Review of the Märklin 48829 freight set for era II
(also a review of the Pwg freight train baggage car)

The classic Märklin Pwg 4699 for HO scale has recently undergone the first change (apart from paint schemes) for some time in the issue of the 46986 and the freight set 48829.
Most of the 9,000 original vehicles were built from 1914 to around 1930 and could be seen in any freight train up to the late 1960s. In summary the upgrade includes:

1. Axle boxes and springs
2. Interior fitting in the luggage area
3. Electronics for lighting and for placement of a sound decoder
4. Metal buffers instead of plastic

These two items #46986 (single package) and #48229 (in a set) were announced in 2020 and should be available at a retailer now.
I purchased the 48229 set because it came with the updated new-tooled Pwg and 3 of the R type Stuttgart stake cars to suit running with my era II rolling stock.
Here is a photo showing the Pwg with one R stake wagon waiting in a siding. The set contains 3 of the wagons with the Pwg.
You can partly see the Pwg interior, with the stove.

The following photos show that changes and improvements to the Pwg include:

1. In this photo the top car is the new 48829 or 46986.
Completely new tooling (top car in the photo) for parts of the underframe including correct oil lubricated plain bearing axle-boxes and longer leaf springing typical of rolling stock built prior to the mid 1930s. The older 4699 (bottom car in the photo) and iterations through to 46983 used a generic underframe with roller bearing axle-boxes.



Axlebox on a real Pwg in DB Koblenz museum:


2. Interior floor and fittings showing the stove and the toilet wall in the luggage area in the appropriate beige colouring used by the DRG for interiors and window trims. The original 4699 used the metal weight in the underframe for the flooring. This photo shows the model disassembled for review. The wiring under the floor is clearly visible.


3. Working lanterns (miniature LED) suitable for the vehicle use at end of train. While Märklin have previously made a Pwg with lighting this is first time for use of LEDs. The office area has a basic beige fit-out to hold the electronics board for the lighting (and the sound decoder in the 46986). Photo acknowledgment to Märklin.de.


4. Metal buffers. Previous 4699 issues were moulded in plastic. I note that all 4 buffers are flat faced, whereas most German wagons have a convex buffer on the left side, as do most Märklin models. (see above photo)

Notes about the upgrades to the Pwg

Märklin have used skillful modifications to the original 4699 but retained the 50mm wheelbase. The wiring for lighting and decoder would have been unsightly when viewing the interior through open sliding doors. So the wiring and circuit board for these two new models is hidden in the office area and between the interior floor moulding and the chassis. The usual metal weight which uses that space had to be discarded. So now the interior fitting hides new metal weights, which are found in:
1. The toilet
2. As an appropriately coloured brass bar to replicate the storage cabinet/bench at the lighted end of the interior.

As well as the toilet area alongside one opening door, the stove is also modelled in a pleasing fashion. I am guessing I might end up painting it black.
The running lanterns which show a white light forward and a red light backward at the luggage end of the car are solid installations on a metal bracket, so the car can be handled in a usual manner.

I understand Märklin can modify or re-tool models only by degrees. If I were to crystal ball on this model future, I would look out for releases with improvements such as:
1. Realistic stove vent in the roof, preferably hollow to take the smoke from an installed smoke generator. 😊
2. Full length running boards along the side of the vehicle. These were a real feature prior to the mid-1930s, and for some into the early 1950s. Current models show the running boards separately only under the luggage and office doors.
3. Proper handrails on the side where full length running boards are fitted.
4. A new body moulding with barely perceptible grooving between the horizontal board walling.

The freight set

The 48229 set is modelled for the period at the end of the 1920s and I like the imaginative way in which Märklin have combined interesting vehicles with nice updates on the Pwg. The Stuttgart class of wagon were built in huge numbers, and the horse-drawn vehicles made by Preiser are a colorful addition to the set. They are supplied with laser-cut wood stabilizing floor sections. These stake wagons can be used to carry vehicles, crated loads, felled timber, and machinery of all types, sometimes under a tarpaulin. I would use this train set for a period right up to 1948. Weathering (if you are game enough) would be a realistic option.

Please make sure you have a couple of Preiser horses waiting at the receiving stations when your train arrives. You can’t keep the customers waiting.


One last thing.
Märklin no longer put lubrication instructions on the packaging. Does that mean it is no longer necessary?
And on this set I do wonder about the height of the vans on the wagons. Are they within the loading guage or only useable on restricted routes?


Kimball Thurlow

Edited by user 27 June 2021 10:48:42(UTC)  | Reason: Improved some text and added One last thing.