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Question Märklin Central Station 3 / 3 plus - does production date matter?
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Offline Torbjorn  
#1 Posted : 01 October 2024 12:53:07(UTC)
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Torbjorn


Joined: 26/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Norway
Hello

I am currently using Märklin Central Station 2 (60213) to control my trains. Unfortuately, I don't have a large permanent layout (yet), so running trains is done on temporary pieces of track. For this use, the CS2 has been sufficient. However, some time ago there was a software update, and I lost the ability to control functions 16-32. I can access the buttons on the display, but when pressing the buttons the corresponding function from f1-f15 is activated instead. Märklin support says I need to send in the CS2 for repair. Does this mean a software update can break hardware components?

Anyway, I am considering buying the Central Station 3 plus (60216). I have two concerns:
1) Märklin might soon release a Central Station 4, making my newly purchased Central Station old and outdated right away. Some people I have spoken to claim the CS4 is "right around the corner". Märklin support has e-mailed me an answer where they say that in the future there will be other controllers, but the CS3 will continue to function as it does today.
2) Some claim that Märklin produces CS3 / CS3 plus in large batches, then halts production for some time before making another batch. Some people also say there are hardware upgrades made by Märklin between the batches, making it a important to get a "fresh" controller which is produced recently.

My question to you all is: does it matter when the Central Station 3 plus I buy is produced, and if so is there a way to spot production dates from either the outer box or the CS3 itself?

Thank you.
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Offline marklinist5999  
#2 Posted : 01 October 2024 13:05:05(UTC)
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marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,867
Location: Michigan, Troy
Yes, the production date is in the serial number. If you buy a new one, the dealer may install the latest software updates before shipping to you. Otherwise, when you boot it up, the system stats will have the version from the factory. Connecting it to the Internet will display a Red dot if updates are available. A green dot means they been installed.
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Offline rhfil  
#3 Posted : 01 October 2024 19:16:35(UTC)
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rhfil

United States   
Joined: 05/09/2014(UTC)
Posts: 676
Location: NEW HAMPSHIRE, Somersworth
Updating the CS3/3+ should not be an issue since you will probably have to do it at some time in the future even if the one you purchase is up to date. One advantage of the + for you to consider is it will allow you to use the CS2 as a slave which the other will not.
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Offline Pasquiles  
#4 Posted : 01 October 2024 20:46:19(UTC)
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Pasquiles

Luxembourg   
Joined: 04/06/2019(UTC)
Posts: 55
Location: Luxembourg, Luxembourg
They do build it in batches. When I bought mine I have to wait several months, but at that time the chips were really scarce, so could be that things are different now.

I have the CS3+, which my dealer convinced me to buy instead of the CS3. But, I believe that CS3 would have suffice as well. I do not need it to be a master, and neither would have mind to have the L88 separately with the dedicated power source.

In any case I am quite happy with the CS3+, I can only recommend it. And as well I would recommend as well is the power source of 100 VA over the one of 50/60 VA, which my dealer insisted as well, despite of Märklin recommendations to only use it for LGB and scale 1.
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#5 Posted : 01 October 2024 21:33:15(UTC)
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kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,456
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: Torbjorn Go to Quoted Post
Hello

I am currently using Märklin Central Station 2 (60213) to control my trains. Unfortuately, I don't have a large permanent layout (yet), so running trains is done on temporary pieces of track. For this use, the CS2 has been sufficient. However, some time ago there was a software update, and I lost the ability to control functions 16-32. I can access the buttons on the display, but when pressing the buttons the corresponding function from f1-f15 is activated instead. Märklin support says I need to send in the CS2 for repair. Does this mean a software update can break hardware components?

Anyway, I am considering buying the Central Station 3 plus (60216). I have two concerns:
1) Märklin might soon release a Central Station 4, making my newly purchased Central Station old and outdated right away. Some people I have spoken to claim the CS4 is "right around the corner". Märklin support has e-mailed me an answer where they say that in the future there will be other controllers, but the CS3 will continue to function as it does today.
2) Some claim that Märklin produces CS3 / CS3 plus in large batches, then halts production for some time before making another batch. Some people also say there are hardware upgrades made by Märklin between the batches, making it a important to get a "fresh" controller which is produced recently.

My question to you all is: does it matter when the Central Station 3 plus I buy is produced, and if so is there a way to spot production dates from either the outer box or the CS3 itself?

Thank you.


If you wait for a cs4 you could be waiting forever. There is no evidence that a cs4 "is just around the corner"! A cs3 will be updated for a long time yet, just like the cs2 is still being updated some considerable time after the cs3 was introduced.

Your fault sounds really strange. I would suggest updating the cs2 again - and make sure that you do the GFP update. It sounds to me like you may have missed doing that when you did the last update. Connect your cs2 to the internet using a cable from your router, then on the setup page ask it to do a network update, and it will get the most recent update from Marklin, all by itself. I can't remember if the last USB download update had all the tiny details that they sometimes only release on an internet update.

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Offline JohnjeanB  
#6 Posted : 02 October 2024 00:55:28(UTC)
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JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,551
Location: Paris, France
Hi
You raise a few points
The CS2 is a very good Central Station BUT the 60213 had a big issue in absence of galvanic insulation (also on early 60214) and at the time.
Alaso the CS2 is NOT maintained (if it fails it goes directly to the trash bin with an optional sending back to Märklin to get a reduced price on a CS3 with an official Märklin dealer. In Europe, this is not advantageous because the reduction you get with some German retailers (Lippe, etc) are better than the one offered by Märklin.

Personal experience on early CS2 One of the CS2s (an early 60214, 2,4A no galvanic separation caused an avalanche of failures and mine had the motherboard replaced by Göppingen by a 60215 (5A, Galvanic separation) which was like night and day for around 150€ at the time (approx. 2013). The early versions of the CS2 cannot be compared with later 60215 but anyways all CS2 lack of memory and processing power.

The CS3 is also very good. Indeed based on the support offered on the CS2, you may expect updates for a number of years and so far repairs are possible (often by replacement of the mother board.
It was introduced in 2016 which is a long time ago (8 years in Electronics is more than a generation).

The CS4 / replacement CS So, for sure Märklin has already started the design of a replacement of the CS3 (already 8 years old). It does NOT mean it will be introduced for sure very soon. WE DON'T KNOW because the replacement decision may be caused by scarcity of old components, insufficient processing power (CPU, memory, etc). Based on what I see on the CS3 I have, the screen has to go (cannot remain a part of the new CS).
Last, the replacement decision will be sudden as advance leaks could mean no more sales of the old unit (CS3) but in high probability within the 2 coming years (just my opinion).

Cheers
Jean
My layout videos
latest vid
marshalling yard
My Layout
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Offline Torbjorn  
#7 Posted : 02 October 2024 12:11:57(UTC)
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Torbjorn


Joined: 26/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Norway
Thank you all for a lot of intereseting and useful information.
You are what makes this forum pure gold.

I have recently done an update of my CS2 via ethernet-cable, but I can try once more.
Anyway, I am very eager to buy a CS3+, but I would like to make sure I get one that is as new as possible.
This year I started collecting Märklin Spur 1 as well, so I will make sure to add the most powerful transformer.

@ marklinist5999: you write that the production year is in the serial number. Do you know how to decode that? For example, I found one CS3 for sale on eBay with the serialnumber 240222204968. Could it be that the serialnumber is on the format "yymmddxxxxxx", indicating production date 22nd of February 2024?

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Offline marklinist5999  
#8 Posted : 02 October 2024 14:39:39(UTC)
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marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,867
Location: Michigan, Troy
It's 2 of the last 4 numbers. Mine is 06 21 5, or June 2021.
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Offline Torbjorn  
#9 Posted : 02 October 2024 15:33:30(UTC)
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Torbjorn


Joined: 26/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Norway
Anyone who can decode when this CS3+ is made?

CS3serialnumber.jpg
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Offline marklinist5999  
#10 Posted : 02 October 2024 15:42:13(UTC)
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marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,867
Location: Michigan, Troy
2020, April, I think. I was going by when I bought mine in fall of 2021 according to the box. The numbers on the device are different. Does te system status give the date? I will check later.
Yours is much newer than mine, it being number 1768?? Mine has no #2's at the beginning. 1's, and 7's.
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Offline Torbjorn  
#11 Posted : 04 October 2024 09:46:54(UTC)
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Torbjorn


Joined: 26/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Norway
1) The picture of the sticker on the backside of the CS3 plus is not from a controller I own. As mentioned it is from an eBay-ad.
2) As I wrote, the serialnumber is 24022204968.
3) If I were assigned to make the nomenclature for a serialnumber for a device, it would seem like a good idea to use the format yymmddxxxxx, where yy is the year, mm is the month and dd is the day of the month. XXXXX could be the number of units made, where for example 04968 is the 4968th unit made.

I am very interested in hearing from you all whether you think it is important to get a unit that is produced as recently as possible.

I would also very much like to hear from you all what the first 6 digits of the serialnumber of your units are. Do they fit my theory of yymmdd?
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Offline Goofy  
#12 Posted : 05 October 2024 06:34:08(UTC)
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Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,273
Depends CS3 ID number.
If your CS3 ID have higher number, then in case this model was produced in late date.
The only con is that Märklin does not verified ID number as latest.
Some of the shop store do have CS3 which has been store for months until one day somebody buys it.
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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Offline Torbjorn  
#13 Posted : 05 October 2024 10:00:49(UTC)
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Torbjorn


Joined: 26/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Norway
@ Goofy - I agree. I am considering buying one, but I think it has been on the shelf in the store for a long time. Possibly years. Which is why I would like to decode how the serialnumber-system works. And to know wheter it is important to buy a "fresh" CS3.

I have found yet another CS3+ for sale. It too has a serial number starting on 24. And the next numbers are 0223, which could be the 23rd of February 2024.

CS3plus no 2.jpg
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Offline marklinist5999  
#14 Posted : 05 October 2024 13:29:28(UTC)
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marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,867
Location: Michigan, Troy
I referred to my CS 3 book where I keep a log of updates, data backups, and addresses assigned to accessories by MFX, MM, and dcc. The first update was done April of 2021, version 2.3.1 and had 8. About when I had it delivered or soon after in February or March. So being from 2017, must have been in the shop's inventory for a while. Could be because of the pandemic, as I recall them being out of stock at Marklin then.
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Offline Torbjorn  
#15 Posted : 17 October 2024 08:59:15(UTC)
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Torbjorn


Joined: 26/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Norway
For anyone interested in this topic, I can now provide an answer with certainty.
Since there was no answer in this thread, I contacted Märklin asking them about how the serialnumber was constructed.
Now I have the answer:

24mmyysssss

24 = Central Station
mm = month
yy = year
sssss = the serialnumber of the unit
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Offline marklinist5999  
#16 Posted : 17 October 2024 13:55:59(UTC)
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marklinist5999

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC)
Posts: 3,867
Location: Michigan, Troy
Thank's! That would mean mine was made in October of 2020. I bought it in February or early March of 2021. That was the middle of the pandemic. So if assembled in China, they must have already been easing lockdowns???
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#17 Posted : 17 October 2024 14:06:04(UTC)
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kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,456
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: marklinist5999 Go to Quoted Post
Thank's! That would mean mine was made in October of 2020. I bought it in February or early March of 2021. That was the middle of the pandemic. So if assembled in China, they must have already been easing lockdowns???


I believe all their electronics items are made in Germany, by a seperate electronics company that contracts to Marklin. With modern SMD assembly being essentially done automatically there is not much saving doing it off shore.
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