Locomotive inside after the conversion:
Rebuilding Märklin DRG 86 090
from set 3100 to digital with Märklin mfx conversion set
60904,
including addition of Telex couplers
Updated 06.06.2013
This conversion method may also been used on Märklin 3096 and other Märklin
models based on the Br 86.
The 60904 conversion set is no longer available from Märklin. Today I
would have used the motor set 60944 and the mLD decoder set 60942.
Märklin 3100-3, DRG 86 090
Locomotive inside after the conversion:
Motor:
Installation of the motor itself is very simple. Remove the old motor
and make sure that all the rotating and moving parts are clean and work
perfectly. Install the new motor form the conversion set. Carefully
add one small drop of oil to each end of the rotor. To much oil will harm
the operation of the motor. Before inserting the brushes, check once more
that everything rotates and moves normally. Finally, insert the brushes.
Decoder:
The decoder is installed where the electro-mechanical reversing unit used to
be. The two noise suppressors are soldered to the motor cover.
Decoder functions:
f0 = light with directional change
f1 = front Telex coupler
f2 = rear Telex coupler
f4 = acceleration and braking delay off
Front and rear light:
Front
The first conversion of this locomotive was done long time ago, before the
current different bulb holders were available.
I drilled out the front bulb holder (for bulb 610040) and inserted a bulb holder
475030 for screw bulbs, including bottom contact 475040. The four small
lugs under the bulb holder is cut off, not to interfere with the decoder.
I use bulb 600100, with a 1,5kOhm resistor, to comply with the higher voltage.
One resistor pin is used as thread for the bulb, the other one is soldered to
the shortened original bulb contact tongue. The contact tongue now serves
as a distributor for the orange plus wire. One wire from the decoder, one
to the front Telex and one going to the rear end of the locomotive
The gray wire from the decoder is soldered to the bottom contact in the bulb
holder, see gray arrow.
If I had converted this first time today, I would have used the bulb holder
604180 and a 610080 bulb.
Rear:
The first conversion of this locomotive was done long time ago, before the
current different bulb holders were available.
I drilled out the front bulb holder (for bulb 610040) and inserted a holder
for 5mm LED and pushed inn the original bulb 610040.
The original bottom contact tongue is used for the orange plus. A 1.5 kOhm
resistor is soldered directly to the bulb. The yellow wire from the
decoder is soldered to the resistor.
The contact plate also distributes the orange wire to the rear Telex.
If I had converted this first time today, I would have used the bulb holder
604180 and a 610080 bulb.
Telex couplers:
Front
I used the parts from Märklin 3096, which has the Telex couplers originally
fitted.
Rear:
I used the parts from Märklin 3096, which has the Telex couplers originally
fitted.
The Telex parts, front and rear are identical:
From the left in the photo:
1. Axel holder, original part from the locomotive
2. Telex magnet, new part, part no. 229240
3. Un-coupler, often called anchor, new part, part no. 228970
4. Screw, original part from the locomotive
5. Coupler hook, part no. 244560, can be made from the original one by removing
the extra parts.
The original coupler parts may look like this:
From the left in the photo:
1. Original coupler holder, without magnet
2. Coupler with "non re-coupling" device
3. Relex coupler
The parts used for this conversion:
| Part number | Pcs. | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60904 | 1 | Digital high propulsion conversion set | |
| 258820 | 1 | Decoder holder | |
| 786790 | 1 | Screw for decoder holder | |
| 228970 | 2 | Un-coupler rod, anchor | Telex parts, as in Märklin 3096, DB Br 86 |
| 244560* | 2 | Coupler hook* | |
| 229240 | 2 | Telex magnet and coupler holder | |
| 475030 | 1 | Bulb holder | Front light |
| 475040 | 1 | Bottom contact for bulb holder | |
| 600100 | 1 | Screw bulb | |
| - | 1 | 1,5 kOhm resistor | |
| (610040) | 1 | Original bulb | Rear light |
| - | 1 | 5 mm LED holder | |
| - | 1 | 1,5 kOhm resistor | |
The decoder functions:
| 3100 DRG 86 090 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60904 c91 | Light | Telex coupler | Acc/ dec | |||
| funct. | dir. | Front | Rear | Front | Rear | |
| f0 | forward | 3 | ||||
| reverse | 3 | |||||
| f1m | up | |||||
| f2m | up | |||||
| f4 | delay off | |||||