Excellent in general. Small selection with many many repaints.

Hello,

Welcome to the world of HAG trains! If you need more information, I suggest that you visit one of the following websites:

- www.hag.ch , the company's official site, in German language only, but translation is easy with an online machine translator and/or the help of someone here in the forum

- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HAG/ , the English speaking HAG Yahoo discussion group

- http://www.forum.hag-info.ch/ , the German speaking HAG forum with lots of friendly people, most of whom also understand a bit of English

- http://www.stefanunholz.ch/page1/english.html , my own HAG website

Spillay,

if you have ordered one of the BDe 4/4 railcars, you can use one of the following models for the corresponding pilot coach:

1) Maerklin 43410 Bt (rebuild from Lightsteel coach type B)

2) RailTop 21301 or 21303 (EW I ABt) (hard to find. Try Jocadis, Roundhouse other dealers or eBay).

3) The Swiss Hag Forum produced a Lightsteel ABt coach. There still may be one or two available.
(See http://www.forum.hag-info.ch/vi...59b3ca236f9a73af60e4abbd

I have two BDe 4/4s. One with Maerklin 43371 and 43410 and the other one with a Liliput 87750 and waiting for the Forum ABt to complete the consist.

I love my Hag loks. They are in every aspect as good as any other company out there and better in many ways. Last acquisition: Re 4/4II TEE with sound.

Regards

Mike C

Spillay, the BDe 4/4 has factory installed interior lighting.

Nice photo of the BDe 4/4 (1:87) with the 1:110 ABt.
How about trying it with a Maerklin 43410 or with one of the RailTop ABt models. Here is a photo of my BDe 4/4 with a Lightsteel ABt from Roxy (Metrop).



The only operational issue that I have ever encountered with Hag loks on Maerklin tracks is the occasional spark from the wheels on switch tracks. The reason for this is that Hag loks used the specifications for Fleischmann wheelsets, which were a little deeper than those of Maerklin, which resulted in frequent contact between the wheels and the center studs closest to the frog of the switch track.

HAG's New Generation models (introduced in 1984) are as nice as any model put out by Maerklin today. Don't forget that it took Maerklin at least 7 years before they brought out the Ae 6/6 in 1991 and the Re 4/4II four years later in 1995. The Re 6/6 is only scheduled to come out next year.

When you consider the comparable models that Maerklin was producing in 1984 (3323/3328) [B)] and compare them to HAG's 165/167, HAG wins hands down. Today, after 25 years, Maerklin has only caught up to those models. Some of the new features available in digital operation (cab lights, red LEDs, etc) may give Maerklin a little edge in that market, but if you look at recent HAG models like the Re 450 (also with red LEDs and illuminated destination signs), the lead seems very slim indeed. We will have to wait and see how the new HAG models compare to say, Maerklin's model of the LINT.

Regards

Mike C

Edited by moderator 11 January 2011 19:09:19(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

@spillay, that's quite a good decision for a start! I hope that you will be happy with your first HAG train.

Just one suggestion: You have ordered a 1st class car (similar to the coach in the special excursion train which is visible in the picture in your link). In everyday use, such a consist would have been rather untypical, because mostly the trains have more 2nd than 1st class coaches. So if you would like to have a typical and standard SBB train, you might like to consider the Marklin model 43371 which would be a nice addition to your consist.

Hi spillay, that's great, because you certainly have a tremendous Swiss selection to chose from, and you can even combine stuff from many different manufacturers. Enjoy!

The photo would have been quite normal for the period around 1980. I have one of the Roxy pilot coaches with the older SBB + CFF markings but that unit was bought in pieces. I have to redo the electric part and repair/replace all the windows before it can be put into operation.

This is one of the reasons why I fought so vociferously in the Swiss Hag forum for the right to have one of their special production ABt coaches in the 1970s livery instead of the historic "Wylaenderli" appearance.

I also have the RailTop 21303 EWI ABt that I can use with this train when it is not in use with my green Re 4/4I (39420). I guess that I will probably get one of the Maerklin ABt (like 43410) when it comes out with the SBB + CFF markings as well.

Speaking of which, did anybody else notice this model on ebay.com:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mark...3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Looks like a good job of updating the look of this coach to it's last version. This would have been the livery as used with the red Re 4/4I during it's last days of operation. I would expect this variation to come from Maerklin at some point as well.

FYI, the seller states he is from Warrenton, VA. Could this model be a production by Helmut's Hobbies?

Regards

Mike C