Marklin retro Ae6/6 set

[jjb1970]

I thought I’d share my new toys. A nice Marklin retro reproduction of their old Ae6/6 model dating back to the 1960’s. Marklin made a new Ae6/6 model in the 90’s (?) to much more modern standards of fidelity to prototype which is very good. They also did an upgrade of the old 3050 catalogue model on which this is based which was one of the plain green body side Ae6/6’s as an intermediate change. The 3050 was in their catalogue from the mid 60’s through to the mid 80’s. These are Marklin AC models with the centre skid, so unfortunately I cannot run them which is a shame as I suspect they’d be superb runners based on what I’ve seen of Marklin AC models. Given that these are very old models in terms of the tooling and AC you might ask why I bought them.

When I was but a small boy we had a family holiday in Switzerland, I was about 12 at the time. I managed to spend some time looking at trains (and rode a few) and at that time I fell in love with the Ae6/6 (not that I knew what an Ae6/6 was) As a souvenir/present my parents decided I could have a model train and I saw a Marklin Ae6/6 in a shop and fell in lust. Unfortunately it was too expensive and the shop chap was decent enough to explain that it wouldn’t run on a “Hornby” trainset and that I needed something 2 rail DC. So I got a Roco Br110 with the crease/aero nose, that model has left me with a lifelong (well lifelong to date) love of the aero front Br110 locomotives. As a nice gift the shop gave me a Marklin catalogue, which of course featured the Ae6/6 model that I lusted after. From that holiday on I’ve always had a special affection for the Ae6/6 and the Marklin model. Over the years I’ve had a few Ae6/6 models, including Roco and Hag, and loved them. Things moved on and I realised that the old Marklin model was rather crude next to the Roco and later Marklin offerings, but for some reason that old Marklin model never really left my memories. A few weeks ago I saw this reproduction set and at the risk of sounding like a sad old git wanting to relive childhood I decided I would get it, AC be damned.

The models are beautifully presented in Marklin retro packaging with that wonderful old Marklin box art, with individual boxes within a stout outer box. The models are all metal, very heavy and have a feeling of solidity which you just don’t get with most modern models. I get the feeling if I dropped one it’d be the floor I’d be worried about. The finish is superb, despite the slightly crude tooling the standard of paint and finish is superb. And crude is perhaps being unfair, given the age of the tooling the levels of detail are remarkably good, they’d probably have cut the mustard as good OO models well into the 00’s. Separate nose and cab door hand rails, comprehensive roof detail, the SBB CFF FFS and canton lok chrome bands are actually raised and not just printed. The bogie – body interface is pretty convincing given the age of the models, although that looks to have been achieved by using a very over wide body.

While this really is just an indulgence and a toy, they are beautifully done and rather lovely, one of those purchases that is probably very silly but which I don’t regret at all. In fact I’d go as far as to say that it is a long time indeed since a model has made me this happy. For any Swiss fans these are well worth a look.

 

PS. Apologies, they're upside down.

[Salmotrutta]

If buying these makes you happy it is money well spent! If I had to justify everything I buy in model railways I would have no trains at all! Enjoy!

[Horsetan]

.....Apologies, they're upside down.

 

They are visible in Australia.

[jjb1970]

One of the nice things about models like these is that they remind you of why the hobby is fun, you step away from obsessing about detail, micro-analysing things and getting all serious about things and just enjoy them for what they are. Looking at some of the threads on other models there is a lot to be said for that.