Märklin BR 78 Betriebsanleitung Seite 8

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Prototype
The Class 78 In The Märklin 1 Assortment
The Märklin 1 model of the class 78 presented in 1980 continued the expan-
sion of the program of high-quality 1 Gauge models begun in the previous
year with the class 38. The first model was offered in an AC (no. 5706) and
in a DC (5746) version. The road number for these models was "78 355".
The first substantial change to the locomotive took place in 1987. With the
introduction of the "Standard 1 Gauge" program, this class appeared under
number 5707 in a version externally reworked and equipped with a new pro-
pulsion system. The road number for this model was "78 474". This version
could be run with either DC or AC power. The first Era 1 version of the T 18
was presented in the same year. The 5502 train set contained the Prussian
version of the T 18 with the road number "8402" in addition to 3 compart-
ment cars. This model was not just a simple color variation. The coal insert
was changed to correspond to Era 1 as were the piping and other appliances
to recreate the original version. The roof was also change to the barrel sha-
ped roof typical of that era.
The first digital version of the class 78 appeared in the Märklin assortment
with the introduction of Märklin Digital 1. Except for the electronic circuits,
this model was identical to the 5707. This model remained in the program
until 1991.
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The first model with a built-in Motorola decoder was the model of the Würt-
temberg T 18 produced in a one-time series in 1995 with the item number
5524. This model had the road number "1127". The first class 78 with a
built-in sound effects module was delivered in a small production run in 2000.
The prototype of this model was a German State Railroad version. A new
sound effects circuit was developed for this that produces the prototypical
sounds of the tank locomotive at different operating speeds and standing
still. This model has the item number 55241 and you won't find it in any
Märklin catalog and therefore represents the rarest version.
To the delight of many fans of 1 Gauge, the class 78 was presented again
in 2001 in the 55021 train set. With a sound effects circuit, smoke generator
and digital high-efficiency propulsion, the technical features for this model
fulfill the wishes of the model railroaders. Probably the most popular era,
Era 3, was selected for the paint and lettering scheme on this model.
Together with the compartment cars included in the set, the result is a
passenger train right out of the 1950s.