Hi Paris,

If you are looking for the "prettiest" version of a Klass 18 Marklin Lok, then the Wurtemberg C, (Beautiful Lady of Wurtemberg) is the right choice, and 37116 is it for an Era II version.
See the description copied from the M database;

37116 Express Locomotive with a Tender
Prototype: German State Railroad Company (DRG) class 18.1 express locomotive. Former Württemberg class C.
Model: The locomotive has an mfx digital decoder, controlled high-efficiency propulsion, and extensive sound functions. It also has a powerful motor with a bell-shaped armature, in the boiler. 3 axles powered. Traction tires. The headlights are maintenance-free, warm white LEDs; they will work in conventional operation, and can be controlled digitally. The tender is constructed of metal. There is a close coupling between the locomotive and tender. Length over the buffers 23.7 cm / 9-5/16".

The Bell shaped Armature Motor is a very smooth and good quality one, and is scorced from either Maxon (Made in Switzerland) or Faulhaber, (made in Germany) known for small RC modell type motors and also supply, or used to supply, electric motors to the greater the German Automotive manufacturers for things like electric windows and other various servo duties.

The latest offering (37117) has a "controlled high-efficiency propulsion with a flywheel" motor of dubious cost optimised, origin, likely China, and is unlikely to start off with a slow crawl, or come to a smooth stop, or last as long, as the earlier versions powered with a Glocken Ankor, (bell shaped armature) "Faully" or Maxon will.
I have 37113 (era I) and 37115 (era IIIa), I'd quite like a reasonably priced 37116
The one thing the latest version, 37117, has, is the ability to fit a smoke unit, but I'd go for the better performance over the smoker any day
Lots of Marklin fans have modified those earlier versions to fit a smoke unit

Good luck

(E&O&OE)

Edited by user 06 October 2015 05:36:47(UTC)  | Reason: typo

37116 is great. It is one of the loks I most like, even among the Cs.

Good morning,I have the 37115,a similar model so I can tell you that she is great.I believe and the new model will have the same faulhaber motor,one of the better marklin produce.Regards,Panayotis.

Motors with bell-shaped armatures are maintenance-free motors - they have to be replaced when the brushes are worn.

37115 and 37116 have the same sparepart number for the motor - no longer available.
Sparepart list for 37117 is not yet around.

That's the point that worries me most about the dozens different motor types they used in the past few years: limited availability of spare motors.

I think that varies a lot from model to model, from manufacturer to manufacturer.

There was a time when Lux offered two versions of their vacuum track cleaner.
For the version with the bell-shaped armature motor they specified 2000 operating hours, for the version with the Mabuchi motor they specified 150 operating hours. I didn't find these figures on their site today.

I'm afraid that's about what we can expect from the motors in our model locos: a few thousand hours with coreless motors and a few hundred hours with other maintenance-free motors.

The standard motors from Märklin, Fleischmann, Roco, and HAG where you can replace brushes as needed will last a bit longer, I do hope.

I wouldn't bank on it.. My 37643 with 10 hours on the motor died at two years old.. Have a look at this thread -> https://www.marklin-users.net/forum/posts/t13253-37643--Lights-are-on-but-no-one-is-home Two years after the release of the model the motors were no longer available from Marklin and Maxon could not supply an equivalent motor without milling the chassis of the locomotive. Just last week I checked with my dealer to see if the motors were back in stock - no..

So the only option I have now is to buy another loco (37627) and use it to pull the now motorless loco..

So these motors are solving a manufacturing problem for Marklin, but creating a maintenance nightmare for their customers.

When I was a child I had three Märklin locos that I ran a lot - often I ran them at the same time on three ovals.

Back then even I as a child could afford buying new brushes and I also was able to replace them. I also swapped traction tyres and light bulbs.

With children as the new target group for sustained development of the MRR market, there could be disappointments when maintenance is needed.

Children have more spare time then we grown-ups - and they only have one, two, or three locos. And the favourite loco will have to do a lot running.

I have the 37115 and came with wooden box. Good smooth running yet!

I have look at spare parts list for 37115 and 37116 - both motors part number are the same.

Yes thanks for checking Steven

They maybe available, but are they, the spare parts motors, still a Glocken Ankur, Maxon, Faulhaber or whatever ?
(Sorry I'm not about to open up one of mine to check the original make) not this side of Xmas anyway

(or are they just a cost optimised can motor)

And yes my 37113 and 37115 are favs of mine too

The Beautiful lady of Württemberg is the prettiest 18.X or Pacific Lok, (4.6.2) made anywhere in the Wold IMHO
What's more she could hold her own for overall performance, with the best of them, too

Just thinking about Adrian's other thread, re his M37643, and the fact that the Maxon Motor had had a melt down, probably caused by too much load on the Loco (I doubt it) or too high a voltage at the track.
And yes I know the decoder controls the voltage to the motor, but we don't know how much full throttle he, or Miss 16 gave it. (when he wasn't looking)
Can I suggest that anybody who has an Ecos type controller (Ecos I & II or CS1-R) , please check the output voltage of the SMPS, which can be done on screen, and make sure it indicates about 18-19 volts only.
This is adjustable on the ESU supplied, SMPS with a screw thingy at the output or low voltage end
That said it is better to check it before connecting it, first time, with a multi meter, and set it at 18-19 volts, as I was instructed to do by my friend, Dennis The Train Dr, when first installing the "reload" into my CS1

This might help to prevent a repeat of Adrian's problem with the motor, in his M37643

May I draw your attention to post #8:


Yes, 37115 and 37116 have the same motor number in the spare part list. Price was around €120 and it is no longer in stock and won't come again (grey traffic light).
We do not know the number for 37117 yet. The motor from 37117 may or may not fit into the older models.

I would agree with Adrian that this problem was probably caused by a defect in the motor, rather than over-voltage or other user-induced reason. Things sometimes break for no apparent reason.

Usually, the simpler a device, the less likely it will go wrong, hence the old Marklin motors, conceived during the last Ice Age, can go on seemingly for ever!

Finally, I am the happy owner of a Marklin 37116 steamer . OMG, she does look pretty!!! Thanks for all the feedback.

Regards

Paris