Etat Mountain Express locomotive (Märklin ME70-12920)

From The Brighton Toy and Model Index
Jump to navigationJump to search
Star Exhibit

Etat Mountain Express locomotive (Märklin ME70-12920)

Mountain Etat 4-8-2 Locomotive, Märklin ME70-12920 (MarklinCat 1936).jpg (i)

BTMM map 032.gif
location:
Arch Three , Area 32
Märklin Model Railways (display)


A grey gauge 0 model of a French "Chemins de fer de l'État" Mountain-type 4-8-2 express locomotive and tender with red baseline, number ME 66/12920, made by Märklin in the 1930s.

This was one of the "heavy" 20V electric gauge 0 models made by Märklin circa 1935 (models were produced from 1934 to 1953), with "Einfach Steuerung" (Simple controllers).

1936: Märklin Mountain Etat locomotive 'ME 70/12920


Variations

The "Mountain Etat" was one of the four large locomotives singled out in the 1936 catalogue as "Scale Models". Our example is an earlier version of the model – Märklin later switched to a more complex and more standardised drive gear for the loco ... however, the simpler drive gear on this model is perhaps closer to what one might have expected to find on a real Mountain Etat.

Märklin Chemins de fer de l'État" (Etat Mountain Express) locomotive, detail


Leaflet text:

" The new heavy duty Mountain Express locomotive 4-8-2 of the Etat Railroad of France
Length overall 23 ½ inches.
Finish dull black or grey. "

The Mountain Etats

The eight drive wheels of the "Mountain" 4-8-2 configuration gave superior traction on difficult slopes. The format was introduced in the US in 1911 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, whose increasing passenger service demands meant that they now needed something more powerful to haul their trains over the Allegheny Mountains region than their existing "Pacific" 4-6-2 locomotives. Locomotive manufacturer redesigned their existing Pacifics to have an additional set fo drive wheels, and the successful new class became known as the Mountain class.

French locomotive designers adopted the name, with the Chemins de fer de l'Est building a prototype 4-8-2 (known in France as a 241 based on the number of axles) in 1925, followed by another forty main-production locos in 1930.

Chemins de Fer de l'État then acquired 49 locos of the same design between 1930 and 1932.

References

  • Christian Väterlein and Botho G. Wagner, Märklin Eisenbahnen (Battenberg Verlag Augsburg, 1996), p.149 ISBN 389441233X

External links