I can only assume that based on Tommy's original post and level of frustration, this thread has pushed him to sell everything after the overwhelming amount of information and digression contained herein.

I guess your right. But my last experience was with a set
of Lionel O gauge. Plug and play. Who knew it was so complicated!

So ALL I need is the 60941? Do I still need the
60942???

Hi Tommy, I have to ask... Why did you buy it if you have no idea what it is or does? The auction description should have told you that, or did it come with some other item/s?

"Switch" aka Turnout or Point. Or diverting from one track to another. Lionel call them a Switch also I believe.

You either reach over "hand of God" style and switch the track to divert the train, or you do it remotely. The Motor is required to operate the turnout remotely.

Without the decoder you would wire it to a pair of buttons to set branch or straight aspect.

With the Decoder added, you can then operate or control it digitally with each equipped turnout having it's own address.

Hope this helps

Cookee

Well Tommy,

sorry that is what @amartinezv in its post #60 means. You are running before to know how to walk.

You need both,

because the #60941

https://www.maerklin.de/...s/details/article/60941/

is the needed adaption (conversion) of the motor for a loco to run digital.

The article #60942 is the decoder itself understanding the digital signal.

https://www.maerklin.de/...s/details/article/60942/

To change an analogue loco to a digital useable one, mostly you have to change its motor first and then to build in a decoder. The decoder has to understand the signals sent by the digital controller to your loco (where the loco decoder is built in).

This decoder signal can also vary. These signals are called track format and these are named by the abbriviations MM, MM2 (=fx), mfx and DCC. Then you have multidecoders (they understand 2 or more track formats) or single decoders (understanding only 1 track format). The track format you shall concentrate on is the mfx track format. This will be best for you, because most convenient and is Märklins best format, because it is a feedback or dual way format. This means not only a digital signal is sent from the controller to the loco. It also says that a digital signal is sent from the loco to the digital controller. At the end the loco is able to communicate with the digital controller.

Oh, sorry a long text agian. Hopefully these old grumblers here can read it.

Best Regards

TEEWolf

This is the manual that originally came with that loco.

No matter how many words, links or videos you post, the decoder conversion doesn't care which color the loco has.

Per.

As others have stated you probably need to step back and start slowly by "walking before you run". In one of your original messages you said you bought the Branchline Starter set. What was included in that set? Was there a locomotive included and which controller? If that set was complete with a digital locomotive and a digital controller then I would suggest you get that working first before you consider converting one of your 2 analog locomotives to digital.

I was reintroduced to Maerklin and the digital world in 2013 and started off with a couple of inexpensive digital locos to get a train running and learn about the digital capabilities. I have yet to convert any of my old 1970s analog versions, because I know it will require patience and steady hands. So for now I concentrate on getting my layout complete, the controls all working, and then I will embark on conversions when I am not frustrated.

Peter

Here’s a clip showing how and what:

Good videos, which cover pretty much everything that you need to know to do digital conversions.

This is how I spent part of my afternoon today, doing what was shown in the second video to my old Class 103. Tomorrow I get my first experience using the decoder programmer to provision and configure my new mSD/3 decoder.

I did follow Märklin's recommendation to desolder the AUX wires and returns, which I had thought about keeping. But if/when I get around to adding any new features to this loco I can always solder them back on again.

I do recommend using the returns for the lights rather than the grounds to the chassis if present in your loco. If you use the chassis for the ground it will cause flickering lights, as I learned the hard way in previous conversions.

A fun project and it gives you a loco which will have the features and performance of some of the latest and greatest from the Märklin mothership.

Enjoy!