MARKLIN HO 38141 Class 141.R. Steam Locomotive. Road Number 1244

The 141.R.: Super Power for Europe

Always larger, always faster, and more efficient: In the USA, the big locomotive builders constructed super power locomotives right up to World War II, which left their European counterparts regularly in the shadows. When the European locomotive industry lay in rubble at the end of the war and when France in particular had lost a large part of its locomotive roster, the French government turned to the USA in order to acquire powerful steam locomotives quickly. Here it was a unit which conformed to the French norms, and which could be used as general-purpose motive power. Within two years USA American and Canadian locomotive builders produced over 1,300 "Light Mikados" for the French SNCF. They were by no means "light" in France. With an indexed performance of over 3,000 horsepower, they were among the most powerful steam locomotives in Europe. For many years they provided motive power even for famous trains such as the luxury "Mistral", which linked the Cote d'Azur with Paris. The last class 141 R units ran until 1974 in Saargemünd (Sarreguemines) near the German border. There they regularly encountered German steam locomotives, which by comparison seemed like small children. Such a fascinating meet can now only be done on a layout. Or you can place the impressive class 141 R in a display case next to other famous high-performance steam locomotives. Since class 141 R, road number 1244, has been running for decades as a museum locomotive in Switzerland, the great new Märklin model even fits in the current Era VI.

Prototype: Class 141.R steam locomotive with an oil tender. Road number 1244 for mixed service, as it looked on the French State Railways (SNCF). The locomotive looks as it currently does in operational condition based at the Verein Mikado 1244 / Mikado Association 1244 in Brugg in Switzerland.

Highlights

Completely new tooling.
Class 141.R. in the Märklin program for the first time.
Especially intricate metal construction.
A variety of separately applied details.
Factory-installed smoke generator.
Cab lighting, running gear lights, and firebox / burner flickering controlled separately in digital operation.
World of Operation mfx+ digital decoder with extensive light and sound functions.
Buffer height adheres to the NEM.

Model:

The locomotive has an mfx+ digital decoder and extensive sound functions. It also has controlled high-efficiency propulsion with a flywheel, mounted in the boiler. Four axles powered, three of them using side rods. Traction tires. The locomotive and tender are constructed mostly of metal. There is a factory-installed smoke generator. The headlights and dual red marker lights change over with the direction of travel, will work in conventional operation, and can be controlled digitally. These lights can be switched to a red marker light. The cab lighting, running gear lights, and firebox / burner flickering can be controlled separately in digital operation. Maintenance-free warm white and red LEDs are used for the lighting. There is a close coupling with a mechanism between the locomotive and the tender. The tender has a close coupler with a guide mechanism in an NEM pocket. The buffer height on the locomotive and tender adheres to the NEM. The minimum radius for operation is 360 mm / 14-3/16". Piston rod sleeves and brake hoses are included.
Length over the buffers approximately 27.9 cm / 11".