Oh, the wires run through it. Looks like a nightmare to replace. Maybe epoxy it.

Is this part listed on the Marklin site? Will the end slide over the board connector plug? Is it out of warranty and whom did you purchase it from?

In the German Stummiforum I found the following description regarding the drawbar of the Märklin Challenger (which should be identical to Trix). Please note that you proceed at your own risk, and I take no responsibility for any damage nor give any guarantee for success.

See illustrated post #3: https://www.stummiforum....ugstange.html#msg2641995

Good luck !

Thank you for the feedback @alsterstreek and @marklinist5999 - I bought some JB Weld Plastic Epoxy so I'm hoping that will do the job without having to dismantle anything.

I'm just not a huge fan of fixed drawbars especially when you have to handle these engines and move them on and off the layout. A plastic clip or something that interlocks and disconnects would have been more practical and less fragile.

I do have to say the engine is absolutely stunning and sounds incredible!

-Matt

It looks like it should be held on the loco end with a circlip (notice the groove in the post). Hope you have that as well.

It's actually an improvement from my point of view. In the past they just kind of loosely strung the wires between the loco and tender. It had no order and looked bad - basically it was a mess. I had wondered for years why they didn't do something to organize all the wires. When updating my older locos I usually capture the wires in shrink tube, but that means a good bit of re-soldering.

They need even more wires now because of all the lighted features and they have been doing better at tidying the wiring up in a channel. The number of individually controlled lights on the Challenger sets high standards and needs many wires.

But I agree - if the drawbar breaks they screwed up the design. I have a Challenger and it is one of my favorite US models. It set my standards so high that I was really disappointed in the 844 and I have not bought any more of the Broadway Limited cooperative designs since. They were all made in China but the standards for the Challenger were a lot higher than for the 844.

I have not had any problems with the drawbar, but I will be more careful with it next time it gets out of its box.

While it's an improvement over the wires just being loose, if it cracks under stress, it isn't helping save the wires is it?

Hi Matt
I had a similar problem with a BR 06 001 (39 662) with a sliding mechanism in the middle
Problem is Märklin locos are heavier and heavier and so are tenders so definitely the coupling rod is a weak point and should be made stronger even if less attractive
Fixing with JB Weld is very daring but OK if you leave wiring aside (so if it fails, you still may use your coupling rod spare parts).
Changing the wiring to have all the cables go through the opening is very delicate with serious risks of wiring errors (testing is MANDATORY).
Handling the loco and the tender in the same foam receptacle during repairs is a must.
On another loco (SNCF 241A65 - 39241) I appreciated the presence of a connector in the tender to separate the loco and the tender in an easy way.
Good luck with your repair
Jean