Märklin announces Flying Scotsman in H0

[johnhutnick]

So here is a screenshot of the Marklin cab side that I took from a video.

So what is "off" about the number?  Is the lettering slightly too small?  If so, who is volunteering to remove the numbering from their new model?  And what transfers are there to buy that will be any substantial improvement?

 

[Coldgunner]

The numbers are too narrow or the wrong font. If you eyeball the '010' against the builders plate, the plate is wider, and if you look at the '6' in relation to the cab windows its too far over to the right. The right edge of the '3' should be in line with the rivet under the forward window. Compared to my photo of the real thing the font looks smaller and narrower.

[johnhutnick]

And now what?  Did anyone get theirs and have it in hand yet to study the lettering?   In the US I do not yet have this.

[BernardTPM]

Medium Gill Sans numbers from British Railways 1948 manual. Differences are subtle and I would guess the numbers on the actual 'Scotsman' are probably hand painted by a skilled signwriter rather than transfers.

[ellocoloco]

3 hours ago, johnhutnick said:

Did anyone get theirs

 

I've got mine. The photographic evidence above suggests the cab numbers are a little small but its looks fine to me. The model runs superbly, the colour and the detail looks great, sound is good, the lights are excellent*. I even enjoy the rather gimmicky smoke.

 

But most importantly, the axles are the correct length and next to my NKP Hudson, KPV S10 and OBB 310, it looks so right. Once yours gets across the pond I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

*Read about how many people are having strokes regarding the lights on Hornby's new 5F and Turbomotive on their respective threads,

[Grovenor]

1 hour ago, ellocoloco said:

 

But most importantly, the axles are the correct length

 

 

I think that very unlikely with Maerklin H0 wheelsets, could you measure the axle length and tell us the result?

[johnhutnick]

Are these the letters that we want?  If so, what size?  They have both OO and O.

[BernardTPM]

No, those are the wrong typeface for steam. Sheet H0-4101 is correct. They also do the power and route availablilty codes H0-4301. See also H0-4303 to 6 for specific sizes and custom number sets (made to order) H0-9990.

[johnhutnick]

So the correct cabside lettering is HO cream 8"?  I wrote to Railtec to ask if they are making a Scotsman set for the Marklin loco.  I would much rather have the 5 numbers already together on the transfer than try to get 5 numbers just perfect.  You can imagine looking at your final job and thinking that you should have left it alone.

So for all of this talk, do we have a first volunteer to try the job?  And how to do it?  

[BernardTPM]

Yes, 8" seems to be standard. This shows the standard dimensions and positions.

[Mark Laidlay]

My model arrived today in Melbourne from China via Germany and TMC.  It’s my only H0 scale British loco and likely to stay that way, although I have vague recollections of having a Lima 4F somewhere.

Is funnel too big?

What’s that bit of green between the splashers between the front two axles, the drive from the motor appears to go to the rear drivers.

Why is there no effort at modelling the drawbar between the loco and tender?

What can I do about the moving frame when only the rear axle should be moving?  I suppose that’s the price of buying a model that can go around tight curves.

The cab numbers are surely wrongly positioned, was that right at any time?

It’s a big step from the tender to the first coach, I could have got a shorter NEM Kadee.

The green looks better in the flesh (plastic) than the photos.

It does look nice coupled to NSWGR coaches as it did in 1988/89, although it is the wrong colour and number for it's Australian tour of course.

[Mark Laidlay]

Has anyone been able to fix the chuff rate?  When the the loco is running quickly the chuff seems far to slow to me.

[Mark Laidlay]

Here's the cab side in April 23.  

[maico]

On 13/12/2023 at 13:11, Mark Laidlay said:

My model arrived today in Melbourne from China via Germany and TMC.  It’s my only H0 scale British loco and likely to stay that way, although I have vague recollections of having a Lima 4F somewhere.

Is funnel too big?

What’s that bit of green between the splashers between the front two axles, the drive from the motor appears to go to the rear drivers.

Why is there no effort at modelling the drawbar between the loco and tender?

What can I do about the moving frame when only the rear axle should be moving?  I suppose that’s the price of buying a model that can go around tight curves.

The cab numbers are surely wrongly positioned, was that right at any time?

It’s a big step from the tender to the first coach, I could have got a shorter NEM Kadee.

The green looks better in the flesh (plastic) than the photos.

It does look nice coupled to NSWGR coaches as it did in 1988/89, although it is the wrong colour and number for it's Australian tour of course.

 

Is the COO stated as China on the box?

[Mark Laidlay]

On 17/12/2023 at 12:15, maico said:

 

Is the COO stated as China on the box?

No, I went looking for something, it was an assumption on my part.  Where do Märklin get made?

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On 26/11/2023 at 11:20, Bigskybirds said:

Side by side comparison with Big Boy

Excellent. That demonstrates beautifully how small UK steam locos were on the world scale; for those who haven't (yet ) crawled all over North American steam superpower.

 

Doncaster's designers did a fine job of 'scaling down' the well regarded Pennsy K4 pacific, which was the inspiration for making a pacific locomotive workable within the GNR's moving gauge envelope; a little further detail  'trimming' proved necessary for the LNER's gallimaufrey of main lines...

[maico]

On 18/12/2023 at 11:21, Mark Laidlay said:

No, I went looking for something, it was an assumption on my part.  Where do Märklin get made?

 

The main Marklin Trix factory is in Göppingen Germany and track, wagons, and accessories in their factory in Györ Hungary.

 

They also source in China. For example, the other museum locos like the French 241 and Belgian steamers.  They have to stick COO labels on the boxes for US imports.

 

Factory tour videos here. You can spot various metal bodied locos in the CNC machines. The second video gives a better idea of scale. It's a large long building.

 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by maico

[johnhutnick]

I do not yet have my Scotsman in hand.  However, we should be able to settle the "China" topic readily.  Does the loco say "China" on the bottom or not?

[jjb1970]

Does it make a difference whether or not it was made in Germany, Hungary or China?

[njee20]

Happened into Gaugemaster earlier and saw this in stock. Must admit I thought it looks hugely plasticky (and the cab side numbers do look wrong). Like it’s unpainted. I don’t even model OO, let alone HO, so I’ve no dog in the fight, but I thought it looked pretty poor, and wouldn’t pay half the asking price. 

[Bernard Lamb]

9 hours ago, njee20 said:

Happened into Gaugemaster earlier and saw this in stock. Must admit I thought it looks hugely plasticky (and the cab side numbers do look wrong). Like it’s unpainted. I don’t even model OO, let alone HO, so I’ve no dog in the fight, but I thought it looked pretty poor, and wouldn’t pay half the asking price. 

Neither would I.

However it is not aimed at the likes of us.

Marklin has, for a far longer period tham any UK company, had a loyal fan base. If they are happy to buy it then Marklin has got it right.

That should not prevent people who prefer a nearer to scale model from making adverse comments.

You pay your money and you take your choice. However I see nothing wrong with being able to make an informed choice.

From your descripton I am glad that I have only seen photographs, rather than in the plastic so to speak. It would probably give me nightmares.😃

Bernard

[jjb1970]

I think any model should be judged on its merits as a model, regardless of who makes it. In this case obviously there's the scale angle and the alternative RTR HO Scotsman would be the very expensive brass model made many years ago but even there the correct scale/gauge ratio shouldn't override whether or not the rest of the model is accurate nor be assumed to result in an overall more accurate or better representation than available OO models.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On 13/12/2023 at 13:11, Mark Laidlay said:

...Is funnel too big?

 

What’s that bit of green between the splashers between the front two axles, the drive from the motor appears to go to the rear drivers.

 

Why is there no effort at modelling the drawbar between the loco and tender?

 

What can I do about the moving frame when only the rear axle should be moving?  I suppose that’s the price of buying a model that can go around tight curves...

You can check if something is awry on chimney top height very easily. It should be 13x3.5mm = 45.5mm above rail top. (The chimney does look a little tall considered alone, but then we get into the whole stack of components that assemble to place the chimney top wherever it may be...)

 

Chop away the superfluous bit of green? The boiler underside is a smoothly curved surface at this location, tapering of course... 

 

It looks like there is room enough to add a proper drawbar by DIY, perhaps the tender dragbox aperture has been represented to give you the right height as a starting point? (In RTR OO Bachmann have been the long term champions at getting this detail right, and it markedly improves appearance. With rare exceptions I have to go hacking away at the various bodges from other brand's tender locos.)

 

Matrix is a set track brand as you acknowledge. If your own layout's minimum radius (with its fine appearance hand ballasted track) is 750mm or greater, you might assess the possibility of a DIY fixed truck frame and independent truck within for the wheelset.

 

[ellocoloco]

Now that I can finally have a decent 'play' with mine after having been told to put it away after collection I am truly impressed by so much of this model. Sure I can see that the cab numbers are slightly off in both size and colour and the stack looks a little high and certainly these are details that should have been caught in production. But the model feels so good. When lifted together - loco and tender - it feels such a solid bit of kit. The finish is excellent and to my eyes really matches the correct green. The motion looks great and it runs very smoothly. At 50-70% power in a cold attic the smoke really looks the part puffing up about 3" and then hanging over the trailing wagons. It sounds like a pacific to me and the whistle is great. I am limited by my rather antiquated DCC system* so haven't operated all the functions yet but have no doubts what I will get will be good. Only thing I have not tried yet is the closer coupling for the tender drawbar, but I think it should manage R4 at least on the closer setting even though the instructions state this setting is for display only. 

 

Most importantly for me, in any view I have of the model that includes the track it looks right. It sits so well and doesn't look like it will capsize at any moment. It is an expensive model, though factoring in inflation I paid more for Roco 310.23 two decades ago and these two are of similar quality though I would rate the Roco model slightly higher in finesse even after all these years**. I hope this isn't the only British offering in HO from Marklin/Trix but I'm not holding my breath. 

 

(I can't see a country of manufacture. The box and operating manual have the Goppingen address so I am assuming German manufacture. Wherever it was put together, they did a great job. I have the Trix version.)

 

*Lokmaus 2 and Multimaus.

** 310.23 is handicapped by its 1st gen integrated DCC.

 

 

[maico]

On 20/12/2023 at 23:29, njee20 said:

Happened into Gaugemaster earlier and saw this in stock. Must admit I thought it looks hugely plasticky (and the cab side numbers do look wrong). Like it’s unpainted. I don’t even model OO, let alone HO, so I’ve no dog in the fight, but I thought it looked pretty poor, and wouldn’t pay half the asking price. 

 

It's mostly metal including the tender. The cab is plastic as per usual Marklin-Trix practice as I expect the running board is.

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by maico