The 141.R.: Super Power for Europe

Always larger, always faster, always more efficient: In the United States, the major locomotive builders continued developing “super-power” steam locomotives right up until World War II — engines that routinely overshadowed anything produced in Europe at the time. When the European locomotive industry lay in ruins at the end of the war, and France in particular had lost a significant portion of its locomotive fleet, the French government turned to the United States for rapid relief.

What they needed was a locomotive that met French standards and could serve as reliable, all-purpose motive power across the network. Within only two years, American and Canadian locomotive manufacturers delivered more than 1,300 “Light Mikado” locomotives for the SNCF. In France, however, these engines were anything but “light.” With an indicated output of more than 3,000 horsepower, they ranked among the most powerful steam locomotives in all of Europe.

For many years, the 141.R class hauled a wide variety of trains — including prestigious services such as the luxury “Mistral,” which connected Paris with the Côte d’Azur. The final 141.R locomotives remained in service until 1974 in Sarreguemines, near the German border, where they regularly stood side-by-side with German steam engines that, by comparison, looked almost small. Encounters like these can now only be recreated on a model layout — or you can display the imposing 141.R alongside other legendary high-performance steam locomotives in your collection.

Since locomotive 141.R 1244 has been on display in a museum in Switzerland, Märklin’s impressive new model fits perfectly into the modern Era VI.

Highlights

• Completely new tooling.
• Class 141.R. in the Märklin program for the first time.
• Especially intricate metal construction.
• A variety of separately applied details.
• Factory-installed smoke generator.
• Cab lighting, running gear lights, and firebox / burner flickering controlled separately in digital operation.
• World of Operation mfx+ digital decoder with extensive light and sound functions.
• Buffer height adheres to the NEM.

Model: The locomotive has an mfx+ digital decoder and extensive sound functions. It also has controlled high-efficiency propulsion with a flywheel, mounted in the boiler. Four axles powered, three of them using side rods. Traction tires. The locomotive and tender are constructed mostly of metal. There is a factory-installed smoke generator. The headlights and dual red marker lights change over with the direction of travel, will work in conventional operation, and can be controlled digitally. These lights can be switched to a red marker light. The cab lighting, running gear lights, and firebox / burner flickering can be controlled separately in digital operation. Maintenance-free warm white and red LEDs are used for the lighting. There is a close coupling with a mechanism between the locomotive and the tender. The tender has a close coupler with a guide mechanism in an NEM pocket. The buffer height on the locomotive and tender adheres to the NEM. The minimum radius for operation is 360 mm / 14-3/16". Piston rod sleeves and brake hoses are included.

Length over the buffers approximately 27.9 cm / 11".