MODELLING SWISS RAILWAYS IN Z SCALE

It only took Maerklin four years to get the first Re 460 rolling in Z scale once the locomotives could be seen in 1:1 scale on the SBB network. This new locomotive was introduced as article no. 88441 in late 1995 in its red livery with large white logo and made a very convincing and pleasing model of Re 460 004-5 Uetliberg.

Maerklin 88441

Shortly after this, in early 1996, Maerklin introduced the first two locomotives in advertising liveries - "Agfa" (88442) (which had also been the first advertising locomotive of the SBB) and "Miele" (88443). Both models were marketed as a "one-off annual production", which was to become the standard production procedure for Maerklin's models of advertising Re 460s.

The first two Maerklin Re 460 advertising locomotives "Agfa" (88442) and "Miele" (88443) together with the Re 4/4 IV "Maerklin Metal Construction Set Locomotive" as they appeared in a Maerklin press release in 1996.

Maerklin not only turned to the Swiss advertising locomotives very early as a producer of railway models, but also as advertising company itself. In September 1994, Maerklin was the center of attention by presenting a prototype Re 460 at the "Modell & Hobby" exhibition in Berne as what was called "fireman locomotive" ("Heizer-Lok"), which was to advertise Maerklin for a one year period and which gave an insight to the innards of an Re 460 with, apparently, a fireman buwsy shoveling coal - just in case you though they ran on electricity.. The livery was designed by English Neo-Realist Graham Reynolds. In the summer of 1995 the second Maerklin advertising locomotive arrived on the scene, this time depicting a traditional Swiss folklore scene with cattle being led onto Alpine meadows, a design originating with the Swiss artist Willi Reiser.

Finally, in 1999 Maerklin, in cooperation with the SBB, presented the first locomotive of their new "Swiss Collection". The Re 460 depicted the rods of a Swiss "Crocodile" locomotive; partner of this "art on wheels" event was the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne, home of many historical Swiss locomotives

.The Maerklin Re 460 "Swiss Collection I" in 1:1 scale

The possibility of repainting the basic Re 460 model in various advertising liveries provided Maerklin with a fairly easy way of producing "new" models every year.

Maerklin 88452 (1998)

Maerklin 88450 (1998)

Maerklin 88447 (1997)

Maerklin 88451 (1998)

Maerklin 88453 (1999)

Maerklin 88443 (1996)

Maerklin 88457 (2000)

Maerklin 88445 (1997)

Maerklin 88449 (1997)

Advertising liveries quickly covered both commercial examples - illustrated by arguably one of the most striking advertising liveries of the 1990s (even if you didn't like the softdrink it promoted) - as well as locomotives which were used by Swiss Federal Railways to promote itself - such as reminding the everyday or casual onlooker of the fact that SBB connects all of Switzerland.

Starting with three advertising livery repaints of the Re 460 in 1996, Maerklin released another 14 models between 1997 and 2000, all as one-off items for one annual production run, before reducing the output to two repaints in 2001 and 2002 and one repaint release only in 2003. Since that date, there have been no "new" Re 460 models in advertising livery released by Maerklin.

1995/96
88441	Standard red livery with large white logo, 460 004-5 Uetliberg Production: 1995/96 - 1999
1996
88442	Agfa, 460 015-1 Duebendorf II Production: one-off 1996
88443	Miele, 460 019-3 Production: one-off 1996
88444	Zuerich relax, 460 023-5 Production: one-off 1996
1997
88445	Set Advertising locomotive Maerklin Heizer / Alpaufzug 460 017-7 / 460 017-7, Production: one-off 1997
88447	Danzas, 460 018-5 Production: once-off 1997
88449	Touring Club Schweiz, 460 022-7 Production: one-off 1997
1998
88446	Swiss Television SF DRS, 460 056-5 Leutschenbach I 460 032-6 Leutschenbach II, Production: one-off 1998
88450	SBB Wir verbinden die Schweiz/Nous relions les Suisses 460 035-9, Production: one-off 1998
88451	Ascom, 460 033-4 Ascolino Production: one-off 1998
88452	Pepsi, 460 018-5 Production: one-off 1998
1999
88453	Musical Space Dream, 460 033-4 Production: one-off 1999
88454	Swiss Life Rentenanstalt, 460 084-7 Production: one-off 1999
88455	SBB Cargo Wer hat die meisten Anhaenger? / Chi rimorcia di pi˜? 460 074-8, Production: one-off 1999
88459	Art locomotive Maerklin Swiss Collection I, 460 042-5 Production: one-off 1999
2000
88456	Kambly, 460 021-9 Production: one-off 2000
88457	SBB Cargo, 460 083-9 Production: one-off 2000
88458	Art locomotive Maerklin Swiss Collection II, 460 033-4 Production: one-off 2000
2001
88460	Zugkraft Aargau, 460 034-2 Production: one-off 2001
88461	Art locomotive Maerklin Swiss Collection III, 460 033-4 Production: one-off 2001
2002
88462	Art locomotive Maerklin Swiss Collection IV, 460 033-4 Production: one-off 2002
81427	ChemOil Logistics AG, 460 079-7 Production: one-off 2002, as part of set only
2003
88463	Art locomotive Maerklin Swiss Collection V, 460 033-4 Production: one-off 2003

However, just as printing techniques have become more refined over the years - put to excellent use by Maerklin - this is also true for both software and printer output solutions which make it possible to produce high end quality transfers. Applied to railway models, the results can be quite stunning, and Claes Mikkelsen is a master of this technique. Working under the label of Mikkelsen International Models out of Switzerland, he introduced a substantial range of re-liveried models based on Maerklin shells in 2004. In terms of the Re 460s, he has continued where Maerklin left off, producing a number of eye-catching models.

Mikkelsen CH2004-103 (repaint on Maerklin base)