Originally Posted by: mulle87 
OK thanks for all the replies. very thankfull.
I think I may have a new hobby (always loved modelling, now its time to play ;)
Thinking about building something new :)
Any tips where to start? any startkits? good controllers etc.. ?
//Martin
Hi Martin,
I'm going to go out on a limb here and offer an alternate view.
I'm not saying others are wrong, but considering that you are new to this, it's worth taking a bit of time to digest.
1: The trains did not cost you anything, so there's no 'loss' as such regardless of what you do.
2: There is obviously a link to your family if you found them at your parents. Did you have them as a child?, I'm not really sure what the connection is but it may be relevant.
3: Yes the condition is not great, but sometimes these things can appear worse than they actually are and they are still an example of a classic old toy, for better or for worse. :-)
Zincpest can be a problem, but not all examples of what appears to be Zincpest actually are, almost like pseudo-zinkpest. Sometimes it can be a form of corrosion caused by poor storage in damp conditions. The early examples of Zinkpest are serious, no doubt about that, and eventually those items will disintegrate completely but I'm not sure you're are in that category, or at least not for some time yet.
I have had examples that looked like yours but which after a good clean and then applying an inhibitor such a polish, or just a spray with something like CRC, WD40 etc will neutralise the effect.
I would just hate to see you get rid of them, get yourself into the hobby and then sometime down the track regret getting rid of these early examples.
Almost all of the items will come apart very easily, much easier than some modern items because they are mostly screwed together.
If you attempt to clean them up, and find you are disappointed with the results and they hold no appeal for you, then by all means sell them, it will not make any difference to the price you might eventually get.
As for the G800, a lovely Loco, and again, you might be surprised what a good clean will do. Inspect the chassis/frame carefully, if it is in good order then it may just be the body housing which needs attention. I have been sitting on a G800 original box for years hoping that one day a Loco to fill it might come along and even one like yours would be a project I'd enjoy.
As I said, if the frame appears good then the Loco may only require a normal decent service (strip and clean motor, replace brushes and tyres etc, lubricate) and it may run like a dream , leaving you only to tidy up the body. Personally, I would not worry about trying to repaint it, the corrosion may prevent the paint from adhering anyway but even just touching up the red outlines will help.
Other items on the rolling stock such as the bent ladder, missing coupling springs etc are relatively easy items to fix, the ladder should straighten out ok and springs can be replaced. You'll need a decent set of tools, pliers, jewellers screwdrivers, tweezers etc, or just get the
Marklin Toolkit which will have most of the important ones
Of course it's entirely up to you but I am sure you can see the appeal in those old items. The red Railbus DB800 (3016) will be an easy fix, the body is plastic so no corrosion issues there and they are easy to maintain. And it's not in too bad condition actually, I've seen far worse.
I would suggest you have a go at that one first because it will be the easiest to get some experience and confidence on and will probably require the least parts. The railbus is designed to only couple with the additional 4018 matching trailer, not with any of the other rolling stock.
Next would be the Red/Brown CE800 (3002). The flaking paint is very common on those. I had a green one in very similar shape so I removed the wire hand-railings (carefully remove the split-pins and pull out from the body) stripped the paint and removed the window plastic. Then gave the body a respray with a Tamiya spray can. Make sure to apply an undercoat first so that the new paint does not come away.
I found a Red that was reasonably close, then masked the body and sprayed the roof silver/grey. Refitted the handrails and windows and what a difference. If you have a very steady hand you can try hi-lighting the numbering on the cab. You need a very fine artists brush for that.
Again, like the Railbus, the chassis on those CE800's are very solid, well-made and generally easy to work on but may require only a bit more work. You don't even have to paint it, leave it like it is it will just look like it's seen very heavy work in the shunting yard!!
Once you have those two up and running, then you will have a better feel for the G800 and whether you want to tackle that. If not, let me make you an offer :-)
You did not show any photo and a controller was there was a wise caution about not attempting to use one until you have it checked. Presumably there is more than the photos you put up?, what about the track, what shape is that in?, what other rolling stock, transformer type, and do you have any other accessories, buildings etc?
I tell you what, I reckon if you lay out a few sections of track, and make up a consist of a couple of Loco's with some of the rolling stock behind, it will still look impressive!!
(and may just inspire you).
Cheers
Steve
NZ
