I'm 66 and THOUGHT model Railroading was a great choice.
Invested in Marklin HO and am ready to throw the entire pile of stuff in the trash.

Instructions are totally unreadable and no help at all......the local dealer is Ok but I cant be driving there (30 minutes each way)when I have a problem.

Is there a READABLE and USABLE book I can buy???? If not Im done.

Thanks

Hi.More information as to what you have and what you don't understand will allow help to get you going.

Books are good but finding someone who runs Marklin trains is even better. If you have a local hobby shop maybe they can steer you toward someone who can walk you through the process. Once things start running it is great fun.

Welcome to the forum Tommy, I thought your house was on fire when I read the headlines., I'm 74 and need help all the time but over the years I have managed to claw my way through life and I'm trying hard to understand instructions and other useful information.

You're not the only one who gets frustrated when things don't work out and my wife can't understand why I'm still in the this hobby with all the swearing she hears every day.

Some of us like to go the moon but we don't know how, so we have to learn all the technical stuff to be able to understand what's what and the same applies to digital model trains, unfortunately to help you in any way we have to start from scratch .
Tell us a bit about yourself and what magic trick you used to get into model trains in the first place. We would like you to help us with the exact same information you are asking us: give us some guidance with particular names, numbers and may be even pictures so we can get an overall view of your problem.
Don't throw your Märklin stuff in the bin, in some countries this is a capital punishment.

hope to her from you soon

John

Cookee wrote: Sadly, many 2-rail modellers are instantly dismissive of Märklin as being a 'toy' but that is simply a reflection of poor knowledge, possibly their own narrow-mindedness and/or lack of imagination. : this is why I'm still at it after 50 years

I am very encouraged by the kind and helpful responses. I started with the BranchLine starter set.......As I calm down, I guess it's the "digital" element that is so frustrating. I mistakenly bought 2 Locomotives.....not realizing they were 'non digital'. My frustration is with all the data Marklin seems to have, why is there no universal reference to specific items needed to convert to digital.....I dont mind trying to do the conversion but it appears the ONLY way to determine what elements are needed (including couplers) is to take the whole thing apart........and then......what???? I really feel it's silly having to depend on someone looking at the pictures of the corpse and telling me what I need! Now my BR-24 is not recognized by the controller!!!! Having to make a third trip to my dealer so he can tell me whats up.
Been buying track and now have a 96 sq. foot layout with NO RUNNING trains. I get the impression that the digital upgrade is an excuse to make me buy only new stuff.....which stinks.
any help is appreciated.

Tommy,

I would suggest that the first action is to take a deep breath and calm down, on first appearance it would appear that none of your problems are insurmountable, even if you have mistakenly purchased two incorrect locos.

The second action would be to list what you have this would be the starter set number, the details of any digital controller you have purchased, and the Marklin numbers of the two locos that you believe are not digital.

The third action would be to explain what you would like to achieve, such as a simple digital conversion with a low cost decoder, or high end conversion, do you want sound capability? You will also need to explain the 'coupler' issue as I am confused there, are you looking to add Telex couplings?

To be honest it is always very helpful if you can open up the loco and take a clear photograph of what is there, the reason for this, is that many owners like to tinker and modify their locos inside, and so before advising on what actions you need to undertake it is helpful to see if the loco insides are as they left the factory.

With this information the Forum members will be able to offer a lot of practical advice.

There is a lot of information available on the Marklin system and on digital conversions, from Marklin, independent sources, and especially in this Forum. It is more than likely that someone has already converted the locos you are trying to convert and they can offer hands on experience.

As for your statement " I really feel it's silly having to depend on someone looking at the pictures of the corpse and telling me what I need, we all have to learn and start somewhere, and I am sure many Forum members started by asking questions. The only other alternative is to experiment and if you get it wrong you will blow the decoders and more than likely your control system which will cost you a lot more money.

BR

Hi- we are here to help. A few notes:

- I think the branchline set is already digital, so no conversion work is necessary there?
- If you are good with a (fine point!) soldering gun, conversions are not that scary. And when combined with older analogue ebay locomotive purchases they make for a very cost-effective way to add locomotives. (~$100 "all-in" vs $300-500 new). Might I suggest having the first one converted by a pro (about $50 in labor, $35-50 in parts), then you have something to look at as you study the schematics and attemp the second one yourself .
- But that being said, if you are new I'd label that step two. Start by exploring the mobile station and reading all you can to familiarize yourself while you run trains.
- lastly, if digital still isn't your thing- you don't need it! They all run on analogue just fine. It is a lot more wiring, but if computers/digital aren't your thing it could be more satisfying that way.

We are here to help...

........So, is it possible to run a non-digital LOCO on my digital setup????????

The very short answer is "No", and basically, nothing more can be said about it.



Yes; but I don't think we should advise Tommy to go that way.

And just for Tommy, what was meant here was: "Other way around Tommy, you can run digital locomotives on a non digital layout."

Per.

Hello Tommy,

all right, you bought the "Branch Line" starter set 120 Volts, Maerklin article #29245?

https://www.maerklin.de/...s/details/article/29245/

Several points: this starter set seems to be sold in the USA only. We in Europe know nothing about this one, because we always have in Europe 230 Volts. This always keep in mind please.

Good news: your starter set is digital nothing is analogue. But this means: no conversion for nothing has to be done.

If you scroll down on Märklin's website - at the link I added above - you come to the section features. As one feature you see the loco has a digitally fx decoder. At the moment do not bother please about, “what is a fx decoder”? Sooner or later we at marklin-users.net explain it to you, which decoder by which names and functions are used in the digital MRR world. First get your loco running.

Indeed Märklin is sometimes confusing and it starts with its name Märklin already. There in the English language you do not have this “ä” (a with “umlaut”) just write for this “ä” in English “ae”. It has the same meaning as the “ä” or “Ä”, even in the German language. No need to worry about the name and Märklin's confusions. One confusion is, not showing at the picture which components contains your starter set, what they normally do. For example see here

https://www.maerklin.de/en/products/starter-sets/

But in the description in the Maerklin database for your BranchLine starter set stands, it must be a complete one. This means, not only a digital loco and wagons, you got tracks, track box, digital controller MS 2 and the finally a manual.

https://static.maerklin....d151bb1ec61434541815.pdf

which tells a beginner almost nothing. Especially not how to start. Sorry for this. So here I list some more links for you finding more information how to start. But the manual provides you with one very important information for a digital MRR: the digital address, which is for your loco "78" (see 3. Functions at the manual - even you see this manual has no explanations in German inside, because it is a special set for the USA). Do not forget this 78. I will come back to this digital address later. The digital adress is like your very and only personal name. If you do not know this address, your loco will never run on a digital layout.

https://www.maerklin.de/...t-up/tips-for-beginners/

https://www.maerklin.de/...uestions-about-h0-gauge/

https://www.maerklin.de/...quently-asked-questions/

or here for relaxing in between training videos to see as nicely a MRR is. But some shown tips in the videos are already more for advanced railroaders, less for brand new starter.





Yes, I understand why you are true frustrated. Nevertheless you did the right decision: joining this community and we all together will help you to have fun with your MRR. You read already offers for a lot of help by other members. But it needs time to get all this information in one line. Do not get desperate, sooner or later you will be there. This was and is my own experience when I started with my own digital MRR about 5 years ago.

Now get started:

https://static.maerklin....57ac95a9a31493730041.pdf

https://static.maerklin....306cd58fa91515411591.pdf

https://www.maerklin.de/...ts/details/article/60657

https://www.maerklin.de/...ts/details/article/60653

I listed here the MS 2 60653 and MS 2 60657 parallel, because probably you got a grey MS 2, the actual is a black one. Do not care about it, both are technically identical. Only the outside colour is different. The same is at the digital connector box, very often just named as trackbox. (art #60113 or in black #60116)

https://www.maerklin.de/...ts/details/article/60116

The manual shows how to connect MS 2 via trackbox

https://static.maerklin....84d7a763581537192298.pdf

First put the tracks together. Here are a few track plans for an idea.

https://www.maerklin.de/...C3%A4nzungspackungen.pdf

connect them to the trackbox and the trackbox to the MS 2.

Sorry plenty of information. So I do a break here. First have a look and read through all these PDF-files. In my next post I will write about how to get your loco programmed into a MS 2, which has to be done first, before running it on your just built new C-track BranchLine layout.

Best regards

TEEWolf

P.S.: ... and of course I do not want you, sending me your starter set. But I also do not want, you throw it into the trash box. I do want to get it running, so you can play with it.

P.P.S.: I am this Wolfgang mentioned by @dickinsonj - my avatar is TEEWolf. And yes, about the book I will write later about it. Above are plenty of information at the moment.

Yes and not yet finished and has to be still edited. But I think it is better as the trash box!

Thank you for all these informations Wolfgang

directly into my database...I had forgotten a lot of things...excellent for memory

Serge

Hello Per,

perhaps you can help me. This BR 24 (fx decoder) is part of a starter set. As you know, Märklin does not offer a seperate manual for this loco in the starter set. Do you know which loco will be similar from Märklin's databse to this BR 24? So you can achieve a manual for this loco?

Thanks and regards

TEEWolf

No Idea what this starter set is however if Tommy can get a MFX loco then I presume it will register and start running. Digital is the way to go and conversions can be done at a later date. Get the basics right and then build from there. Keep it simple to start and the rest will come in time.

Which is ( almost ) the same manual as in the TEEWolf bible

Per.

Yes, but I was going cross eyed reading so many words on my screen, that I must have missed that.

Was that how many it was, I found the page down button useful ...

Coming back to Tommys original problem, have you now got to a point where your Br24 loco running?

If the set you have is the 29245 that was linked to previously, the set is listed as being supplied with a card that has the loco details on it. This can be put in a slot in the ms2 controller to transfer these details to the controller to get this loco operational again.

Refer to the manual for the control unit on how to do this. Depending on just what caused the loco to go non-operational you may need to reset the loco. Again refer to the control unit manual for the details on how to do this.

Hi Tommy,

I have a few questions for you:

- Do you feel at ease in the digital world? Do you like computers, software, apps, cell phones, decoders, programming and all of that stuff? If you don't, you might consider going analog. Why not?

- How much are you planning to spend on this hobby? Analog is much cheaper than digital. You can buy a nice-looking second-hand loco for under 100 dollars as long as it's not a collector's item. Locos from the late 1970s, 1980s or early 1990s are the cheapest.

- Do you want sound locos? Is full sound important to you? If it is, digital is better for you.

- Would you like to build a large layout? There's a lot of wiring to do on an analog layout as every signal or point has to be connected to a control panel (3 electric cables for each item!), and on a large one you might have so many trains that you need a computer program to run them anyway, so you might as well go digital in that case.

Best regards,

Mark

P.S. No matter what you decide for yourself, make sure that you get some fun out of this hobby. It should be relaxing, not stressful.

Edited by user 03 February 2019 12:05:14(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

But then your start with a digital railway from Märklin is a very good start for a new hobby. Like for anything else, you need some time for learning and experiences for understanding. But digital is a thousands time more fun than an analogue one.

One example: for an analogue railway you need for every loco an own transformer. You only can control one loco on one track line. At a digital railroad take the MS 2 controller and control 10 locos on one track line at the same time. (Honestly, I cannot do it. Trying it, I got crazy by all these running locos. I always had crashes because of my small layout - but I tried it).

For running and controlling your built up layout with your MS 2, I can do it very short. Refer to @kiwiAlans post #35, please. Indeed, just stick your little plastic card into the slot at the MS 2 and run your loco. This loco card registers your loco at the MS 2, which had to be done before running a loco digitally. Later on you may do it by yourself manually.

I guess it's fun for you, but lots of people would disagree. They'd say something like: "If everything on the layout is programmed and controlled by computers, where's the fun?"

I'd say: "The numerous warranty cases I've had since the insolvency were not fun at all, and the problems that digital users report on this and other MRR forums don't sound like fun either."

It's all a matter of personal preference. Right now I enjoy collecting and servicing near-mint old analogue locos because I don't have the time to build a layout anyway. Maybe I will build a digital one in future, but I haven't decided yet. For other people, the fun consists in buying hundreds of (new or old) locos that they either use or keep in a cupboard. I don't want to spend that much money on model trains because I have a family with small kids, but I know a collector who can't stop buying: it must be entertaining for him.

Digital and analog are two valid options.

Best regards,

Mark

Indeed, my fun is learning by doing.


Indeed, I read this quite often in different communities - not only here at marklin-users.net. I do not have so many warranty problems. But I have to confess, I am sitting hours try to get an answer to my question, why this article is not functioning. And yes sometimes I write a mail to Märklin service to clear it up. For me it is a part of the hobby. Probably not for everybody and less for collectors.



Oh, I still have a complete layout in M-tracks with some anlogue locos too - about 60 years old. If you want, you can service all my analogue locos and at the same time I built you up a digital layout.

At the moment a part of my M-tracks are used for my storage station. The analogue locos sometimes I drive at my MIST meetings. Some don't fit because they are too fast for the layout, but the smaller ones ar running high speed around the cricle without any problems. I have to confess, they were running after over 40 years in the box and without no service, unbelievable. Well indeed I do not know, if a digital loco will do that too.

But myself I see me not as a collector but more as a gamer. And yes, Märklin has now achieved prices, which urges me heavily to reduce any buying too. Gives room for more playing. I do not have a fixed layout, so I always can do new layouts on the table or floor and this gives me fun.

Best Regards

Wolfgang

Why didn't you clean them once? It's learning by doing, and they'll run much better after that. Old locos were much sturdier and even suitable for children. Nearly all of the stuff Märklin produces now is officially recommended for teenagers over 14, but that's exactly the age at which they lose interest in model trains. I guess the MRR industry didn't have a choice with the low birth rates in Germany. To survive, it needs a never-ending supply of new items purchased by an aging customer base.

Digital gives you more options, choices and a much bigger variety in the models you can use on your layout, but product quality has been erratic at best for the last ten years or so. My warranty cases were not connected to how these products are used, but they were simply defects: scratches on brand new locos or freight cars, locos that didn't run well, defective decoders and/or motors, a broken screw thread on a new tooling Nohab, defective wheel sets on container cars, etc.

The question in this thread was what a newcomer should do. I'd say he should get some information before he goes on a shopping spree, try to read a few books about Märklin, buy some copies of the Märklin magazine and use the model trains he has to get some more experience. It does not matter a lot whether people opt for digital or analog, but they have to feel at ease and face the challenges. It's not a hobby for nervous or impatient people.

Best regards,

Mark

Careful guys, I cant see where Tommy has actually told us what he has. He mentioned a BR24. But what is it. Apply the KISS principle.
Dereck

Hello Dereck,

Tommy wrote he bought a starter set "Branch Line". In Märklin's database I found this one:

https://www.maerklin.de/...s/details/article/29245/

and it has a nice BR 24 steamer too.

Best Regards

Wolfgang