Dear all,

I am in possession of a Marklin Krokrodil 3015, bought by my father in the fifties. I LOVE THIS LEGEND MACHINE.

It has already been equiped with a Marklin decoder 14 years ago keeping the universal motor. The result is weak : no charge compensation, no smoothness.

I know there is a possibility of replacing the original stator by a ESU 51965 permanent magnet.

In this case, which ESU decoder suits the best ? ; takink into consideration that the 3015 motor is heavy in current (2 A ?)and the space within the hood is limited.

Did anyone already execute this operation ? Is it complicated ? (I already made such upgrading on old loKs but with Marklin kits ans ESU Lokpilot decoders).

Is the result conclusive ? If you could also advise me for the setting of the CV's, I will be eternally grateful to you fot that !

Best regards

Gilles AMBROSINO, 3 rue des Dahlias, France,
+33 6 09 76 85 92, +33 1 69 43 18 57
gilles.ambrosino@dbmail.com

As the Croc isn’t untouched or in mint condition anymore, I would also go for a decoder Here is an example:

Gilles,
You can say that again about the implants and hip replacements.

Missed the part with the decoder already there-need new glasses or eyes.

Hmm, then for the smoother motor, you might hunt around for one that matches the configuration you have currently with 5 poles.
I have not been there yet, as I have the later crocodiles with a single driven truck.
Yours has both trucks driven with universal joints.

Ask PeFu what he did to his.

Walter

Hi, Gilles. I'm using Uhlenbrock decoder 76200 for my oldtime Marklin AC motors. And it's working fine without any other replacements. As I understood only Uhlenbrock is still making good decoders for AC motors. All other manufactures are making their decoders according to DC motors and they don't work properly for AC ones. Regards.

They are good decoders, reasonable performance, you can even attach an intellisound module....i have some around

I am not a digital conversion expert, and as for me, the easiest way without any soldering needed would probably be the following, and still having swiss rear lighting that functions with 1 lit bulb on the right rear side.
You can switch the green 3015 body with the brown body in the 36159 (brown color). It is the investment for the 36159 that you will have to pay.
Marklin also makes the 31100 (with green body) and bodies again from the 3015 can be switched onto this double set. This I believe?? has the latest mfx digital technology.

Hi Enno
You might want to see the explosions diagram of the CCS800 / 3015 Märklin loco.
Here it is https://www.dolfmeister.com/wp-c...uploads/2021/06/3015.pdf
The ESU inductor you want for this loco is referenced 51965
https://www.esu.eu/produkte/zubehoer/permanentmagnete/
WARNING: the induction coil is squeezed beween the two motor halves so be prepared:
- to have wiring in the way and wiring is a bit complicated
- to have loose parts to come when disassembling. Not rocket science but quite an exercize with patience.

I found on a flea market a 1957 3015 and it have no direction relay , rusted, no paint so I ended digitalizing it while keeping the induction coil
The result is like this

Doing it my way has negative points (no real speed regulation that only a magnet inductor can give but much easier installation.
Wiring: each inductor winding is now terminated by a schattky diode (smaller voltage drop) in series, one connected to the anode and the other to the cathode the whole make a DC motor that can be driver by a regular decoder (mLD3)

Another method proposed by Märklin : using the all-current decoder 60906. A more orthdox way of digitalizing the loco without a major dismantling.
Cheers
Jean