| Special edition 100 years Ce 6/8 II Limited edition of 3500 units.
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) class Ce 6/8 II Crocodile electric freight locomotive. Design from the first production series. With older design buffers, crossover plates at the ends, small switching steps and grab irons, with sanding equipment, without an oncoming train light, and without an inductive magnet. The locomotive looks as it did in the Twenties.
Source: www.maerklin.de:
100 Years of the Crocodile – The Heraldic Animal of Märklin A hundred years ago, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) placed the first Crocodile into operation in November of 1919. These locomotives quickly advanced to the king of the steep grades on the Gotthard. The design derived its name from its articulated hoods, extended shape, and the green paint scheme. The units snaked like a reptile through the curves on turnouts and reverse curves. ”Standard gauge six-axle locomotive, only for large curves, faithful reproduction of the Crocodile Locomotive ... was the way the model of the latest Swiss locomotive was presented in the Märklin catalog for 1933/34. The design and pulling power of the original locomotive impressed people so much at that time that it became a synonym for progress and power. A mystique that continued through the history of Märklin. This unit was in all of the scales offered by Märklin. At first in 1 and 0 Gauge, then in H0 and even in Mini-Club Z Gauge. It formed the top item offered everywhere in the assortment and thus became the unofficial heraldic animal of Märklin. The color green dominated over the longest period of its use on the Gotthard grades and people almost forgot its original color of brown. Märklin did not bring it out in brown on the market until 1984, as an offering for the 125th company anniversary, a Crocodile in a limited quantity, in 1 Gauge. By contrast, there never was a Crocodile in white in real life. Despite this a large dealer in New York ordered several units of large 0 Gauge locomotives in special paint schemes. He chose the color white that was completely untypical in the prototype. It cannot be denied that locomotives in these imaginary paint schemes have a special effect on observers. Despite this for unknown reasons, there was only this single order. This made these locomotives unique pieces seen by only a few people. Amazingly, they became very well known in collector circles. The white Crocodile thus became a part of the exclusive 31859 anniversary set in 2009 for the 150th anniversary of Märklin. In this tradition, we want to make 2019 unforgettable in which Märklin for its 160th anniversary crowns this proud heraldic animal in the popular H0 Gauge with a unique gold edition. |
