Hi

The new Märklin Fc 2x3/4 SBB Cat No. 39520 is from many points of view a unique model.

1. Is the first Fc 2x3/4 from Märklin
2. Is a completely new design.
3. Has high detailing
4. Is a high-end model
5. Is expensive
6. A lot of controversy has been among the Märklin funs about this model!!!

For all these reason and after the suggestion of Kimball and others I decided to write a review for this loco.

I am very excited with this model.

The feeling when take of the loco from the box is excellent.

The loco weight 535 gr

Is a dream for the eyes form any point of view



The body, frame, bogies, suitcases are made from metal.



The lettering is clear, the painting excellent there are many separately applied details.




The “Suitcases are made from metal as well but with a plastic bogie frame



All the parts metal and plastics are highly detailed



The separately applied items are beautiful.
The oil pipes are separately applied as well.
The plastic parts on the roof are highly detailed and have a metal look.



The roof is the same mold with the body and is made from metal and the details are excellent.
The orange wire lines are plastic – not from wire like other models – something that I don’t like very much.
Any way they are detailed close to the prototype.



The two pantographs are very nice with a cooper color in the middle of the single strip.
They are functioning mechanically but not electrically.
Are secured on the body with two cross screws each, mounted from the outer side.
The screws are black…. Silver ones are more appropriate.
Märklin has to see that in the upcoming models with similar bodies (eg 39510).
The rest elements are very nice.



So we have to do with a very nice model.

And now is time to see the controversial connection of the body with the two” suitcase” bogies
Some history: In the original plans the loco was a 2x3/3. When finished the loco was heavier than the calculations. So to keep the load per axle in acceptable limits they put two small bogies with two pilot wheels at each end. These bogies are not permanently connected with the main body and they have a side play. This is obvious in curves but not very much as you can see in many videos on YouTube.

The model now: The loco is quite long about 23 cm.
The frame is not articulated die-cast, and the two main bogies are independent (connected with a spring).

There were two possible solutions:
The first to connect the “suitcases” bogies to the frame permanently and the pilot wheels to move freely underneath, like the Ae 8/14.
The second to be closer to the original and have the two small bogies independent from the main frame.

Märklin selected the second solution with the independent bogies.
This is like the original and looks very nice. So they connected the small bogies to the large ones with a sort of close coupler.



When the loco is on straight track the distance between the body and the suitcases is minimal and on a layout you can’t even notice anything wrong.



The problem is when the loco is on tight 360mm curves.



Then the coupler kinematics move the bogie in a way that is just in contact with the body in the inner side, but quite away in the outer side.



Definitely that not looks very nice.
But this is due to the limitations of the HO.
We want the loco to operate on small layouts so that’s the price to pay.
This is not a display model!!!
Of course this is getting better as we go to wider curves (R4 +).
The final judgment is personal.

Time to open the loco to see what is inside.

On the underneath the loco is very nice with the 4 articulated bogies. Is very well made.
The bogies are metal but the gear box covers and the suitcases frames are plastic.



There are 4 cross head screws in the side s of the main bogies to unscrew, to separate the frame from the body.
Be careful which ones: there are about 30 screws on the underneath.
What I notice in this loco is that everything is connected with screws!!!
No silly fragile plastic clips… (Easy to assembly in the factory, difficult to open after, with broken some of them looking for spare parts that’s are not exist – common in these days in most of the brands).
The metal body has no any wires to connect the lights with the frame but instant they used spring loaded contacts for the wiring of the upper (third) lights.



The frame is a dream!!! So beautiful that I don’t know if I like the loco more without the body on!!!!



So clean, so well done.

The main frame is single block die cast. All the other parts are screwed on this frame.

In the middle is the motor with two flywheels.
The motion is transferred to the bogies with cardan shafts and warm gears (metal) both sides.



On the back side is the decoder, an mSD3, with 21mtp interface.



The base PCB plate is quite simple mounted to the frame with 3 cross head screws.
There is a small PCB with contact plates on the upper side for the spring loaded contacts on the body to give power to the upper 3rd lights, and on the other side are the LED for the cabin Lights.



The engine room lighting are 4 SMD WW LEDs mounded on a PCB like a frame around the motor, again in place with screws.



The left side LEDs are connected to AUX 1, and the right side to AUX 3 both of them working with the same function button.
Is possible to separate with some function mapping.

There is a speaker in a special place of the main frame under the engineers’ cabin, on the rear side.
In the front there is the same space but inside is not a speaker but something that looks like a small buffer.
The cabin is Green - Black with a lot of details.



All the wiring is clean and they use MOLEX connectors to connect the wires from the different PCBs.
There are 8 PCBs plus the Decoder!!!



The wire colors are mixed NEM colors and black ones may be to be invisible.

To open the two suitcases I unscrew two cross head screws from the underneath.
The suitcases are made from metal and inside there is a ballast and the lower f/r lights.



There is a small PCB with the WW and RED LEDs plus the dropping resistors.



The main bogies can be opened from the underneath.
There are 4 small cross head screws for the plastic cover, and one big who keeps the cover and the small suitcase bogie as well.



Taking these off the inside of the bogie is visible. Magic!!!



The bogie contains the gear box plus the axles.
The gears are metal.
The 4 axles (3 for the wheels and 1 for the jackshaft) are seating on the metal bogie with bronze bearings.
The motion is transferred to the middle axle with gears and from there to the other two axles and the jackshaft through side rods.
The two wheels in the middle side of each bogie have traction tires.

Excellent construction like in others Märklin high end models.

The reassembly is easy.
Of course the opening of a loco like this needs a high level of experience.

On the track the loco is a dream. Very quite, excellent low speed movement, stay very well in R1 and passes nicely all short of switches, even in M-track.

The sounds are beautiful and I think are the originals from the big loco in Erstfeld.

What else to say…

I don’t know where this loco is made. Mine has no any sign. I don’t care where is made.
But this loco is so BEAUTIFUL, runs so nice and is so WELL MADE that justify the price.

I have already put an order for the 39510 who looks to me the same concept.

Sorry for the long review but I tried give a good description and to express my feeling for this beautiful model.

Regards

Costas

Hi Costas! Exactly the kind of review we all hope for, thank you!

A few questions if you do not mind, as I am seriously considering purchase of this model:

1- Are the actual drive gears from motor to bogie frames metal? The black looks plastic so I was curious
2- On R1 curves do the "suitcases" rub on the body at all (or have a risk of this), or are they safely clear?


Agreed the orange wiring on the roof is terrible... But otherwise I really love it!

Hello Costas,

Thank you for your thorough review.

Regards,

PJ

ok thanks! Excellent intel! (and an excuse for mine to likely stay on wider-radius curves...)

That, to me, looks like the gears have been lubricated with a dry lubricant like molybdenum sulphide, instead of oil.