From this other topic about the ETE East show, you may know that I recently purchased a 3125 Roter Pfeil. In that thread there are also some pics of the loco and a shot inside it.
https://www.marklin-users.net/fo...ault.aspx?g=posts&t=7750

I would like to upgrade this loco with a ESU mfx decoder and changing the motor to faulhaber or maxon. Here is a shot of the motor as it is now



SB Modellbau offers a kit for 90.- Euros, which I assume includes motor, flywheel and connection to the other side to the spindle that then drives the crankshaft.
http://www.sb-modellbau.com/pro...ucts_id=488&cPath=27

By further research, I could buy ONLY the motor: if it's a Faulhaber is priced at 48.- Euros.
http://www.sb-modellbau.com/pro...ucts_id=992&cPath=67

Or I could buy the same from Maxon for 46.20 Euros
http://www.sb-modellbau.com/pro...ucts_id=985&cPath=67

My questions:
1. is it correct to assume that, in the first case, I only get the motor and the flywheel and connection at the other end or are there other items included in the complete upgrade
2. does the price difference justify buying only the motor
3. If I buy only the motor, is it relatively easy to un-plug the flywheel and the connection from the existing motot and re-use them on the new one.

I think once I do that, the installation of the decoder is straightforward. Any recommendations are welcome!

Thanks

Thanks Ron. That thread is useful but not quite my questions. However, they discuss "swiss light changing" and I am wondering in anyone did do that on the roter pfeil. At least mine, takes the top light from the same diffuser that does the internal lights and from a central lightbulb. As such, I assume (I did not run the loco yet) that that light is always on. In order to do a "full" swiss change system I will probably need a total of 6 LEDs plus the main light bulb for the car ilumination.

From my experience with SB-Modellbau, they will supply you with everything you need to exchange the motor, but they won't tell you what it is until you've received it....

You'll get the motor with all the bits assembled to make it fit, including flywheel, transmission and most of the times a brass spacer for you to sit the motor on, since usually it needs some height adjustment for it to reach the original gears.

Sometimes loose items like a earthing lug and corresponding screw also come in, when the milling work you need to do involves removing the previous earthing arrangement of the model.

Luis

Mario, did you ever get anywhere with your Roter Pfeil?

I bought one today, a 3605, from my MMR dealer. It was produced in 1987 and looks practically unused, in it's original gray box.
It has only a small circuit board in the pantograph end and a 6081 decoder. All the lights are connected to the same output, no directional change.
Hard to start, as it probably hasn't ran for many years, but now it runs perfect, controlled by a MS.

I want to convert to mfx with Swiss light change and separate interior light.
Did it ever run with rear red light?

Added later: what is the difference between the originally installed motor and a Faulhaber or Maxon motor?

Thanks for the information, Luís.

I have converted my Rote Pfeil 3605 to mxf using a Märklin decoder form a conversion set.

As mentioned many times before, I have no layout. I did not test run the 3605 on a real track before disassembeling it, only on my short and straight test track.

After installation of the mfx decoder, the motor runs perfect, but I have a small problem. When driving it on my temporary table layout, it makes a ratteling noise in curves. C-track, R = 360 mm. The noise seems to come from the propeller shaft (white plastic shaft) connecting the bogie to the motor.

When the bogie is pushing (rear end, smallest distance between bogie and motor), the noise is worse than if the bogie is pulling (front end, biggest distance between bogie and motor)

When driving at full speed (adjusted to 110/255 or 43% = 125 km/h) the noise is almost gone.

Have anybody excperienced this phenomena?

Thanks, Luís

Maybe I should take it appart, clean and grease it. The locomotive has obviously been stationary for a very long time.

I hope my MMR dealer has the Trix grease.

I have just completed a marklin conversion on a Jouef AVE bullet train and it has nearly the same engine and gear box layout. It sounds like a coffee grinder. Not the best gear box design, but on mine some of the noise was coming from the motor not being held tight in the mount. Grease didn't make any difference. Well i only paid $25 for it so for the price I can stand the noise.

I see that this topic has been brought up again

Twisting the propeller shaft 90 degrees did help a little bit, but it is still not good enough. The propeller shaft has no axial play, so I have to shorten it.
But first I have to order (and receive) a new one, as a replacement part if everything else fails.

Edit: Added at 16:28:
I did not have the time to wait for a new shaft. I have shortened it approx 1,5 mm. The vibration is close to gone. I am happy.
I just cut out a piece in the middle of the shaft and put both ends into a shrinking tube. First I carefully heated the tube over the soldering iron, to get it centered, then finally I shrinked it with a flame from a lighter.

Otherwise, with the mfx decoder, the maximum speed of 125 km/h is easy to adjust. As far as I know, the 3605 has the same drive train as the 3125.

One very good thing with our great hobby is that we (normally) are in absolutely no hurry.

I have finished upgrading my 3605 with a Märklin mfx decoder.
Maybe too much to go into here, but I have made a report on my web site. Please look into http://www.saebonet.com/svein/Tog/sites/ch/3605.htm

Great work and very nice presentation Svein.