Review of Märklin steel load wagon set #47050
Video - BR 185 der CFL Cargo der Alpha Rail mit ein Stahlzug
This 33 second video sets the scene for my review of the CFL steel cargo set from Märklin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmsy2tbEluAThe #
47050 was released as a one-time set in 2017/18 in time to accompany the CFL BR185 Traxx electric loco #
36632. The BR185 is painted in a unique livery and may be the only loco so painted. CFL is the abbreviation for the railway system known as Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois.
Luxembourg industry
I know nothing about Luxembourg as a country, or how relevant the rolling stock might be to its industry.
So I checked a Luxembourg government website with heading THE SECTOR THAT MADE LUXEMBOURG ITS FORTUNE.
Here at
Luxembourg Steel I learned that the discovery of iron ore deposits in the south of the country during the early 1840s allowed Luxembourg to launch its industrial revolution. This contrasted measurably with its prior agrarian economy. (The first railway was opened in 1859).
By the eve of the First World War, Luxembourg ranked among the world’s six largest producers of steel products.
From 19th century beginnings and through downturns and acquisitions, today’s giant Arcelor Mittal group with headquarters in Luxembourg has made a name for itself in long steel products such as sheet piles, beams, wires and fibres, and rails.
Several production sites supply the whole world from Doha to Copenhagen and from Sicily's vineyards to New York's One World Trade Center. Even so, only around 2% of the sum of added values in the country is currently created by the steel sector, proof that the Luxembourgish economy is diverse.
The video above encouraged me to find specifically appropriate rolling stock for the CFL BR185 loco which I received for my birthday. I eventually found the #47050 steel cargo set at AJCkids in the USA.
The set consists of three Y25 type (I believe) bogie cars designed to carry long flat loads, ideal for steel lengths. Each wagon and a steel load are packed separately within moulded clear plastic in a cardboard box. There is a set box to accommodate all 3 boxes. Each wagon is of a different design with a fish-belly construction and has been expertly weathered by the factory.
47050-01 Rnss flat wagon CFL running #3517 070-7 in blue
47050-02 Res low sided wagon CFL running #3936 121-1 in red-brown
47050-03 Rns flat wagon CFL running #3991 849-9 in grey
Here is a picture of the train on transfer to an exchange yard.
The wagons are quite heavy without the load (125 grams) and are modelled in plastic with a hidden metal insert and are expertly weathered to replicate prolonged use. The side stakes fold flat and pivot vertically when required. This is a nice feature when it is easy to lose separate stakes on some models. The loads are long steel H sections measuring approximately 43 x 26 cm modelled in plastic. They are coloured a typical dark grey and are weathered variably with bright new rust. The loads are made by Ladegüter Bauer in a precise manner resting on large timber cross members (26 x 13 cm). For the flat wagons the timber end is checked out to engage with the side stakes of the wagon to prevent load shifting. This indicates careful model-making which is pleasing to the buyer.
Märklin have announced a similar 3 wagon set for CFL #
47160 for release in 2020, consisting of Rnss in blue, Res in red-brown and Rs in red-brown. I acknowledge that these wagon sets might be expensive, so I hope this review might give you some insight into their value. Again in Autumn 2020 Märklin announced a new
47145 set this time in DB AG colours for era VI. The 3 weathered wagons with different steel loads are one Res and two of the Rs types.
This is the #
36632 loco I received for my birthday.
Kimball
Edited by user 16 September 2020 00:34:15(UTC)
| Reason: added CFL explanation and article links
