Hi!
I just learned about the availability of two new Harry Potter items which I have not seen in the original 2004 New Items.

# 29552 Hogwarts Train set. Essentially the 29550 set with the following modification
- set now comes with digital Mobil Station instead of analog transformer
- Loco has digitally controlled whistle.

# 41551 Three car set Hogwarts Express. One baggage car and two passenger cars similar to the ones in the train set, but with different running numbers. Not much new here.

I just like Harry Potter

Hans

Hello Hans,

I'm interested too.. Miss 4 is a big fan of Harry Potter and, like John, we were concerned about the quality of the set. (That's aside from the problem that the loco is not available in Australia!)

I also have the 29550. Have have to thank Märklin for offering this model. "Why?", you ask? Well, because I saw this as the perfect opportunity (excuse)to justify the purchase of new items and resurect my old loco's from my childhood in the 60's. My 9 year old daughter loves Harry Potter, and enjoys playing with the trains at friends houses. So I convinced my wife that the $300 Hogwarts set was the perfect gift. She agree, thereby opening the door for my upgrade purchases. Such as plenty of C-Track to run the train around the Christmas tree.[:p] M-Track is not as carpet friendly and my old M-Track was very rusted. (Santa set it up Christmas Eve and it was running when my 3 & 9 year old got up to see what St. Nick brought)
I have the 41551 car set on order.
Visually: I agree with Hans_Dietrich. It looks great, but some of the details are not quite to Mä standards under close scrutiny.
Operationally: There were a few times that the Loco just sat there and buzzed. Not the same buzz as you would expect from an old reversing unit with a loose spring, but a buzz like spinning gears that are slipping. A simple smack to the top of the boiler got it going again. I have not opened it up yet to find out for sure.
One other thing that I was disappointed in, was that there was no whistle or smoke unit.
It is a fun set to see run and I would buy the 29552 if I did not already have the 29550.
I figured it won't look any more out of place in my future Epoch I-III german layout than my old 3062+4062 New Haven Diesel[:0]

Hi!

Tamrac: Since our train is only two days old, we have not seen such "hick ups". Hope they never come.
The only complaint I would have is, that for a "Hobby" type set, it is a little pricier. But that's the cost for admission
And we, too, have the New Haven F7, upgraded to digital with Uhlenbrock 75200.

John: Actually my guess is that the sets do sell. Why upgrade existing sets with sound and Mobil station?
For a price see
http://www.eurorailhobbi...amp;FI=1&stock=29552

They are also discounting the 29550 set now.

Hans