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Offline marklin_1988_ge  
#1 Posted : 13 January 2021 06:06:07(UTC)
marklin_1988_ge

United States   
Joined: 13/01/2021(UTC)
Posts: 11
Location: Colorado, Broomfield
Are all of the Era IV digital locomotives and rolling freight identified by 5 numeric code rather than previous 4 numeric?
Offline H0  
#2 Posted : 13 January 2021 10:03:57(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: marklin_1988_ge Go to Quoted Post
Are all of the Era IV digital locomotives and rolling freight identified by 5 numeric code rather than previous 4 numeric?
The 5-digit codes were introduced around 1996. I think this already is era V.
Since then 5-digit codes are used for all eras.

Rolling stock with a 4-digit code is definitely not era VI or later. Not much else you can tell from the length of the ref. code.
Some digital locos with a 5-digit code do not even have load regulation.
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
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Offline Roland  
#3 Posted : 13 January 2021 16:46:41(UTC)
Roland

Canada   
Joined: 09/11/2013(UTC)
Posts: 332
Location: Toronto, Canada
Originally Posted by: marklin_1988_ge Go to Quoted Post
Are all of the Era IV digital locomotives and rolling freight identified by 5 numeric code rather than previous 4 numeric?


No. For example 3642 and 3655 are Era IV BR111 and have Digi6080 decoders. As far as I can tell Märklin item numbers don't take Eras into consideration.

Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
The 5-digit codes were introduced around 1996. I think this already is era V.


Right - Era V started in 1990.
My Layout Build | Märklin CS3+ | K-track | Merkur | Viessmann | LDT | iTrain | Modeling DB + SBB
Offline kimballthurlow  
#4 Posted : 14 January 2021 11:27:48(UTC)
kimballthurlow

Australia   
Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC)
Posts: 6,655
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Originally Posted by: marklin_1988_ge Go to Quoted Post
Are all of the Era IV digital locomotives and rolling freight identified by 5 numeric code rather than previous 4 numeric?


In my opinion, the catalogue numbers of Märklin items bare no relationship to era or date/time of manufacture.
Yes 5 figure numbers were not used before 1996 (as Tom suggested).
But 4 figure numbers are still being manufactured too.

The only specific parameter on which I rely and indicated by the 5 figure catalogue number is a grouping where the first number:
2 = train sets with motor (loco) also track and track packs
3 = locomotives
4= non motorised rolling stock
7 = accessories

Others may point at other groups.
There are sub-groups too, but I don't believe they are particularly useful for identification purposes.

In short Märklin catalogue numbers do not appear to reveal any specific criteria of use to the consumer.
Maybe they relate to some internal system of manufacture and/or materials sourcing.
I doubt that it would be advantageous for Märklin to reveal what it all means.

Kimball

HO Scale - Märklin (ep II-III and VI, C Track, digital) - 2 rail HO (Queensland Australia, UK, USA) - 3 rail OO (English Hornby Dublo) - old clockwork O gauge - Live Steam 90mm (3.1/2 inch) gauge.
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Offline H0  
#5 Posted : 14 January 2021 12:11:48(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: kimballthurlow Go to Quoted Post
I doubt that it would be advantageous for Märklin to reveal what it all means.
Back then the catalogues revealed some information about the four-digit codes, but even that information was not fully reliable. 34xx is mostly Delta while 33xx is mostly analogue (but there are exceptions, of course).
Nowadays 37xxx and 39xxx are the same while 36xxx is mostly for Hobby locos (but there are exceptions, of course).

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
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#6 Posted : 14 January 2021 13:57:32(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: kimballthurlow Go to Quoted Post

The only specific parameter on which I rely and indicated by the 5 figure catalogue number is a grouping where the first number:
2 = train sets with motor (loco) also track and track packs
3 = locomotives
4= non motorised rolling stock
7 = accessories


Items starting with 6 tend to be electrical accessories (i.e. decoders, controllers and other digital system related bits like cables) It is also used extensively for Trix accessories like buildings and track.

Items starting with 2 have several invariant categories ...

21 - Trix items - start sets and train sets
22 - Trix Locos
23 - Trix Rolling Stock
24 - Trix Rolling Stock - but also Marklin C Track
25 - I think this is also used by Trix
26 - Marklin start sets -typically Start Up sets, but some older train sets without track or controller as well.
29 - Marklin train sets without track or conbtroller, with exception of 29000 which has track and controller but no train.

As Tom noted within the 3 series there are distinct categories
30 - used for Start Up or HOBBY range locos.
33 - originally AC only locos, but later also Delta as Marklin stopped using reversing mechanisms and went fully electronic. Always a basic loco in HOBBY or Start Up range.
34 - Originally Delta decoder equipped locos. Now used for all Start Up series I think.
35 - Originally 5 pole equipped AC only locos.
36 - Originally digital locos with 6080 type decoder. Now used for all basic range locos with slightly more features than 34 series range.
37 - originally digital locos with 6090 type decoder and 3 pole motor DC motor with magnet. Now used for all locos with more features than 36 series, but not necessarily "top of the range" - but there are some exceptions.
38 - used for 2 rail HAMO range, both digital and non-digital. Now replaced by Trix range.
39 - Originally used only for locos with C-Sine motor. As use of C-Sine motor fell away this range tends to be the "top of the line" locos with the most features, such as the Belgian Class 1, and the RaM TEE.

I'm sure people will find exceptions or differences to what I have written above, but these are the general categories as I find them.
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Offline mike c  
#7 Posted : 14 January 2021 15:29:27(UTC)
mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 7,880
Location: Montreal, QC
The move from 4 digit model numbers to 5 digit numbers has absolutely nothing to do with digital.
The problem was that Maerklin was running out of numbers in the 33XX range. When they needed new model numbers for Delta and Digital numbers, they started using 34XX and then 35XX and so on to differentiate different model types.

The decision to change to 5 digits was to save item numbers so that they did not run out when issuing variations on existing models. Roco had decided to add a letter at the end of the model, but Maerklin decided to add a digit.
Variants of the 3434 Re 4/4II were numbered 34/3734X, starting with the 34/37341 in green. I think this was one of the first models with 5 digits. This model was an export model and not featured in the regular catalog.
The initial Re 460 models starting around 1993-94 had 4 digit numbers, but around 1997, they started issuing models with numbers like 3461X and very quickly got too 3463X. This was largely due to the anniversary of Swiss rails and the number of models associated with that year.

Regarding Alan's post above, I seem to recall 26XXX being for digital sets, 28XXX for delta and 29XXX for 6090 equipped digital. I do not know where analog sets fit in during that period as many items were by then offered in Delta or Digital and no longer in analog only. At some point, 26 was used primarily for consist sets and start sets were moved to 29XXX.

Regards

Mike C
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Offline H0  
#8 Posted : 14 January 2021 15:46:28(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: mike c Go to Quoted Post
Regarding Alan's post above, I seem to recall 26XXX being for digital sets, 28XXX for delta and 29XXX for 6090 equipped digital.
29 is for starter sets, 28 for analogue and Delta sets, 26 for digital sets (both 6080 and later decoders).

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
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#9 Posted : 14 January 2021 17:06:14(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: mike c Go to Quoted Post
The move from 4 digit model numbers to 5 digit numbers has absolutely nothing to do with digital.


I never referred to the 4 to 5 digit change as being related to digital. I have a number of locos with 34xx and 37xx catalogue numbers. Marklin digital came in around 12-15 years ahead of the change to 5 digit numbers.

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