I have been thinking about the durability of the new Marklin locomotives with their decoder components sound speaker electronic boards and sds motors. How how long can they last?
I am 38 years old and I still have my father's 3000,3003,3005,3011,3021,3015,3048,3047,3046 all from the 60'. They are analog and they run like they were new. My son is 4 years old and loves to see these trains, same as I loved them when my father showed them to me 34 years ago, they are sturdy and almost indestructible in good hands.
I also have a lot of new stuff, yes they are beautifull and also I love all the high tecnology inside them, but will my son be able to show them in a working condition to my future grandsons?

Regards
Eduardo

Well, with all new or modern items...

theoretically there are more things to go wrong with newer things simply because there are more components that are put into them. And there is a risk of course that some of this components may fail beyond their warranty period. But should that be a reason to avoid them?

To answer your question - I guess nobody really knows how the new things will stand the test of time. In the short to medium term at least - I don't think you should be worried.

Just to name a few;
MFX (it's got its issues) has been around since 2004 - a small percentage do fail, but most are still running ok. I think the latest batches made since 2008 are fairly more robust than earlier generations - and the basic ones are quite cheap.

With brushless can motors - since this has a wide ranging applications in other toy range and household applications - I don't think we should worry about the supply as well.

I don't mind so much if things break, so long as they are easy to fix, parts can be obtained, and every thing is back to normal quickly.

This is certainly an interesting thread. Current production technology may enable companies like Maerklin to build more detailed product, but as has already been stated, this technology and details may not last as long as the older models.

Most of my newer models are from the post-1995 period, and include the Ae 6/6, Re 4/4II and Re 460. All of my Re 4/4IIs are now digital, as our most of my Ae 6/6 and the majority of my Re 460s. The oldest of these models is now about 18 years old (3638). I have not had any problems with this lok to date. The Re 4/4IIs and Re 460s are a little younger, all less than a decade old.

I wonder how the plastic will fare over time. Looking at the oldest plastic coaches from the early 1980s, they seem to be doing well. I have not noticed any problems with parts becoming brittle over time.

The modern boxes with the plastic windows (cars and coaches) and those with the plastic liner inserts are more of a concern. I was able to replace the liner for one of my Re 4/4IIs and one of my Ae 6/6s, as the hinged part had broken in both cases. I have one used box that I use for the Re 460 from the 29859 Set that I would like to replace with a newer one. As well, I am still looking for a replacement case for the Re 4/4II from that set.

Maerklin is not currently selling replacement boxes. This seems to be partially the case because people had been creating "proto" 37343 loks by taking the Trix model (22744) and swapping shells with Re 4/4IIs from the 29858 Set. Some sellers actually ordered the cartons from Maerklin for 24 Euro and saw their resale price go from say 200EUR to over 400EUR on eBay. Not a bad turnaround on an extra investment of 24 Euro. What it did do is confuse the market as you now have to make sure that your 37343 is actually a genuine one and not a reconstituted one. I wonder if Maerklin can match serial numbers to confirm whether a lok began as a 37343 or as a 29859 (sometimes referred to as a 37341.1)

When I compare the condition of my 1980s stock to my 1960s stock in the 1980s, I think that Maerklin products still have a good durability quotient. Whether recent productions will hold up as well as older ones, I can't say for sure, but I will be prepared to give you more information in another 10-15 years.

My biggest fear is whether the transformers, digital controllers will last. I have one 6021 where some of the buttons need multiple pressings to register. I hope that the newer transformers don't develop dead spots and that they will last as long as some of the older ones. I remember my Dad converting a few 220V ones to 120V and replacing the AC wires and plugs in the 1970s. I think that when the new transformers go, they will simply need to be replaced.

I also do not think that C-Track will have the longevity of M Track. This has to be one of my beefs with Maerklin, the fact that they could not bring themselves to release a R3, R4 and maybe R5 in M before they abandoned the line. I have M Track from the 50s. I somehow don't think that the current C-Track will still be usable in 2070. Then again, I probably won't be around to notice and my grandkids will be playing with Maerklin hover trains that won't need track anymore.

Regards

Mike C

Hi,

in our MRR club we have a test circuit with C tracks fixed with screws on a wooden board.
The C tracks have been produced in January 1999 (as one can see on the bottom of the track).
When I had to rearrange the track layout, after having unscrewed the fixing screws, while separating the tracks according to M* instrucions, most of the plastic tabs went broken (crack, crack was the horrible sound). Only the plastic tabs which mechanically get the tracks linked together broke (no issues with the plastic tabs with electrical connections).
What to say: the only reason of that could be the fact that the layout has been stored in a room under the roof, i.e. hot in summer and cold (no room heating) during winter.
This is my bad experience with C tracks and now I am very worried about disconnecting the C tracks at my home layout.

Bye

Renato

This trend for disposability happens with all mechanical items. We only have to look at cars. When I was a teenager all you needed was an adjustable wrench and a screwdriver and you could fix any problem with a car. Now you need a computer just to tell you what's wrong with the car, and a million dollar workshop just to change the sparkplug. OK some I'm exaggerating just a little but you get my drift. It's the same with M* 50 years ago you bought a loco and "expected" it to last 100 years. If you dropped it you knew it would bounce. Now you buy a loco and "hope" you can get it out of the box without it breaking. We live in a disposable society where new is best. Durable items mean last years model. That's life. you don't have to like it, but it's life.

On the other hand, is it not reasonable to expect that when paying out hundreds of dollars/euros for model locomotives that they are reliable, don't break, and if looked after last for years. Or am I expecting too much?

I do get sick and tired of manufacturers treating consumers like cash cows. We see it in every industry not just MRR - whiteware, consumer electronics, computers, automobiles, nothing is made to last. If I look around our house I can probably find about 8 mobile phones for 4 people (4 in use, the others are old models). And I'm not sure whether we are any better for it, the landfills are full of discarded electronics, which must create some sort of environmental hazard.

The computer on my desk has several brushless motors in the hard drives and fans. They run 24-7 for years with out problems. There is no reason that the brushless motors in maklin loks can't do the same.

Durability?
Limited lives?
What are you talking about?
Everybody want's everything for low prices.

Better look out that you don't get ill the next 5 years!

Greetings
Bill

Why is this durability topic so challenging?
Or to say it in another way, would our interesting MMR hobby be so challenging if the design and the quality was constant and did not change?
I don't think I would have started up again with my childhoods Märklin trains if nothing technical was changed except new prototypes and paint.

OK, the old models have soul and I love them. But the real fun, at least for me, is to be able to upgrade 50 years old locos with new motors and decoders and be able to control them independently on the same track and see them creep uphill and downhill with constant speed! I am impressed! Can anyone tell me about another 50 year old design that continously can give new challenges and value?

The old trains are also reference for the new trains. Look at all the topics on this forum right now where new and old versions of the same prototypes are compared. What is the discussion about? Detailling, smooth driving, noise, pulling power etc. Of course the new versions have new features. New features creates new problems that we did not experience with the old versions. But isn't that exactly what makes this hobby so interesting? Testing out new features at an early stage of development? Telling each other about all the problems and mistakes?

Would this hobby be so fun if there was nothing for ourselves to improve?

I am not worried about the present or future Märklin quality,
I am much more worried if Märklin does not survive as a manufacturer!

Excellent points, Bent - that is what makes a good forum !!! Agree 100% with you ... [:p][^]

Yeah good ponts all, but I will point out that Marklin toy trains are meant to be collectibles, therefore by definition they should last. Computers on the other hand are a commodity item. They have planned obsolescence built into them, they are engineered to be worthless after 6 months.

David and Ray, so sorry - but I'm deeply convinced BOTH of you are right ... [:p][^]

Just to add;

I think having many loks - many many more than you actually need/able to run in your layout, is actually a good idea to prolong their life. Essentially, you are preserving the average mileage of each individual lok in your collection by running them in turns = less wear and tear mechanically.

Ray,
Seeing you've done quite a few conversions, it may be advisable to install ball bearings on both sides.
they cost very little and make a lot of different to the smooth running of your loco.
I'm also looking into the older locs, eg. 3026, 3027, 3014, 3011 if I can use the 4mm ballbearings on the other side aswell by using the standard 5 pole armature. For these locos I've mentioned above and others e.g. 3022, 3021, 3066, 3050 etc. some used the 7 and the others 8 tooth armature.
So I feel the 8 tooth armature supplied for the former 60901 conversion set could fit into these locos.
why mentioning it, instead of using a 6mm ballbearing and trilling a 6mm hole, it does'nt give you enough room to do this but a 4mm would.
the moment you've installed your ball bearing you don't have to oil them anymore.

regards., John

Off topic.

John,
I purchased a bunch of ball bearings (4mm I think) after reading an earlier thread. If I remember correctly, it does not need any drilling.
I would like to know how to install them. Do they need to be glued in place? Also, does the motor shaft fit snugly against the inner wall of the bearing? If not, the motor shaft will rotate inside the inner wall of the bearing making the ball bearing pointless. Just looking for some advice. Thanks.

Off topic.

John,
I purchased a bunch of ball bearings (4mm I think) after reading an earlier thread. If I remember correctly, it does not need any drilling.
I would like to know how to install them. Do they need to be glued in place? Also, does the motor shaft fit snugly against the inner wall of the bearing? If not, the motor shaft will rotate inside the inner wall of the bearing making the ball bearing pointless. Just looking for some advice. Thanks.

Tell him he better leave it like this (that way he'll never hear her pipsqueek Mikado sound)
Only from #37991 onwards the BB got the sound she deserves. Realistic sound ... [}:)]

I agree with the above other than that more detail means less durability. They should just make sure the extra detail is well made. I am not sure that Marklin locos have advanced electronics but no matter what they again should be durable.
When it comes to collecting there are people who collect HAG locos when the only difference is the advertising on the side of the loco. Never did undersatnd that but it does show how diverse our hobby is.

Yep the more metal the better. I like Roco but it does fall apart rather easily mainly because of plastic detail. Easier and cheaper to make small detail parts in plastic but I would rather pay more for metal.

What I like about Roco is to open it up I prise the body apart and give it a shake and the chassis falls out. They do run smoothly but I dont want a steamer pushed around by its tender. Some of the diesels are very good and I like their coaches.
Both firms have gone bust at one time and which will survive long term (hopefully both) but my money is on Marklin.