Thanks to Rene Goy, whom I met online on Facebook Märklin H0-Forum and later in person at the annual IGE Bad Homburg event near my place, I was a super happy kid today. I showed Rene my model and asked if I could test it on the Märklin Insider Stammtisch (MIST-61) programming track. He brought my model to his colleague and we got it working. I was so happy that the steam locomotive finally moved before my eyes.

Since acquiring this beautiful Märklin BR 53 0002 almost 4 weeks ago, I did not have a chance to test-run it. My z21 digital control center could not read the loco address; thus, I could not run the engine on KPF-Zeller rolling test stand.

Of course, we did not stop there. Rene put it on their modular layout and ran around the layout (main tracks ca. 120 meters long). He gave me a chance to control the locomotive. Could you imagine the joy in me?

I ran it to his steam engine service area (dt. Bahnbetriebswerk (Bw)) layout and there, he maneuvered BR 53 smoothly onto his turntable.

I am glad that the purchase was finally worth it. It ran beautifully.