Back in the Märklin World, I have received for my XMas a superb Big Boy! Ref 37996.
It was the model I dreamt about since it was issued in 2001 but at that time, I couldn’t afford it (my parents in fact ).

The locomotive is delivered in a beautiful wooden box. This clearly emphasizes the model. The locomotive is fixed by 3 screws on a plate, also of wood, on which are engraved two grooves simulating the rails.
The locomotive is surrounded by blocks of foam and is covered by a plastic film.
All this inspires solidity.

To get the locomotive out of the box, it's a little technical. My methodology is as follows (to be applied also for the inverse operation):
I remove the locomotive and its plate from the box. I put the top foam pad on top of the locomotive and turn it upside down. This protects the top of the locomotive and creates a support, once it is disconnected from its plate.
Once the 3 screws unscrewed, you can feel the 1.2 kg of the beast.

Placing it onto the tracks is not too complicated. It is necessary just to manipulate the different driving elements. Be careful of small plastic pieces, which may occasionally come loose. Everything can easily be fixed but you must remain attentive. The two screws to dismantle the boiler are located at the top and are hidden by two plastic covers.

I had read on the internet a fault regarding a screw that held one of the propulsion elements of the loco. A screw that could either be not completely screwed, or already unscrewed and wandering around the box. I was not faced with this concern and I checked directly, removing the boiler, if that was the case.

The locomotive has an MFX + decoder. I have, for the occasion, invested in the starting kit 29000 in order to get a Mobile Station 2. I must say that it remains similar to the Mobile Station 1 that I had previously. I changed in order to benefit from the control of the locomotives but also the electromagnetic elements.

The locomotive, with its engine, rolls with disconcerting ease. Everything is fluid. The sound looks good but I'm not an expert on the subject. I will learn in the future how to fully exploit the loco. By the way, does somebody know if the sounds can be changed and if we can upload our own set of sounds in the decoder?

I will upload some pictures when possible.

If you have some questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer.