Oscar,

thank you for sharing your photos !!! I have a question for you concerning your approach when collecting passenger cars.

From what you are saying one could gather that you might be perfectly happy when you spot a certain car in mint condition with its box as long as it fits into your collecting scheme (sixties, green or blue box and so on ...). But what happens then ?? Will you buy a second car of the same make ?? Don't you try to get a complete train together ??

And what happens if you have a say grade 3 car in your possession and a grade 1 car comes along ?? Will you then sell the old and worn one (provided it came from an auction and does not contain personal memories) ??

I am just curious !!

Many regards,

Hans

<font face="Verdana]I'm a collector at heart, albeit one with a very limited budget. If I spend EUR 300,- on Märklin in a single year, then that's a lot for me. During the last few months I've spent a lot more on it, because my iPod offered me a chance to sell off my huge (and by now un-used) CD collection. That enabled me to invest some more money in old Märklin than I usually do. Anyway, my tight budget does not allow me to collect more than 1 copy of a model for the sake of getting a train together to drive on the lay-out. That's not really an issue for me, though. For an old German D-Zug, for example, I will string a 4024, 4026, 4022, 4023 and 4027 together.</font id="Verdana]


<font face="Verdana][size=2]Either that, or I keep the grade-3 for lay-out purposes or as a provider of spare parts.
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<font face="Verdana][size=2]Hear, hear! I have a small '60s style layo-out that is kind of cute, but like you I long for a big Tischbahn. My house is too small though, so it isn't in the cards. I did buy the C-track sets C1 through C5, so I can make interesting carpet lay-outs with my kids. C-track is great for carpet lay-outs because the connections are nice and snug. No derailments, ever.</font id="Verdana]

<font face="Verdana][size=2]I still have it. Transportation is obviously an issue as this lay-out was not designed to be portable. My problem is that due to limited space in my house, the lay-out is in the shed. And the shed does not have heating. That doesn't exactly help to keep things in good shape, and I hate to see it deteriorate. It's still a nice lay-out and it functions as intended, but before too long I will be forced to dismantle it to prevent further climate effects.

Some more coaches today. You might have noticed that I prefer the 'Cellonscheiben' coaches, but I do have a couple of other coaches and today I'll show three of those.



The first generation of TEE coaches! I've always liked the old TEE trains and it is a shame that they're gone. I vividly remember them departing from Amsterdam station, to places like Zürich or Paris. Anyway, this Märklin model is quite nice. It's a 4055.1.



Two very nice Swiss coaches next, the 4066.1 and the 4066.2. The difference between the two is that Märklin used the regular Minden-Deutz bogies for the .1 (which are incorrect) but switched to the genuine Swiss bogies for the .2. It makes a big difference on how the model looks!



Normally I do not collect each subversion that was produced of a model (that would be unmanageable and unaffordable), but I could bought these two together once and decided to keep them both. They're fully metal, which is nice. They're in perfect condition, unused.

"Unused" does not apply to my last two coaches at all. I bought them only to drive them on my lay-out.



They're run-of-the-mill late-'70s Silberlinge and really nothing special at all. They can do 'Wendezugbetrieb' because there is a cab in the coach. I drive them with a E41, a V100 or a V160. These coaches have logged many a mile, have experienced countless derailings, and have the marks to prove it. They're real battle warriors but still look OK. For the record, it's a 4077.1 and a 4083.2.

That's it for coaches - I'm still hunting for some 'Cellonscheiben' coaches that have so far eluded me, such as the 4033, the 4036, 4037 and some older ones like the 4020. But there's still time, I ain't dead yet .

Next time I'll continue with the locos 3053, 3064 and 3068.

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<font face="Verdana][size=2]That's fair enough. But what do you want me to do with that remark? There's absolutely nothing I can do with it. I'd say most discussions on a forum like this have been done before to some extent. I can't even remember when I last saw a photo of a model that I had never seen before. So I guess what you can do is to look for discussions that interest you and stay out of the ones that bore you. That's what I do, pick and choose. It's a TV with a heck of a lot of channels, man. Zap away if you don't like it.</font id="Verdana]

Troy, you are correct. Everything here, most of us have seen before, but not all of us have all these models in our collection. As a member of this list, who collects vintage Maerklin, that I did not have as a child, I can tell you that Oscar, on a budget, has a remarkable collection!!! It is very difficult to find Silberlinges, in good shape on a budget. Most of them have a lot of play wear, show dirt and rust under the silver band, in my experience. Thanks for sharing and keep posting.

Keep the posts coming, while I collect vintage Marklin as well, being in the USA, one doesnt get much exposure to the German models. Your pics help me decide what I want to find next for my collection. I never grow tired of viewing vintage M trains. If there wasnt a huge ocean and huge shipping costs, I would give that layout a new home Oscar. Not that I could afford to buy it, let alone ship it. Cheers Mike

I also like this topic and I think it is just wonderfül if somebody takes the time and the energy to go on like this, there is a lot of work involved !!

Oscar's approach to collecting is different from mine, hence my question further up there, and I have everything that has been shown here also, but very often in not mint state. So there is a STORY behind his collection which makes it unique and there is a LOGIC behind it, and that makes it comprehensive and lovable.

And the collectors' corner on this forum is for the lovable aspects of Märklin, and I would like to see it remain so. So Oscar please keep up the work ....

@ Troy Yang: What would you like to see here ?? Give me a clue, maybe we could help you ...

Or maybe you could show us some real rareties ....

Many regards from

Hans

of all the channels on the net, this one is surely one of the best!
please keep on posting pics of your lovely collection. it is great to see those models in such good hands.
regards,
kariosls

<font face="Verdana]Back to locomotives!

First is the 3053 E03. I love this model .



Despite the fact that the loco is mostly plastic, it is surprisingly heavy. I've always favoured the early E03's with just one row of air inlets, somehow it is more pretty than the later version with a double row. Just like its 1:1 example, this locomotive loves to run long and fast. It whizzes around the tracks smoothly and surely, no matter how long you make the trains. The interior lighting in the engine room is a nice little extra.

Next is another Märklin bestseller, a small loco that was sold in great quantities: the 3064. Still, it is a full-fledged real Märklin. The handrails are fully metal, for example.



It may seem like a small shunting loco, but I've stood next to real thing in the railbed and if you've never been close to one yourself then I can assure you that in 1:1 it's a lot bigger than you think. It's also a very strong shunter and sometimes ventures out of town on the main line (for quite some time one of these locomotives drove trains between Arnhem in Holland and Emmerich in Germany, and not 50 yrs ago but as recently as 3 yrs ago!!). As for the model, I think it is very nice. It sounds a bit raspy but drives very well indeed. Lots of character, too.

Next, we head up to Norway.



Gotta love NOHAB's. Together with the Dutch electric locomotive of the 1200 series, the NOHAB's were pretty much the only American designs on European rails until the Class 66 emerged in the '90s. This model, the 3068, is fantastic. It has so much character and it weighs a ton due to its solid metal cover. Driving characteristics are incredible - this loco holds its own when compared to modern digital locomotives. I rarely drive it, but when I do it is a genuine pleasure!

Too bad that Märklin did not make a new drawing for the box of the 3068. All NOHAB's were sold with the Belgian version on the box - I would have loved to see one of those drawings depict a Norwegian one.

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Thanks for sharing your collection with us. I appreciate seeing the boxes as well as the trains. The illustrations on the boxes are quite beautiful.

--Mike

great models, beautiful pics. keep it up Oscar!
thanks for sharing

Very nice Collector of NOHABs.[:p]

<font face="Verdana]Great stuff Steven! I love the crane and the E18 electric loco!</font id="Verdana]

Thaks again, Oscar.

It's funny to see the prices written on some of the boxes. Is it Deutsche Mark?

<font face="Verdana]Some more locomotives today!

Next up is a model that is a bit special to me. You know, I have a character trait that looks for beauty in the common things, not just in exceptional things. Many people only go gaga over really special items, but to me it doesn't matter if Märklin sold 1 copy or 1 million copies of a model. Of course as a collector it is nice to have something that is a bit rare, but from a visual perspective, i.e. whether or not a model appeals to me, it doesn't matter at all. Well, Märklin sold a zillion copies of the 3072 V100, and it is not even a full-metal loco, but I love it [:p].



Many folks don't understand why I love this model, all they see is a common shunter locomotive. But in my mind I see an old V100 on a German Nebenbahn with two or three Silberlinge, winding through the hills somewhere in the '50s.



And I happen to think Märklin did a great job capturing the essence of this locomotive.



It is a 3072.1 by the way.

Next is another zillion-seller. I wish I could surprise all of you by showing a super-rare 3075.1 (which has the V160 loco number instead of the 216 number), but I'm afraid I have never even seen one, let alone own one. I'm not sure it exists, to be honest. Anyway, I managed to find a super-clean 3075.2 BR216:



I also have a mid-'80s 3075.4 that I use on my lay-out but these are so common that there's no point in showing it here.

Last for today is a big steamer .



This is a weird loco in my collection, because (a) it's a '70s model so it is too recent and (b) I bought it without a box. But one day I saw it, the price was right, and I fell in love with it. I use it on my lay-outs and it makes a lot of miles. It's a great locomotive: strong, runs well, looks great.

That's it for today!
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Hi Oscar (fellow Dutchman), may I join you in this peculiar and nostalgic interest?!

Just speaking of the Class 01 (3048/3148):








More can be found on http://www.osterthun.com/4Einsatz/DB~01.147/DB~01.147.htm

Frits Osterthun

Edited by user 12 October 2011 16:34:42(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Again Oscar, thanks for the continuing story.
It is a lot of work doing the photos, and then loading those pictures to the forum.
I appreciate it.
regards
Kimball

I really think the old tinplate Silberlinge captured the atmosphere of the real thing, even if they're not to scale.

The closest I have are a pair of 4256 and a 4257, which are probably amongst the last made from that tooling judging by when I bought them. I'd like a 4255 to complete the set but they don't seem to come up that often - obviously everyone else likes these too!

<font face="Verdana]More freighters!



^---This a nice one, the 4516. Fully metal, including the little rings. Great stuff, has Märklin written all over it.



^---And obviously this one really has Märklin written all over it . It's the 4517 and I always have a freighter running around with this car in it.



^---The 4600 freight train conductor car. Its doors can slide open. A very nostalgic little car.



^---This is a remarkably heavy, sturdy car. It's the 4601. They don't make 'em like that any more. And if things continue to go as bad with Märklin as they are going now, they won't make anything at all soon. I still can't get used to that idea.



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<font face="Verdana]We're getting to the end of it, just 2 or 3 more episodes I guess. More locomotives today, the last locomotive episode!

The 3098 P8. I've lusted after this model but bought it only recently, another occasion where I happened to stumble over an item in pristine condition.



It's a first-version 3098.1 from 1967, the first year they were produced. The box code indicates June '67. This loco drives really well, it loves to run. It's traction tyres are not on the rear wheel, but on the forward wheel. That's a bit strange but it has to do with the weight distribution of the model. Many people think this is a plastic loco like the 3003, but it's not. There's a lot of metal on this thing and I like it a lot!

Well folks, that was the last item in my current collection of the 3000 series! There will be more, as I still need to find me quite a few models. The most notable ones that I intend to collect in the next few years are the other NOHAB's from this era, the 3036, the 3011 and (ultimately) the 3015.

Just two weeks ago I went to a shop and bought two new Märklin locomotives. That is a first-time for me, I've never done that before. But there are several models in the current catalogue that I really like and they spark the same kind of emotion in me as the old models. I still had some money left after selling off my huge CD collection and I thought I might as well buy these two.





This 36080 is a thing of beauty. Fully metal, heavy, sturdy, and capturing the essence of the 1:1 model very well indeed. A lovely model.





"Ludmilla", the 36421, closes off my loco collection. As with the V80, it is completely metal, heavy as lead, very nicely detailed and it runs fantastically. This sucker is BIG. It's just as long as a 24-cm coach! Having this loco pull a very long freight train at low speeds is a thing of beauty.

You might notice that both of these locos are from the Hobby range. I could've bought other models, but didn't. These fit into my collection nicely because the 1:1 originals are from the same era. And I want the full-metal thing and a surprising number of new Märklin models are plastic these days.

Next time some more freighters and finally some accessories, and then "Schluss".

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<font face="Verdana]Next up is the 4605. I rather like this model. It's a baggage car of the Swiss railways.



The box code says January 1962. It's a 4605.3. Very nice little car, it has character. Then we get to the 4610, which is a very detailed car for its era. Lovely stuff - I wish I had 30 of these to put my Ludmilla in front of .



Again, the boxcode says January '62 and it is a 4610.3. The next one is a model that can be a bit pricey, depending on the sub version you have.




It's the 4613.4, boxcode January '65. Definitely not the cheapest freight car I have - I paid 50 euros for it. Never regretted it. This model is completely made of metal (except for the toy cars, which are plastic) which also makes it quite heavy. As with the previous model, I'd love to have 30 of these stringed up [:p]!!

The 4614 is pretty much the only freight car I own that does not have its original box anymore.



It's a first-version 4614.1 and originates from the late '50s. I love the level of detail of this model. I've seen photos of goods trains in Germany in the '50s with a bunch of these cars in 'em - very nice indeed.

I'll finish up today with two big ones, the "Tiefladewagen" 4617 and 4618.




The metal frames of these models are impressive. Note that the handrails on the little platform and the brake lever are also 100% metal. That's the way to do it, and they don't make them quite like this anymore.
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Great Oscar, thanks for showing.

NN

<font face="Verdana][size=2]Thanks guys . Actually, my collection is peanuts compared to most "really serious" collectors I know. And when I say peanuts then I mean peanuts in 3 different ways:
-size (# of items)
-worth (money invested)
-historic relevance (unique and/or rare pieces)
Most collectors have 3 or 4 times the number of items, have spent a multiple of what I have spent, and have much more historically unique pieces. Having said that, I feel that I am fortunate to have found the items that I have found, as I love them all. And I have bought most of them for very reasonable prices, which meant that sometimes I have waited for years to find a particular model in very good condition, for a price that I was willing to pay.
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Oscar,
Have you been in my closet again? Seriously. We must collect with the same interests in mind. The only concessions I can think of today are the V80 and Ludmilla as well. Nice photos. Thanks for taking the time. Now put them back neatly when you're done.