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Poll Question : Do you like slide/clip off covers or screws?
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Offline Dimi194  
#1 Posted : 21 August 2011 11:37:51(UTC)
Dimi194

Australia   
Joined: 21/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 382
Hey, I was wondering of anyone knows why Marklin is moving towards the new slide/clip off covers. I hate them; I only have two engines with them and I am too scared to open them up in case I break them. Do you like them? Are they worth the visual effect of not having a screw? Vote and feel free to explain. And would you NOT buy a loco because it does/doesn't have a screw cover? Having a slide cover would affect my desicion to buy a loco.
Author of the gritty sci-fi novel 'Stories of Earth: WWIII' (featuring an awesome train chase)
Avid YouTuber (XtremeTrainz and TrainzXtreme) and train person!
Offline Oliver SBB-CFF-FFS  
#2 Posted : 21 August 2011 12:47:06(UTC)
Oliver SBB-CFF-FFS

Sweden   
Joined: 22/06/2011(UTC)
Posts: 544
I prefer screws and metal bodies. I actually prefer it that much that it can be one of the things that make me buy a model. Luckily for me, many Swiss models have both! Smile
SBB Era IV - VI
Offline river6109  
#3 Posted : 21 August 2011 13:03:31(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Dimi,

What models are you talking about it ?

I couldn't see this happening with metal housing only on plastic ones.

regards.,
John
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
Offline David Dewar  
#4 Posted : 21 August 2011 14:56:12(UTC)
David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,333
Location: Scotland
Screws need not show as they can be placed under the loco. Pulling apart a Roco plastic body was not my idea of a well made model.

dave
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
Offline H0  
#5 Posted : 21 August 2011 15:16:57(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: Dimi194 Go to Quoted Post
Hey, I was wondering of anyone knows why Marklin is moving towards the new slide/clip off covers.

Are they?

There are some Trix design models sold in Märklin boxes.
The E 69 02 and ET 194 11 are such models: no screws, no clip-off, clever design. I like that.

The Rh. 1012 is also a Trix design - made like the normal Roco locos. I don't like this that much.

BR 101, BR 152, BR 189 all have screws - but at the bottom. That's the design I like best.
The new BR 103 also comes without visible screws.
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
Offline Macfire  
#6 Posted : 21 August 2011 16:44:55(UTC)
Macfire


Joined: 04/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,652
Location: New Zealand
Models - Both Real Live Ones and MMR Locos need a good screw! BigGrin
Lord Macca
New Zealand branch of Clan Donald.
Offline Renato  
#7 Posted : 21 August 2011 19:53:40(UTC)
Renato

Italy   
Joined: 19/03/2004(UTC)
Posts: 976
Location: Gorizia, Italy
I prefer models with metal bodies and screws hidden on the bottom of locomotives.

Cheers

Renato
Offline Dimi194  
#8 Posted : 22 August 2011 03:45:58(UTC)
Dimi194

Australia   
Joined: 21/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 382
Originally Posted by: river6109 Go to Quoted Post
Dimi,

What models are you talking about it ?

I couldn't see this happening with metal housing only on plastic ones.

regards.,
John


Yes, I mean the plastic bodied locos.
Author of the gritty sci-fi novel 'Stories of Earth: WWIII' (featuring an awesome train chase)
Avid YouTuber (XtremeTrainz and TrainzXtreme) and train person!
Offline river6109  
#9 Posted : 22 August 2011 04:13:15(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Dimi,

I haven't got any Märklin locos qwith plastic slide off housings but have Roco ones.
Although I don't like them 100% I haven't had any problems breaking any of them and so far I've opened some of them at least 10 times or more.
Its not the easiest way of separating the housing from the chassis unless you've got fingernails and know where to put your fingers, they do come with instructions.

Some Roco locos have a simpler version, for instance the SBB Re 6/6, all you have to do is take the 4 buffers off and take the housing off.

regards.,

John
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
Offline river6109  
#10 Posted : 22 August 2011 04:19:08(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Screws need not show as they can be placed under the loco. Pulling apart a Roco plastic body was not my idea of a well made model.

dave


Dave,
but it didn't break or hasn't broken like the c-tracks.

I do agree with you, its not my preference, especially when you get to steam locos, the task of putting a simple steam generator into the loco is like needing a engineers degree to know which part to press which part to pull sideways, downwards or upwards, which part comes off first and if any part falls of in meantime to figure out where does or did it belong to.

regards.,

John
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
Offline Dimi194  
#11 Posted : 22 August 2011 04:33:35(UTC)
Dimi194

Australia   
Joined: 21/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 382
For the two models I have (Thomas and Percy), the instructions are very poor and i have no idea how to remove the cover. If they're not all like that then I might change my mind, but until then....
Author of the gritty sci-fi novel 'Stories of Earth: WWIII' (featuring an awesome train chase)
Avid YouTuber (XtremeTrainz and TrainzXtreme) and train person!
Offline river6109  
#12 Posted : 22 August 2011 04:48:35(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Originally Posted by: Dimi194 Go to Quoted Post
For the two models I have (Thomas and Percy), the instructions are very poor and i have no idea how to remove the cover. If they're not all like that then I might change my mind, but until then....


Dimi,

Some Märklin tenders had a clip on tender housing and to do this I wasn't happy with it either.
the instruction was you use a screwdriver and push or pull it into the housing slots and than move your screwdriver upwards to disengage it from the click design.
If you didn't go deep enough into the slot it slipped out again or if you went in to deep the housing was bent more than it should have been or you freed one side and by the time you did the other side the first one slipped back again.

regards.,

John
https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
Offline Oliver SBB-CFF-FFS  
#13 Posted : 22 August 2011 10:11:29(UTC)
Oliver SBB-CFF-FFS

Sweden   
Joined: 22/06/2011(UTC)
Posts: 544
Just want to clarify my answer above.

I think that locos with plastic "snap on" shells are aesthetically good looking. However locos with plastic shells tend to be very fragile. Of course, all locos are more or less fragile, but I am referring to small plastic parts. I am very careful with my locos but it is still something that would bother me.
The other thing that I dont like with these locos is the fact that they give a very cheap feel. I love holding a metal loco and really feeling it's weight

The metal bodied loco's with screws to attach the shell however are beuties. They give a very robust feeling to handle, and they also run very smoothly. Plastic shelled locos run great too mostly, but my personal experience is that metal shelled locos have very good traction (due to it's weight of course).

What I also like is that metal shelled locos often have very good detailing, sure it might not be -as- detailed as a plastic one, but I am happy with the tradeoff to get a metal shell.

Also, the screws are mostly at the bottom of the loco. At least on my Swiss locos. And as I said earlier, most Swiss locos tend to have metal shells, atleast the ones from Märklin.

So, to summarise, I can live with the metal shell's since the only tradeoff according to me might be the loss of some small details. Apart from that there are only advantages.

Jusy my 5 cents Smile
SBB Era IV - VI
Offline H0  
#14 Posted : 22 August 2011 15:06:26(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: Dimi194 Go to Quoted Post
For the two models I have (Thomas and Percy) [...]

I've read several times that these are Hornby toolings.
I never tried to open such a loco.

Märklin made some clip off loco (e.g. 3029 and 3087), but many use 3rd party toolings.

BTW: To replace traction tyres on the BR 185, you just remove the clip-off plate from the truck and take the wheelset out. That's the easy part.

Getting the wheels back into place is much more difficult (one wrong move and the "plastic toothpick" (transmission between motor and truck) falls out. Don't bend the sliders that pick the current from the wheels).
It looks so easy on the picture in the instructions manual leaflet.
Changing tyres was easier with those old, typical Märklin locos.
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
Offline David Dewar  
#15 Posted : 22 August 2011 15:40:21(UTC)
David Dewar

Scotland   
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 7,333
Location: Scotland
Hi John. Why I dont like the Roco bodies is not that I have broken any but rather it is a poor design and cheap. It is case of make the body slightly smaller than the chassis and being plastic it can be prised off and on. The Brawa locos (I dont have many) have hidden screws undeneath similar to some of my Marklins.
To be fair to Roco the detail is good.

dave
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer.
Offline gachar001  
#16 Posted : 22 August 2011 19:02:13(UTC)
gachar001

India   
Joined: 29/04/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,391
Location: Chennai
Whether it is to a human body or a loco body, I prefer a screw any day BigGrin BigGrin BigGrin
Gautham
Atlanta, GA USA
Offline gachar001  
#17 Posted : 22 August 2011 19:05:01(UTC)
gachar001

India   
Joined: 29/04/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,391
Location: Chennai
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Dimi194 Go to Quoted Post
For the two models I have (Thomas and Percy) [...]


BTW: To replace traction tyres on the BR 185, you just remove the clip-off plate from the truck and take the wheelset out. That's the easy part.

Getting the wheels back into place is much more difficult (one wrong move and the "plastic toothpick" (transmission between motor and truck) falls out. Don't bend the sliders that pick the current from the wheels).
It looks so easy on the picture in the instructions manual leaflet.
Changing tyres was easier with those old, typical Märklin locos.


On a BR185, I do not remove anything to replace the traction tyre. I just slide the tyre between the truck and the wheel using a paper clip and wrap it around the wheel using another one. I have a BR185 that has the lousy habbit of loosing one of its traction tyres. This is how I get it back on.
Gautham
Atlanta, GA USA
Offline MarioFabro  
#18 Posted : 23 August 2011 17:15:18(UTC)
MarioFabro

United States   
Joined: 16/10/2001(UTC)
Posts: 793
Location: Pittsburgh,
Originally Posted by: David Dewar Go to Quoted Post
Screws need not show as they can be placed under the loco. Pulling apart a Roco plastic body was not my idea of a well made model.

dave


I second that
UserPostedImageUserPostedImageUserPostedImageEra IV-VI --- "If you have brains you love trains" or "When I grow up, I will play with trains"
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