 Joined: 01/01/2022(UTC) Posts: 31 Location: New York, Glenmont
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A strange question to be sure, but here's the background. I overpaid for a 34232 red Wismar railbus on Ebay. Didn't run. I figure no problem. The decoder is probably set for digital or delta. I'll just set it back to run on analog. Trying to follow the instructions for removing the shell by prying, I must've been just a bit too aggressive because the shell shattered like it was made out of glass, hence the title. Has this happened to anyone, or did I just have the bad luck of getting a part made from a defective batch of plastic?
This is why I don't like models where you have to pry something apart to do maintenance or modifications. It's all too easy to break something.
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 1 user liked this useful post by Norbstarted1969
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,446
Location: DE-NW
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Hi!
Sorry to hear about your bad luck.
Some Märklin plastic items (including early C track, coaches, freight cars) are known to become brittle over time. Sometimes such a coach turns into a puzzle when you try to install lights.
This can happen with some Roco items, too.
I'm not sure if the Wismar railbus was made by Märklin. Not a Märklin design at least - and old enough to become brittle.
I also have one of those. And sooner or later I will have to open it for lubrication. |
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  |
2 users liked this useful post by H0
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,914 Location: Michigan, Troy
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Yes, it could be a cooperative model with Bimo, or Brawa. Some BASF plastic they all used in the early new millenium was the culprit.
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1 user liked this useful post by marklinist5999
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,446
Location: DE-NW
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According to the catalogue it was a co-operation with Bemo. It does not look like a Märklin design, so most likely a Bemo construction. |
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 |
1 user liked this useful post by H0
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 Joined: 27/02/2008(UTC) Posts: 297 Location: Santiago
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Originally Posted by: Norbstarted1969  A strange question to be sure, but here's the background. I overpaid for a 34232 red Wismar railbus on Ebay. Didn't run. I figure no problem. The decoder is probably set for digital or delta. I'll just set it back to run on analog. Trying to follow the instructions for removing the shell by prying, I must've been just a bit too aggressive because the shell shattered like it was made out of glass, hence the title. Has this happened to anyone, or did I just have the bad luck of getting a part made from a defective batch of plastic?
This is why I don't like models where you have to pry something apart to do maintenance or modifications. It's all too easy to break something. It happened to me with the same model. 34232 has a very weak shell, for some reason the plastic just breaks like glass. Actually I also had a problem with one of the gears so he model was lost and is there only for parts. I have the first model the 3423 and the plastic of the shell is different and has no problem to take out. Kr,
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2 users liked this useful post by eduard71
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 Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC) Posts: 1,291 Location: Port Moody, BC
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I've had the same issue with a Fleischmann bi-level car of the 5120 series. I tried to open it to adjust the boggie and coupler arrangement and not only did the shell break into bits, but also the frame and the boggie. The damage was so great that there were so many bits of plastic that a repair was not possible. My plan to add lighting into the rest of the cars was permanently put off based on that experience.
So it is not only the C track of that era that is brittle, but obviously rolling stock from various manufacturers as well.
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2 users liked this useful post by PMPeter
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 Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,565 Location: Paris, France
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Hi
As already mentioned, the very first C Track rails (from 1996-1998) became so brittle that I broke one simply by dropping it on the hard wood floor by less than 30 cm.
Also in the 1950 Thermoplastik was introduced in 1953 I think and I have few examples of bad aging:
- the long flat car (combination of Zamak and Thermoplatik) shrinks and bends Ref 4606, 4607, etc
- the switch controller in blue 7072 bends itself because the Thermoplastik changes dimensions
- the large transformer on the 4617 "Well wagon" is also deformed.
Regarding Thermoplastic, the changes became visible after decades while for early C Track, it took 2 to 3 years to become apparent.
Cheers
Jean |
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2 users liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,914 Location: Michigan, Troy
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Again, BASF plastic. Either Marklin changed supplier, or BASF changed formula. I also wonder why Herpa white plastic vehicles don't yellow, but Busch, etc can.
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Joined: 01/01/2022(UTC) Posts: 31 Location: New York, Glenmont
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JohnjeanB, I agree. Some of the old thermoplastic hasn't aged well. I have an old gondola where there's a visible gap between the body and the chassis. I once got a consignment of old stuff that was pretty good overall except for some bridge piers that were so warped that it looked like they had been in a fire. Totally unusable.
Thanks for the feedback, all. Paradoxically, the brittle nature actually works out in that it can be reglued without distortion and you have to look hard to see the cracks. Naturally, one chunk turned out to be missing when I was done!
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1 user liked this useful post by Norbstarted1969
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 Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,481 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: Norbstarted1969 Naturally, one chunk turned out to be missing when I was done! Vacuum the floor real quick with something over the end of the vacuum hose to stop bits disappearing into the bag. Probably find it has disappeared under a piece of furniture or into the carpet pile.
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1 user liked this useful post by kiwiAlan
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