Wife's new Marklin Maxi F units & train.

[artfull dodger]

At the open house at RLD hobbies, my wife bought some second hand Marklin Maxi items. She got the pair of Union Pacific F7s that I am repainting into Chessie System colors. I also removed the digital board and replaced it with a battery pack and a toggle switch for now. It will get RC control once I remember where I put everything to do that. It was between the Maxi F units and the LGB version. The LGB looks better, but its sooo much larger and would have clearance issues on our small layout. Where as the Maxi fits quite nicely. She also got 2 of the UP passenger coaches, UP Caboose and a Western Pacific box car. All the UP items will get redone into Chessie system. So far the F unit has run nearly 3 hours on the battery that saw several hours of use at the open house running my LGB Stainz, and still has not needed recharging. The Maxi line is prewar tinplate style for your garden and I love it. It has a charm all its own. I hope to get the lead unit finished in the next couple weeks, waiting on paint and decals to come in. Mike and Michele T

 

[stevedenver]

Always have liked these, but restrained myself from being tempted to collect another line. And, another scale.

I agree, charming. I have always thought the tank locos in this line could be brilliant, IF, lgb figures could be used.

Do they run as smoothly?
I know marklin uses metal gears.
I know my recent z gauge marklin locos are smooth, will creep, and a tech marvel.

I do know the marklin gauge one locos are amazing, smooth and superbly detailed.

 

[artfull dodger]

They use a simple can motor with a delrin gear on one axle in each truck in the F units. Not sure on the steam as I do not have one yet. I am told they are quieter than LGB, and my F unit is silent were as my LGB 2120 Stainz has just a bit of motor noise. Still quiet by any means mind you. LGB people will not work with Maxi as the trains are smaller, 1:32nd scale, but Marklin makes a nice line of figures, greater choice than LGB has ever produced. The local shop has a couple small boxes just full of Marklin figures. Mike

 

[James Day]

A friendly dealer used to loan us one of the maxi train steam sets for promotion at an exhibition I used to be involved in.

It was very well made. The quality of the pressings, finish and mechanics were awesome. It was noticably smaller in proportion than the G scale stuff we had, but as I am not scale modeller, this was easily ignored!

We took out the AC chip and fitted the DC chip when we used it, (easily reversible), but this produced a loco that ran the opposite to LGB and Playmobil kit (NMRA standards I believe). No easy way to get around this, like the DPDT switch on a Bachmann Thomas! On a dedicated circuit this did not matter.

We ran it auotmaticaly changing over with a catenary powered train, they each took turns to do a lap. so the polrity isue did not matter.

The other minor issue were the flanges, which seemed deeper than modern LGB and caused it to really shake, rattle and roll over LGB points.

The track the set came with was the standard Marklin Gauge 1 stuff, which whilst beautiful, was always a whole lot less forgiving than LGB. It is not suitable for outdoor use unless you have a truly level pre-prepared formation. A rough and ready lawn where LGB or PM will happily run all day, will just not do! As our display was always lose laid on grass we ran it on LGB track!

Great stuff though!

James