Just finished a fun decoder upgrade project on my Märklin NS1652 “Utrecht” , part of the Dutch Maintenance Train Set (29256). Thought some of you might enjoy the details!


Converting the Dutch NS1652 “Utrecht” Locomotive from the Märklin 29256 Maintenance Train Set

This month I’ve been working on the yellow NS 1600 series locomotive, number 1652 “Utrecht.”
First, I modified several settings in the standard mLD3 decoder to expand the lighting and shunting functions compared to Märklin’s default configuration.
No soldering was required, everything can be done using a Mobile Station 2 (MS2) controller.

After that, I installed an “Umrüst” (exchange) mSD3 sound decoder and added a range of extra sound functions, including many on-train station announcements.
At the moment there are 11 fixed stations, 3 random groups of 6 stations each, and one sequential group of 14 stations, a total of 49 station announcements available in the locomotive.
All 32 function keys are now fully utilized.

For a detailed description of both processes, plus downloadable PDFs containing comprehensive “how-to” guides in eight languages, visit:

👉 https://eliveld.nl/articles/2025/1026/1026.html

Tip: The website is in Dutch, but Google Translate will display it in any language you prefer.

The corresponding project file (.mdtp) is also available on the site.
So if you own the Märklin 29256 Dutch Maintenance Train Starter Set, you can easily apply the same modifications to your own 1652 locomotive using Märklin’s mDecoderTool3 software, provided, of course, you’re willing to invest in an “Umrüst” mSD3 decoder.

Enjoy reading, and happy modelling!

Gertjan (Coax)