 Joined: 21/07/2003(UTC) Posts: 1,358 Location: Houston, Texas
|
 Challenger.MOV (1,805kb) downloaded 136 time(s).Hello all, I've finally received my 39911 - Challenger. I installed the two 7226 smoke generators in it, according to the scant instructions included. They do operate, and give off a lot of smoke! However, one thing that I'm noticing, which worries me, is that when I turn the smoke function on, the headlight (both front and rear) flickers for a few seconds and then everything seems to operate normally again: headlights on and smoke generation. Has anyone experienced the same situation with his Challenger? The video that I have attached shows the instant when I turn on the smoke function on my CS2 and when the smoke generators start operating, after the lights stop flickering. BTW, this has never ever happened with any of my Big Boys which also take 2 smoke generators! Another issue that I found, right at the beginning, was that one of the 4 screws that hold the locomotive onto its protective base was stripped and it gave me some trouble to finally be able to remove. BTW, the screws are not the same alloy as the ones on the Big Boy. Edited by user 05 March 2017 06:15:24(UTC)
| Reason: Added a video attachment, added more text. |
Best regards,
Armando García
|
 1 user liked this useful post by Armando
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,730 Location: Toronto
|
It seems that your power consumption approaches the limit that the layout can stand when you turn on the smoke function. I am no electrician, but when you first turn the light on at home is when power is absorbed the most. That is why in the homes there are lights that take their time in coming on fully. My kitchen has this type of light. That is why you have the flicker when you turn on one more device that needs plenty of power. Have you ever noticed anything like this in the past when you actually ran out of power on the CS? You may want to ask the seller what he thinks of this and whether it's a known problem or to be expected. If it does not create problems, it may not be such a big deal since you said afterward everything is all right and the video shows it. Just my 2 cents' worth.  (Nice loco, by the way.  ) |
|
1 user liked this useful post by baggio
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 08/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 4,430 Location: Attiki Athens Greece
|
|
2 users liked this useful post by foumaro
|
|
|
|
Joined: 21/07/2003(UTC) Posts: 1,358 Location: Houston, Texas
|
Originally Posted by: foumaro  Tikanis! Indeed the locomotive has impressive sounds and overall performance. Are you going to install the smoke units in it? I've been looking at some videos on youtube, and the model seems to experiment the same issue with the headlights when the smoke function is engaged. They flicker, until the smoke begins to flow. A friend has recommended using Seuthe 11 instead of the 7226, as per the Märklin operating instructions. I've written to the Märklin customer service to inquire about this issue. However, no reply as yet. Enjoy your fine locomotive! |
Best regards,
Armando García
|
1 user liked this useful post by Armando
|
|
|
|
Joined: 08/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 4,430 Location: Attiki Athens Greece
|
Originally Posted by: Armando Originally Posted by: foumaro Tikanis! Indeed the locomotive has impressive sounds and overall performance. Are you going to install the smoke units in it? I've been looking at some videos on youtube, and the model seems to experiment the same issue with the headlights when the smoke function is engaged. They flicker, until the smoke begins to flow. A friend has recommended using Seuthe 11 instead of the 7226, as per the Märklin operating instructions. I've written to the Märklin customer service to inquire about this issue. However, no reply as yet. Enjoy your fine locomotive! Only when i am sure about the result.The only that i have to do is to set the sounds a little lower,i think they are very loud.I have to wait to run the locomotive in another layout to enjoy her,mine have catenary system and in some positions is impossible to run.Thank you Armando,regards,Panayotis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 21/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 31,692 Location: United Kingdom
|
Maybe I will buy one if cheaper. |
Large Marklinist 3- Rails Layout with CS2/MS2/Boosters/C-track/favorites Electric class E03/BR103, E18/E118, E94, Crocodiles/Steam BR01, BR03, BR05, BR23, BR44, BR50, Big Boy. |
|
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 05/06/2009(UTC) Posts: 424 Location: Boksburg, Gauteng
|
Received my copy as well. What is Marklin trying to prove by setting the sound levels so unrealistically high? |
Marius in Africa
HO, ECoS 2, Märklin C-track, any country, any design, any era & any brand which i like. |
1 user liked this useful post by Marius in Africa
|
|
|
|
Joined: 08/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 4,430 Location: Attiki Athens Greece
|
Originally Posted by: Marius in Africa Received my copy as well. What is Marklin trying to prove by setting the sound levels so unrealistically high? Who knows,who cares?You can reduce the sounds easily with your controller.I noticed that too,the sound level is very high. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 01/03/2008(UTC) Posts: 2,883 Location: South Western France
|
Originally Posted by: foumaro Originally Posted by: Marius in Africa Received my copy as well. What is Marklin trying to prove by setting the sound levels so unrealistically high? Who knows,who cares?You can reduce the sounds easily with your controller.I noticed that too,the sound level is very high. Speaking of which...I have tried every single possibility available on my ECOS, there seems to be noway to accomplish any re-programming of any CV from this 39911 decoder. Is this the one that will baffle me? Don't tell me I have to buy an MS or CS, because I won't! Opinion/advice anyone? |
Jacques Vuye aka Dr.Eisenbahn
Once a vandal, learned to be better and had great success! |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,443
Location: DE-NW
|
Hi, Jacques,
According to the product database the 39911 support mfx and DCC.
One approach: (temporarily) disable M4 in the ECoS and set the volume using DCC programming. (*)
Standard approach: with M4 enabled change the volume the "normal" way (I presume you tried that already without success).
(*) If CVs are not documented in the loco manual, try the settings from the MSD/3 documentation. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
1 user liked this useful post by H0
|
|
|
|
Joined: 01/03/2008(UTC) Posts: 2,883 Location: South Western France
|
Originally Posted by: H0 Hi, Jacques,
According to the product database the 39911 support mfx and DCC.
One approach: (temporarily) disable M4 in the ECoS and set the volume using DCC programming. (*)
Standard approach: with M4 enabled change the volume the "normal" way (I presume you tried that already without success).
(*) If CVs are not documented in the loco manual, try the settings from the MSD/3 documentation. Hi Tom I have tried changing CV's using DCC programming, MM and also temporarily disabling M4 as you said. Nothing works! It looks like the Ecos cannot modify the CVs (but it reads them) , starting with CV50 which contains the bits to set up priorities on the various modes (analog, MM, DCC, M4 etc) I'm dumdfounded  |
Jacques Vuye aka Dr.Eisenbahn
Once a vandal, learned to be better and had great success! |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,476 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
|
Originally Posted by: jvuye Originally Posted by: H0 Hi, Jacques,
According to the product database the 39911 support mfx and DCC.
One approach: (temporarily) disable M4 in the ECoS and set the volume using DCC programming. (*)
Standard approach: with M4 enabled change the volume the "normal" way (I presume you tried that already without success).
(*) If CVs are not documented in the loco manual, try the settings from the MSD/3 documentation. Hi Tom I have tried changing CV's using DCC programming, MM and also temporarily disabling M4 as you said. Nothing works! It looks like the Ecos cannot modify the CVs (but it reads them) , starting with CV50 which contains the bits to set up priorities on the various modes (analog, MM, DCC, M4 etc) I'm dumdfounded Do you have a Lokprogrammer? I managed to change some Cvs in my new ET194 with a Lokprogrammer (because that was the only programmer available to me at the time). The ET194 I believe has an msd/3.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 08/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 4,430 Location: Attiki Athens Greece
|
I do not know the way to change locomotive's parameters with my CS2.If it is necessary i am using my old trusty 6021.Maybe i will leave the sounds of the challenger the way they are.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 01/03/2008(UTC) Posts: 2,883 Location: South Western France
|
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Originally Posted by: jvuye Originally Posted by: H0 Hi, Jacques,
According to the product database the 39911 support mfx and DCC.
One approach: (temporarily) disable M4 in the ECoS and set the volume using DCC programming. (*)
Standard approach: with M4 enabled change the volume the "normal" way (I presume you tried that already without success).
(*) If CVs are not documented in the loco manual, try the settings from the MSD/3 documentation. Hi Tom I have tried changing CV's using DCC programming, MM and also temporarily disabling M4 as you said. Nothing works! It looks like the Ecos cannot modify the CVs (but it reads them) , starting with CV50 which contains the bits to set up priorities on the various modes (analog, MM, DCC, M4 etc) I'm dumdfounded Do you have a Lokprogrammer? I managed to change some Cvs in my new ET194 with a Lokprogrammer (because that was the only programmer available to me at the time). The ET194 I believe has an msd/3. That's one I did not try! Thanks for the idea Alan! I am going to unearth that tool ...and give it a try! Will keep you posted. |
Jacques Vuye aka Dr.Eisenbahn
Once a vandal, learned to be better and had great success! |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,476 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
|
Originally Posted by: jvuye Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan
Do you have a Lokprogrammer? I managed to change some Cvs in my new ET194 with a Lokprogrammer (because that was the only programmer available to me at the time). The ET194 I believe has an msd/3.
That's one I did not try! Thanks for the idea Alan! I am going to unearth that tool ...and give it a try! Will keep you posted. I figured you of all people would have one ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 01/03/2008(UTC) Posts: 2,883 Location: South Western France
|
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Originally Posted by: jvuye Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan
Do you have a Lokprogrammer? I managed to change some Cvs in my new ET194 with a Lokprogrammer (because that was the only programmer available to me at the time). The ET194 I believe has an msd/3.
That's one I did not try! Thanks for the idea Alan! I am going to unearth that tool ...and give it a try! Will keep you posted. I figured you of all people would have one ... Well, guess what... It worked! The lokprogrammer did its job. Another trick for the tool kit! Alan, I owe you a **big** Challenging one. This coming September probably in Goeppingen?   Cheers |
Jacques Vuye aka Dr.Eisenbahn
Once a vandal, learned to be better and had great success! |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,476 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
|
Originally Posted by: jvuye Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Originally Posted by: jvuye Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan
Do you have a Lokprogrammer? I managed to change some Cvs in my new ET194 with a Lokprogrammer (because that was the only programmer available to me at the time). The ET194 I believe has an msd/3.
That's one I did not try! Thanks for the idea Alan! I am going to unearth that tool ...and give it a try! Will keep you posted. I figured you of all people would have one ... Well, guess what... It worked! The lokprogrammer did its job. Another trick for the tool kit! Alan, I owe you a **big** Challenging one. This coming September probably in Goeppingen? Cheers I hope to be in Goeppingen. probably will not be there until the Friday evening. Wife wants to have a couple of days in St marie au Mines first to visit the quilt show that is there every year, and every year it is on the same weekend as the Marklin do!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 07/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 139 Location: St. Charles, Missouri
|
Originally Posted by: grnwtrs Originally Posted by: Tower So very,very sorry for you, and your model. The model looks excellent, but "failed drawbar' is no excuse, for shame on Marklin Hope Marklin fixes soon, very soon. regards,gene I too received my 39911 with a broken drawbar. It broke right where the rear pin slides in the slot of the tender. A plastic drawbar is not appropriate, it should be metal. And the angle between the loco and the tender put a bind of sorts on the drawbar which may have contributed to the failure. I ordered two drawbars for replacements. Can anyone get with Marklin and advise them to upgrade the drawbars to metal for both the Challenger and BigBoy? Maybe a hinged drawbar to allow up/down movement to help eliminate the binding? 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 10/01/2005(UTC) Posts: 1,024 Location: Den Helder, Noord-Holland
|
Sorry for resurrecting an old topic. I just received my 39911 back from Märklin where it had spent about two months in repair. When I had purchased it new at my local dealer in February, the same problem as Tower's became apparent upon opening the box – broken coupler.
Today, the coupler is OK, but now that I can actually run the loc there is a new problem: it's quite prone to derailments on tracks that have not caused any derailments of the two Big Boys presently active. The tender derailed easily in an R2 curve, while the front wheels did so at a slight bump in the tracks.
In view of the very positive remarks in preceding posts, I wonder if I have overlooked something in preparing it to run, or there is something wrong with the loc?
Jeroen
|
Figomima division, UP; mostly figment of my imagination yet. |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,802 Location: Crozet, Virginia
|
Originally Posted by: jerdenberg S
In view of the very positive remarks in preceding posts, I wonder if I have overlooked something in preparing it to run, or there is something wrong with the loc?
Jeroen
My #39911 tracks perfectly on my layout. I can't really think of anything that you could have not done in preparing it to run, so I am guessing that the problem is with your Challenger. If the areas on your track which cause problems for the Challenger don't bother your Big Boys then I am guessing that there is something else wrong with it and it might need to go back to Märklin. Have you checked with your dealer to see what they suggest? |
Regards,
Jim
I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time. |
1 user liked this useful post by dickinsonj
|
|
|
|
Joined: 10/01/2005(UTC) Posts: 1,024 Location: Den Helder, Noord-Holland
|
Thanks Jim, for strenghtening my suspicion that my Challenger is a problem child. In the weekend I ran it again to see if I could diagnose the problem, and one glaring symptom that something is wrong is shown in the following picture (on R3 track no less):  The entire loc body tilts a little into the curve, but that happens with the Big Boys too and all their wheels remain in contact with the track, so the picture hints at a problem with the connection of the second set of drive wheels to the loc body. Indeed, when I laid a Big Boy and the Challenger on their sides, the second set of drivers of the Big Boy could be tilted both lenghtwise and sideways relative to the loc body, while that of the Challenger could only be tilted lengthwise. Another difference, probably caused by the (deplorable) move of the Challenger slider to the tender, is that the third and sixth axles of the tender, which for a Big Boy do have less lateral flexibility than the other tender axles, have almost no lateral flexibility. Whether this by itself caused the derailment of the tender I experienced, or it was related to the problem with the second set of drive wheels, I do not know. So, back to the dealer again … Jeroen |
Figomima division, UP; mostly figment of my imagination yet. |
1 user liked this useful post by jerdenberg
|
|
|
|
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,802 Location: Crozet, Virginia
|
Originally Posted by: jerdenberg Thanks Jim, for strenghtening my suspicion that my Challenger is a problem child.
In the weekend I ran it again to see if I could diagnose the problem, and one glaring symptom that something is wrong is shown in the following picture (on R3 track no less):
Jeroen
Jeroen, It is always good when you can find a symptom that clearly shows what the actual problem with a loco is. There is no way that your Challenger can track properly when something like that happens, especially on a fairly large radius curve like R3. My Challenger is not currently on my track but I may have the time in the next few days to see how it behaves in a curve, and I doubt that it does what yours is doing. By comparing a model which works properly with one that does not you can often get to the source of a problem and I think that you have made a good start. If I do test mine in the next few days I will post what I discover. |
Regards,
Jim
I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time. |
1 user liked this useful post by dickinsonj
|
|
|
|
Joined: 10/01/2005(UTC) Posts: 1,024 Location: Den Helder, Noord-Holland
|
Today I took my Challenger to my dealer, and as expected, it derailed immediately on entering the first curve. The dealer then undertook a diagnose-and-repair session on the spot, which after removal of the loc shell showed that the loc end of the loc–tender coupler could not move freely in its guiding slot. After some manipulation, freedom of movement was restored, but it was not clear whether this was the result of smoothing the guide or the chance removal of some object that had impaired movement. Upon reassembly, the Challenger then happily ran around R2, into R1 along narrow curved turnout, and back again. It is now running on my layout as it should. Kudos to the dealer! Jeroen |
Figomima division, UP; mostly figment of my imagination yet. |
3 users liked this useful post by jerdenberg
|
|
|
|
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,802 Location: Crozet, Virginia
|
Originally Posted by: jerdenberg Upon reassembly, the Challenger then happily ran around R2, into R1 along narrow curved turnout, and back again. It is now running on my layout as it should. Kudos to the dealer!
Jeroen
Yes - good job by the dealer but not such good work by Märklin who obviously did not install the replacement coupler correctly when they had it for service. It is a beautiful loco however and I'm sure that you will have a lot of fun seeing it run now that it is working properly. |
Regards,
Jim
I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time. |
2 users liked this useful post by dickinsonj
|
|
|
|
Joined: 10/01/2005(UTC) Posts: 1,024 Location: Den Helder, Noord-Holland
|
Indeed, I was lucky to have the dealer make the repair instead of sending it off to Märklin again for two months or so. As the dealer said, "the person who repaired the coupler must have been sleepwalking or half asleep". A simple test run at Märklin should have exposed the failed repair immediately. The note on the repair form from Märklin was ominous in hindsight: "coupler repaired, and functions [not "function", JS] tested" …
Jeroen |
Figomima division, UP; mostly figment of my imagination yet. |
1 user liked this useful post by jerdenberg
|
|
|
|
 Joined: 13/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 811 Location: Kirseberg
|
Nice to hear the problem was resolved easy. I recently had a problem also with a TEE unit where one of the couplers didn't move at all on one car thus the coupler propably would break in a curve. I realized that Märklin had installed one boogie incorrectly. That was an easy fix. |
|
2 users liked this useful post by klarinettmeister
|
|
|
|
Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.
