokomotiven mit derselben Adresse besitzen, können Sie die Addresse einer Lokomotive wie folgt ändern:
Schaltnetzteil ausstecken und nur die zu programmierende Lok auf das Gleis stellen. Schieben Sie den Addresswahlschalter auf die gewünschte Addresse. Drücken Sie die Taste "fahrtrichtung ändern". Halten Sie diese gedrückt, während Sie das Schaltnetzteil wieder einstecken.
Sobald die LED im Führer leuchtet bzw. blinkt die Taste loslassen. Mit dem Einschaltern der LED bzw. dem Blinken wird der Programmiervorgang angezeigt. Sobald die LED erlischt, ist die Programmierung abgeschlossen. Die Lok kann nun mit der neuen Adresse gefahren werden.

And Google Translate gives this ...
Change address:
If you have 2 locomotives with the same address, you can change the address of a Lokomotive as follows:
Switching power adapter and provide only the locomotive to be programmed onto the track. Slide the Address selector to the desired address. Press the button "Change direction of travel". Hold down the button while plugging in the switching power supply again.
When the LED in the cab lights or flashes release the button. The Einschaltern the LED or flashing the programming process is displayed. When the LED goes out, the programming is complete. The locomotive can now be moved to the new address.

Google obviously hasn't learnt to translate 'unplug' yet, and I am not sure what Einschaltern should translate as, beyond that while the LED is on or flashing the address is being programmed.

And here is the "www.nicetranslator.com" translation (a little bit more understandable):

Address change:
If you have 2 locomotives with the same address, you can change the address of a locomotive as follows: unplug power supply and provide only the locomotive to be programmed on the track. Push the address selector to the desired address. Press the button "Change direction". Hold, while you reconnect the power supply. When the LED lights up in the guide (for me: engineer's cab) or flashes, release the button.
With the input switches the LED or the flashing, the programming operation will be shown. As soon as the LED goes out, the programming is completed. The locomotive can now be driven with the new address.

Cheers

Renato

I saw on German mrr forums, that at the German Aldi stores (ALDI Süd) the (many) leftovers of these sets are now on sale for € 69.

That is a really good price, even the tracks in the set must be > € 75

Tomorrow I visit our local Aldi here in Holland and see if these sets are here on sale for € 69 too.

Hmm, I'm aware of at least 3 Aldis in my area. Something tells me I won't see these sets here, but I might need to make a visit. Good move by Marklin. These sets could be good gateway drugs.