Looking through the M website I just happened to notice a 2-car rail motor set for EUR 439 (2 pretty basic items of rolling stock only) and also a full starter set for EUR 449 (oval of track with two points and passing loop, MS2 controller, steam lok with tender and three thunder boxes).

These items were just picked as an example due to the near identical prices.

First question - Did I read that right?

Second question - If I did read that right, how does M justify the price/value?

Third question - what do the M fans on this site think/feel about that?

I'm not looking for a bun fight or argument here - just interested ...

https://www.maerklinshop...vt-98.9-powered-rail-car

Model: The motor car has an mfx+ digital decoder and extensive sound and light functions. It also has controlled high-efficiency propulsion. 2 axles powered. Traction tires. The rail bus has factory-installed interior lighting. The rail bus has triple headlights and dual red marker lights that change over with the direction of travel, will work along with the interior lighting in conventional operation, and can be controlled digitally. The headlights at both ends of the motor car can be turned off separately. The control car has factory-installed interior lighting. The control end of the car has triple headlights and dual red marker lights that change over with the direction of travel. The rail bus units have a current-conducting drawbar coupling with a guide mechanism between them. Brake hoses and a current-conducting drawbar coupling are included. Maintenance-free warm white and red LEDs are used for the lighting. The engineer's stands and the car's interior on both cars as well as on the optionally available trailer car allow an open view through the windows. Length over the buffers of the two-part set 32.2 cm / 12-11/16".

https://www.maerklinshop...ail/index/sArticle/63254

Model: The locomotive with a tender has an mfx digital decoder and extensive sound functions. There is a special motor mounted in the boiler. 3 axles powered. Traction tires. The boiler and running gear are constructed of metal. The triple headlights change over with the direction of travel, will work in conventional operation, and can be controlled digitally. Warm white LEDs are used for lighting. There is a close coupling with a guide mechanism between the locomotive and the tender. The rear of the tender has an NEM pocket with a close coupler and a guide mechanism. The front of the locomotive has an NEM pocket with a close coupler. The 72270 smoke unit can be installed on the locomotive. All of the cars have close couplers with guide mechanisms. Train length 67.4 cm / 26-1/2". Contents: 12 no. 24130 curved track, 7 no. 24172 straight track, 5 no. 24188 straight track, 2 no. 24224 curved track, and 1 pair of 24611 and 24612 turnouts. Also included are a track connector box, a 230 volt / 36 VA switched mode power pack, and a Mobile Station. An illustrated instruction book with many tips and ideas comes with the set. This set can be expanded with the C Track extension sets and with the entire C Track program.

Bear in mind the following thoughts: -
The steam loco and coaches are entry level items, the loco retails at around half the cost of the start set, and the ms2 controller with its power pack etc at around a quarter of the set cost, so the coaches and track would make up the other quarter of the cost. The loco is also slightly different to the 36244 standard item in that it has a different road number, so that is an extra bit of engineering that has to be factored into the one off set up costs for the production of the set, the same will apply to the coaches as they will have individual road numbers, whereas if you bought the individually available coaches you will have three with the same road number (unless you get them with different classes, or a luggage van).

The railbus set is a high end item with an mfx+ decoder and extra detailing, where the Br24 steam loco has an mfx decoder and the coaches supplied with it do not have interior fittings (seats, lighting). All the versions of the railbus have been around the same price, give or take a little depending on if they are supplied with a second car (as this one is) or some other variation. Both the railbus and driving trailer come with interior lighting, which the thunderbox coaches don't have (the parts to fit lighting to the thunderboxes is around 40 euro per coach if you buy Marklins parts). The driving trailer also has changeover head and tail lighting controlled from the railbus. So the railbus has quite a bit more engineering gone into it than the loco and coaches from the start set.

You have to make up your mind what it is you are wishing to model. Do you need the track and controller from the start set, or if you already have a layout can you justify the cost of the railbus. Do you want the extra detailing of the railbus with interior seating and lighting already fitted, or can you make do without as the start set coaches, and apply the detailing at a later date if desired.

My guess is that Märklin makes very little or no profit on the start set. It's what's known in the US as a "loss leader". It gets you into the store - the Märklin fold - where the profit is made on future sales such ss the rail cars you cite.

The set is a bargain but how many MS controllers and identical locos and wagons do you want?

It’s always been cheaper to buy the starter sets, but of course, they are not to the top of the range finish of some of the Marklin locos etc. but if you are like me are happy to buy a slightly less detailed finish then they do in the long run pay dividends, if you think about you could sell the mobile station and transformer for around £100, so reducing the cost of the overall item.

But I do feel it would be help if Marklin do what Piko do and identify each item into groups, hobby, expert, etc. so you can balance cost against the finished loco, after all, when the loco is running on your layout can you really see much difference between them.

...and it does work as I have learnt at my own expense.