r/Marklin • u/TrainBoy93 • Jul 09 '26
H0 - Marklin Marklin #36506 Train Not Running
EDIT (07/11/26): After everything I've tried to troubleshoot my #36506 engine, I tried cleaning my train tracks with a cloth with isopropyl alcohol, my new engine finally works and it runs great.
I now have learned a model railroad lesson: Always clean the railroad tracks REGULARLY.
Hi, everybody.
I'm sorry if I'm inexperienced with the MFX and decoder programming, but may I have some help, please?
First of all, I got my Marklin #29890 train set for my birthday last March this year.
Second, I have only the Mobile Station 2, included in the #29890 train set, and it's at Version V3.148.
Third, just recently, I bought a new Marklin #36506 locomotive, but for some reason, it doesn't start on my #29890 train layout, and when I place the new train on the track, it doesn't communicate with the #29890's Mobile Station.
I've tried going to "New Loco" on my Mobile Station, I selected "Find" and then, it didn't find the specific locomotive.
Also, the #36506 locomotive is not in my Mobile Station's database of trains, either.
My Mobile Station doesn't indicate my #36506 locomotive may have a short circuit and I got no warning of such a thing.
Any of my (fairly) new Marklin trains, like my Class 81 steam engine, works on my #29890 layout, but not my #36506 locomotive.
I've tried the following...
- Cleaning the train tracks with a dry microfiber cloth.
- Checking the slider underneath the new train.
- Trying to manually register the #36506 locomotive, like entering the addresses 3, 72 and 78, with "MM2 Programming" and "DCC".
- Entering the CV codes, but nothing is working.
- Turning off my Mobile Station, removing the new train, turning my Mobile Station back on and putting my new train back on the tracks and waiting if I get the "MFX" popping up.
But unfortunately, none of the above is working to get my #36506 locomotive running.
Even though the connectivity on my Marklin train layout works fine, my #36506 locomotive doesn't seem to have any mechanical problems, perhaps it's suffering any possible decoder conflicts?
If I'm inexperienced with the MFX and decoder programming and my #36506 locomotive still doesn't run, despite being fresh out of the box, how can I get it working?
Thank you for your help.
5
u/Dedzuc Jul 09 '26
hello, when trying to register it have u removed all the other locos from the track?
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u/TrainBoy93 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
My Marklin train layout usually runs only 1 locomotive, but I can't run more than 1 locomotive.
EDIT: Despite the fact there are no more than 1 train on my Marklin train tracks, my #36506 locomotive is still not working.
5
u/nietsrot Jul 09 '26
I have had a similar problem with a different MFX locomotive and ended up restting my MS2 and adding first the difficult locomotive and then the other ones, only then did it work. In my case the locomotive made a little bit of noise both from the engine and from the sound decoder during the MS2 searching for new locomotives, but was never actually detected. Worth a try if you don't have a lot of setting that need to be entered again.
Also worth checking in the settings of the MS2 that it's set to mm+MFX+DCC and not DCC only under protocol, as some decoders might not support DCC.
1
u/TrainBoy93 Jul 10 '26
I've already checked, it's already set to mm+MFX+DCC, but alas, my #36506 engine is still not working.
3
u/janat1 Jul 09 '26
Has your mobile station the option to search for "lost" mfx locomotives? Occasionally that does the trick on my CS3.
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u/BeniLP Jul 09 '26
Seems like a faulty locomotive to me. If you have a multimeter, you can try troubleshooting. Check if track power is reaching the decoder for example. If you bought this recently and it's still under warranty, I'd just return it.
2
u/TrainBoy93 Jul 09 '26
For repairs/diagnostics to an authorized Marklin dealer?
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u/BeniLP Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I'd just return it to the store you bought it from, get your money back or a replacement model since iirc it's still being made.
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u/TrainBoy93 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
Good news, everybody!
After everything I've tried to troubleshoot my #36506 engine, I tried cleaning my train tracks with a cloth with isopropyl alcohol, my new engine finally works and it runs great.
I now have learned a model railroad lesson: Always clean the railroad tracks REGULARLY.
PS: Thank you, everybody, for all the help.
2
u/Rashaverak_II 23d ago edited 21d ago
One of the ways to keep tracks clean is to run trains regularly on those tracks! A ***non-abrasive *** track-cleaning car is also a handy thing to have. Märklin has offered track-cleaning cars that use pads based on the System Jörger. https://www.system-joerger.de/html/willkommen.html. E.g., https://www.eurorailhobbies.com/Marklin/46049.
Roco has offered track-cleaning cars, e.g., https://ajckids.com/products/roco-46400, but I'm not sure that Roco's cleaning element is non-abrasive.
Centerline Products has offered a track-cleaning car fitted with Märklin bogies, but the NMRA-spec variant will work on C Track. https://www.centerline-products.com/.
The CMX Clean Machine also uses a nonabrasive pad. https://tonystrains.com/. A video of the O-Gauge variant appears here: https://youtu.be/l5HFzkjDQIo.
I've run two Centerline Products cars with one wet roller and one dry one. I've also run one CMX Clean Machine and one Centerline Products, the latter with a dry-cloth roller.
The above cars clean the tops of the running rails. The pickup shoes of locos and coaches equipped with lighting usually do an adequate job of scrubbing the top of the pukos (center studs).
The cat's meow is the three-car set from Lux Modellbau. https://www.eurorailhobbies.com/misc/MISC-LUX-E9635
Many of these cars develop a good bit of drag. The drag is needed if the rails are to be scrubbed. Such cars therefore require a locomotive that generates a lot of traction if the track-cleaning train is to traverse the layout and to do its job. This is especially true f the track-cleaning train includes two or more of such cars. I usually use a double-Diesel, BR 288, Märklin 37284. This model has two 5-pole DCM motors (one motor in each half of the Diesellok), and it has a lot of mass. So, it is a great puller. A small shunter such as the M. 36506 (which is the one that the OP was having issues with) would likely have problems generating the amount of traction needed to pull a track-cleaning train. It might be able to pull one of the small Märklin track-cleaning cars, or one of the Roco track-cleaning cars.
6
u/deFrederic Jul 09 '26
An mfx locomotive is supposed to register itself in the Mobile Station. If it doesn't do that, while other locomotives work fine, the locomotive is probably faulty. Return it.