Zmodell

16/08/2026

Hi friends,

I would like to introduce my next development – the digital sound kit for the class 628.2 diesel multiple unit train set (Märklin 88700, 88701). It was quite a long and very challenging development that I started immediately after I received my copy of 628.2 train set and finished recently.

It was not even a question for me to equip the new train set with the sound decoder. Once again, I used, probably, currently the best ever sound decoder for Z scale – ESU LokSound 5 Nano – the smallest model in the whole family with the new E24 socket.

The new digital sound kit can impress in many ways. First of all, the sound project is very rich and offers 32 digital functions (including light and sound). ESU updated the sound projects for the 627/628 family of DMU’s very recently – with new functions, better sound quality and details. A number of sound functions is even customizable – for example, you can choose from a number of different station announcements which are, in turn, arranged into four separate different functions divided by regions where these trains were in service – Bavaria/Austria, Baden-Württemberg, Northern Germany and branch lines.

The digital kit is equipped with integrated highly-efficient energy storage modules with thermal and overvoltage protection. Each of the cars has its own module. The energy storage module in the motor car features double capacity – 1880 µF (4x 470 µF) because the sound decoder together with motor consume more power than the function decoder in the control car that also features very good capacity of the energy storage module – 940 µF (2x 470 µF). The energy storage modules are based on Tantalum Polymer electrolytic capacitors – the models with the highest energy density on the market.

The next outstanding feature is an extensive set of light functions. The interior lighting is divided into three separately switchable sections: the lighting in the passenger compartment and in two driver’s cabins combined with front door parlors. But that’s not the end: I managed to add one more unique feature: switchable destination displays backlight, separate for both ends of the train.

For proper functioning of the additional feature of the destination displays backlight, the special lightguides must be installed into the car housings in the driver’s cabin areas. I made these parts from 1.5 mm clear polystyrene with black light insulators on one side.

To install the lightguides, the small driver’s cabin interior details part needs to be removed first. To do it, you need to pick it up with tweezers, carefully push backwards and then pull up. After this, the lightguide part must be placed inside the car body and carefully pushed towards the windshield completely. Then the driver’s cabin details part must be installed back in place – in reverse order: align the pins of the part with the holes in the lightguide, push the part down until it sits completely and then push forward so that it "clicks" in place. This procedure must be completed for both car bodies. Of course, the lightguides are included with the digital kit.

The digital kit supports 3 operating modes: DCC, DC analog and PWM analog. Maximum voltage – 14V in digital mode and 12V in DC/PWM analog mode.

Here is the list of digital functions:

F0 – Directionally controlled triple warm white headlights and double red tail lights at cab 1 (928.2 control car)
F1 – Directionally controlled triple warm white headlights and double red tail lights at cab 2 (628.2 motor car)
F2 – Interior lighting in passenger compartment (628.2 motor car and 928.2 control car)
F3 – Interior lighting in driver’s cabin 1 (928.2 control car)
F4 – Interior lighting in driver’s cabin 2 (628.2 motor car)
F5 – Destination display backlight at cab 1 (928.2 control car)
F6 – Destination display backlight at cab 2 (628.2 motor car)
F7 – Shunting mode (maximal speed reduced by 50%, short acceleration and deceleration time)
F8 – Air horn high (momentary function)
F9 – Air horn low (momentary function)
F10 – Driving sound ON/OFF
F11 – Coasting mode (if the train has stopped in this mode, it must be deactivated to resume movement)
F12 – Rail clank
F13 – Curve squeal
F14 – Switch fl**ge (momentary function)
F15 – Fan
F16 – Compressor
F17 – Valve release (momentary function)
F18 – Sanding (momentary function)
F19 – Internal announcement 1 (momentary function)
F20 – Internal announcement 2 (momentary function)
F21 – Internal announcement 3 (momentary function)
F22 – Station announcement 1 (Bavaria/Austria, momentary function)
F23 – Station announcement 2 (Baden-Württemberg, momentary function)
F24 – Station announcement 3 (Northern German, momentary function)*
F25 – Station announcement (branch lines, momentary function)
F26 – Open/close passenger doors:
Press the button – open
Release the button – close
F27 – Conductor's signal (momentary function)
F28 – Indusi signal tone (momentary function)
F29 – Radio communication (shunting distance, momentary function):
1st press of the button – Variant 1
2nd press of the button – Variant 2
3rd press of the button – Variant 3
4th press of the button – Variant 4
5th press of the button – Variant 5
F30 – Coupling/Uncoupling:
Press the button – Uncoupling
Release the button – Coupling
F31 – Apply/release hand brake:
Press the button – Apply hand brake
Release the button – Release hand brake

Some sound features and functions are adjustable:

Braking sound: 4 different braking squeal sounds can be selected with CV 162 (range 0-3).

Station announcement 1: Bavaria/Austria (passenger train/regional train) announcements are selectable with CV 165:

0 Randomly generated announcement
1 Kempten
2 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
3 Reutte in Tirol
4 Pfronten
5 Buchloe
6 Würzburg
7 Seligenstadt
8 Eichstätt town
9 Eichstätt station

Station announcement 2: Baden-Württemberg (passenger train/regional train) announcements are selectable with CV 163:

0 Randomly generated announcement
1 Aulendorf
2 Tübingen
3 Leutkirch
4 Ulm
5 Friedrichshafen
6 Freiburg
7 Freudenstadt
8 Singen
9 Konstanz

Station announcement 3: Northern German (passenger train/regional train) announcements are selectable with CV 166:

0 Randomly generated announcement
1 Braunschweig
2 Bad Harzburg

Analog mode

One of the notable features of the ESU LokSound 5 sound decoders is the ability to activate various sound, light and other functions by applying different voltage levels to the track in DC analog mode or different duty cycle values in PWM analog mode. The following digital light and sound functions can be activated in analog modes:

F0, F1 - Directionally controlled headlights/taillights
F2 - Interior lighting in passenger compartment
F3, F4 - Interior lighting in driver’s cabins
F5, F6 - Destination displays backlights
F10 - Driving sound
F12 - Rail clank
F13 - Curve squeal

The demonstration video showing most light and sound functions is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUN6lrME9TM

The detailed report with more information about the new product is here:
https://f.z-freunde-international.de/viewtopic.php?t=26226

Many thanks to everyone for your interest in my products!

15/08/2026

Greetings to all,

Good news - finally, my new digital decoders arrived to the USA and available from two sellers:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/
zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zmodell.html

I would like to list all the new decoders here and to remind which type fits where:

ZDL-AZL-01 V2.0 - The new universal digital decoder that fits into AZL locomotives with the old chassis, as well as with the updated one featuring screw mounting (GP30 2nd run, AC4400CW and C44-9W):

61000 (SD70, SD70M, SD75M, SD75i)
6200 (GP7)
62000 (GP7/GP9)
62100 (GP30 1&2 run)
62400 (ES44AC)
62500 (GP38-2)
62600 (E8A, E8B, E9A, E9B)
62900 (F3A, F3B) 65300 (FP7)
63000 (F7A, F7B)
63100 (SD70ACe)
63200 (SD45)
63500 (P42)
64600 (E7A, E7B)
65100 (C44-9W)
65200 (AC4400CW)

This decoder can also be installed into the following Märklin locomotives:

88615, 88616 (GP38-2)
88625, 88626, 88627, 88628, 88629 (E8A, E8B, E9A)

Note: For installing the digital decoder into Märklin 88625, 88626, 88627 and 88629 locomotives, a special LED (Art. No. ZM-LD-001)is needed. It is available here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/ld-001/
zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zmodell.html

Important notes about the installation of the ZDL-AZL-01 V2.0 digital decoder:

1. The new version of the digital decoder doesn't come with pre-soldered track pads anymore due to the new screw mounting style. Therefore, during installing the digital decoder into the locomotives without screw mounting, some solder must be added to the front parts of the track pads on the top side of the digital decoder circuit board in case the electric contact between the chassis and the digital decoder is unreliable. Use good soldering flux for this - preperably, one that is suitable for SMD rework (usually comes in syringes). Please don't add too much solder - only a little bit!

2. Please always attach the insulating stickers that come with the decoder to the chassis. These stickers are used for isolating the motor terminals from an accidental short circuit with the locomotive chassis. Those who are familiar with the construction of AZL chassis know it very well – the risk of short circuit in this point is quite high in some AZL models.

3. Absolutely important: Please double-check if there is no any short circuit between the chassis and the motor tabs using multimeter with continuity check function! A short circuit between the chassis and the motor tabs will destroy the digital decoder!

The detailed report about ZDL-AZL-01 V2.0 decoder is here:
azlforum.com/thread/3443/zmodell-digital-decoder-rklin-version

ZDL-AZL-01 V2.0 decoder is available here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/10300/
zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zmodell.html

ZDL-AZL-RS V2.0 - This digital decoder fits into AZL Alco RS-2/RS-3/RSD-4/RSD-5 diesel locomotives:

63300 (Alco RS-2/RS-3/RSD-4/RSD-5)

The detailed report about ZDL-AZL-RS V2.0 decoder is here:
azlforum.com/thread/3508/zmodell-digital-decoder-locomotives-version

ZDL-AZL-RS V2.0 decoder is available here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/10100/
zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zmodell.html

ZDL-AZL-SD40-2 - This digital decoder fits into AZL SD40-2 and SD40T-2 diesel locomotives:

64100 (SD40T-2)
64200 (SD40-2)

Important: ZDL-AZL-SD40-2 digital decoder is NOT compatible with SD50/SD60/SD60T locomotives!

The detailed report about ZDL-AZL-SD40-2 decoder is here:
azlforum.com/thread/2587/zmodell-digital-decoder-diesel-locomotives

ZDL-AZL-SD40-2 decoder is available here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/10400/
www.zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zdl-azl-sd40.html

ZDL-AZL-SD50/60 - The digital decoder for AZL SD50/SD60/SD60T diesel locomotives:

65000 (SD50, SD60, SD60M)

Information: ZDL-AZL-SD50/60 digital decoder CAN be installed also in SD40-2 and SD40T-2 locomotives, but not vice versa! It is, however, recommended to use a dedicated decoder for the SD40-2 and SD40T-2 locomotives - ZDL-AZL-SD40-2 - because it features energy storage module with double capacity.

The detailed report about ZDL-AZL-SD50/60 decoder is here:
azlforum.com/thread/2797/zmodell-digital-decoder-diesel-locomotives

ZDL-AZL-SD50/60 decoder is available here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/10500/
zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zmodell.html

ZDL-AZL-SW - The digital decoder for AZL SW1000/SW1500 diesel locomotives:

62600 (SW1000, SW1500)
62700 (SW1000, SW1500)

The detailed report about ZDL-AZL-SW decoder is here:
azlforum.com/thread/2056/zmodell-digital-decoder-switching-locomotive

ZDL-AZL-SW decoder is available here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/10200/
www.zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zdl-azl-sw.html

ZM05A - universal miniature digital decoder. Fits into many models. Comes in two variants - with presoldered cables and without them.

The detailed report about ZM05A decoder is here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/20100/

ZM05A decoder is available here:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/20100/
www.zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zm05a-2.html

Some other electronic products - such as digital interior lighting boards for certain types of passenger cars and energy storage module are available from these sellers; please check the links in the beginning of this thread.

I also replenished previously sold out decoders - they are available for sale again.

As always, I kindly recommend reading user manuals before installing my products. Please don't hesitate with it - I always strive to make the manuals as detailed as possible and add all important information about installation and usage there.

Best regards,
Alex

15/08/2026

Zmodell digital decoder for AZL Alco RS locomotives, version 2.0

Hi friends,

I would like to introduce the second version of the digital decoder for AZL Alco RS-2/RS-3/RSD-4/RSD-5 diesel locomotives. The first version was introduced 5 years ago and no longer produced. The new version features a number of important improvements over the initial variant:

– New technology: the same technology that I used in SD40-2, SW1500 decoders etc. – based on discrete components rather than ready D&H DH05C digital decoder soldered on the mainboard.

– New, highly-efficient energy storage module based on Tantalum Polymer electrolytic capacitors that greatly exceed previously used MLCC ceramic ones by many parameters, specifically, by the actual capacitance at the track voltage of 12 volts. The energy storage module also features overheating and overvoltage protection.

– New ‘click-n-go’ easy mounting style of the driver’s cabin interior lighting: instead of coping with manual placement of the cable with tiny LED, the new lighting solution comes in a form of a flexible circuit board with LED soldered on it. During the final installation step – closing the housing – the ribbon board easily comes into the gap between the main locomotive body and the cab hood and sits perfectly in place once the housing is installed onto the chassis completely. No any additional adjustments needed. The ribbon board features an opening, so that the board is not visible through the driver’s cab side windows at all.

The new decoders are already available from the US sellers:
zscalemonster.com/zmodell/dcc/
zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zmodell.html

28/06/2026

The pinnacle of micro-technology – a family of Z scale prototypical station clocks

Finally, I would like to introduce one of the most intricate and prototypical items I ever made so far – a range of station clocks in different variants. Upon exploring the market, it turned out that practically nothing is available in this area at all. Once available in the past but not produced anymore, old Z scale station clocks from Brawa, to be honest, look ugly, have wrong proportions and are out of scale at all. I decided to fill this gap and developed the most beautiful version of the station clock ever available in Z scale. I also tried my best to make the clock as close to the prototypical dimensions as possible.

Upon thinking about which technical approach to use, I decided to make the clock face truly three-dimensional – consisting of three separate parts: white background that also serves as a diffuser for the backlight, photo-etched clock face with clock hands and clear cover. Of course, all this would make the product much more complex in production, but I decided to give it a try anyway.

In terms of clock face’s own design, the main source of inspiration for me became the classic Deutsche Bahn clock used in III-VI Eras in different color variations. During considering the clock head size, I had to take into account what is technically possible: I decided that the outer diameter of the clock will be 4.5 mm and the thickness of the “drum” 2 mm. My idea was to integrate all the electronic components inside the clock head to make it possible to connect the clock directly to 12 V source without any external components.

I wanted to stay within 2 mm thickness of the clock drum because thicker clock would be too bulky and would not look beautiful enough. To achieve it, I had to carefully select suitable electronic components – special SMD 0603 LED with thickness of only 0.25 mm and SMD 0402 current-limiting resistors. These LED are very special, not very commonly used. The neutral white color tone of the LEDs with a slight pink-yellowish tint resembles the glowing of energy-saving lamps, which, by the way, were used in prototype DB station clocks. Here is one of these LEDs picked up with precise tweezers:

I also had to use very thin material for the circuit board – only 0.13 mm. The diameter of the round circuit board is only 3.6 mm. Despite so tiny size, it accommodates as many as 6 different electronic components populated on both sizes and has 6 soldering pads.

The next task was to prepare the plastic backgrounds and top covers of the clock face. I used special PET sheets for this purpose – testing different materials revealed that only PET material delivers the smoothest edges after cutting out. I improvised and built a stamping machine out of a Proxxon tabletop drilling machine, with a 4 mm leather punch fitted into the chuck.

I made the clock housings using SLA 3D printing process. Despite very small size and thin walls, the quality turned out to be exceptional. I decided to prepare 4 different color variants – black, gold, dark blue and light blue. The parts received two layers of paint coating. Both blue variants were additionally painted with silver layer at first for proper light insulation.

The next step was the clock faces. I made them from 0.1 mm photo-etched nickel silver. After airbrushing the clock faces with black lacquer, the next incredible step followed – manual painting the clock’s second hand with red lacquer using ultra-thin brush. I used Tamiya LP-21 “Italian Red” lacquer paint for this purpose. I used the absolute precision and enormous patience during painting. Obviously, the process was possible only under the microscope.

Now, I had to make the pole stands for the clocks. I used 0.8 mm and 1.1 mm stainless steel tubes with very thin 0.1 mm walls for this. The tubes were cut on miniature cutting machine with diamond cutting disc. After this, the ends of the tubes were carefully processed with miniature diamond grinder bit and also treated with special bits for making inner and outer facets – it is necessary to allow the thin tube fit into the thick one flawlessly.

To achieve zinc-plated-like surface, I painted the poles 2 times with glossy silver paint and added a layer of satin lacquer at the end.
All the images depicting different assembly steps have been taken under the microscope – as you have already mentioned, using this device is the only way to produce these clocks – virtually all steps are done solely under the microscope.

The idea of making another variant of the station clock – on a decorative forged iron frame – is my own. I did not find any clocks like this in Germany, but some similar variants were found on the pictures of old railway station buildings in the UK. Of course, the scope of use of these vintage-style clocks is not limited only to railway stations – this small, but very eye-catching accessory can be mounted, for example, on the old hotel building or anywhere else in the Old Town scenery.

I decided to use a unique approach here that allowed a cable-less design of the clock: the decorative frame consists of two parts – each of them conducts the power to the circuit board without any visible cables. To prevent the short circuit, the parts are airbrushed with three layers of paint – primer for metal and two layers of Tamiya LP-54 “Dark Iron”. This paint brings a very realistic look to the parts.

The assembly of this variant of the clock is the most complicated, extremely laborious and, I would say, exhausting. First, you have to insert the one half of the decorative frame into the clock housing, then carefully place the circuit board inside it; after this, the second half of the frame must be inserted. Only after this, you have to solder the ends of both halves of the frames to the circuit board that is already inside the clock housing! And you have to do it all extremely carefully and precisely, and again, only under the microscope.

All five variants of station clocks come in special protective plastic boxes and feature detailed installation instructions. A detailed report with more pictures and illustrations is here:
https://f.z-freunde-international.de/viewtopic.php?t=26054

The clocks are available here:

ZM-UHR-01A - Station platform clock, Germany, Era IV-V
https://www.1zu220-shop.de/Zmodell/Zubehoer/Zmodell-ZM-UHR-01A-Station-Platform-Clock::157001.html

ZM-UHR-01B - Station platform clock, Germany, Era V-VI
https://www.1zu220-shop.de/Zmodell/Zubehoer/Zmodell-ZM-UHR-01B-Station-Platform-Clock::157002.html

ZM-UHR-02A Railway Station Clock, Germany, Era V-VI
https://www.1zu220-shop.de/Zmodell/Zubehoer/Zmodell-ZM-UHR-02A-Railway-Station-Clock::157003.html

ZM-UHR-03A Railway Station Wall Clock, Era I-III, black
https://www.1zu220-shop.de/Zmodell/Zubehoer/Zmodell-ZM-UHR-03A-Railway-Station-Wall-Clock::157004.html

ZM-UHR-03B Railway Station Wall Clock, Era I-III, gold
https://www.1zu220-shop.de/Zmodell/Zubehoer/Zmodell-ZM-UHR-03B-Railway-Station-Wall-Clock::157005.html

28/06/2026

ZM-MRK-RES-021 – Steel bars load insert for type RES 4-axle flatcar

I decided to widen the range of load inserts for the type RES 4-axle flatcar with another addition – round rolled steel bars.

The load inserts for the type RES flatcar are made of a real steel that was naturally tempered and weathered to achieve natural look of freshly rolled metal. The metal bars are arranged in two rows containing of 8 and 6 pieces tied with thin metallic strips and divided by natural wooden spacers:

The load insert is fitted with double-sided adhesive foam mounts to prevent sliding the load insert on the flatcar during motion.

The new load type is available here:
https://www.1zu220-shop.de/Zmodell/Ladegut/Zmodell-ZM-MRK-RES-021-Steel-bars-load-insert::157006.html

28/06/2026

ZM-PL-150 – Driver’s cabin interior reproduction for BR 150 electric locomotives

I managed to prepare some new articles that I would like to introduce here. I decided to add the last remaining variant of attachable driver’s cabin interiors to the range of “classic” Marklin models – for BR 150 electric locomotive. I hesitated to do it before due to the complex internal structure of the locomotive housing in the driver’s cabin area. Later, I managed to achieve satisfying results with advanced shape of the stickers cut out on precise plotter.

I reproduced the driver’s cabin interior in all even the smallest details using vector graphics – strictly according to the real prototype. The interior details are printed on a special thin plastic adhesive film and come already precisely precut – no need to cut them out with scissors. Just carefully pick up the sticker with thin tweezers and attach it to the metal part as shown on the following picture:

Of course, it is necessary to make sure that the metal part is absolutely clean from dust, oil and grease. Be prepared to disassemble the locomotive quite seriously. The locomotive looks much better when no metal is shining through the windows, but the driver’s controls, doors and switches are visible instead.

The kit can be used with the following models: Märklin 88575, 88576, 88577, 88578, 88579.

The new product is available here:
https://www.1zu220-shop.de/Zmodell/Zubehoer/Zmodell-ZM-PL-150-Drivers-cabin-interior::157007.html

06/06/2026

I would like to announce the availability of the following new products in the USA:

ZM-TDB-01US – Train departure board, United States version
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/tdb-01/

ZM-LS-001 and ZM-LS-002L – Advertising columns
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/ls-001/

ZM-MS-023 and ZM-MS-024 - Double wire mesh fence sets
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/ms-023/

ZM-MS-025 – Old Town signboards
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/ms-025/

ZM-MS-021S – Ultra fine heavy-duty chains
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/ms-021/

ZM-MS-035 – Chain barriers
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/ms-035/

ZM-MS-031 – Traffic barriers
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/ms-031/

A number of other articles is, of course, available, too. My section on Zscale Monster Trains was rearranged for easier and more convenient navigation:
www.zscalemonster.com/zmodell/

Of course, please don't forget that my articles are available from z.scale.hobo as well:
zscalehobo.com/zmodell/zmodell.html

26/05/2026

Zmodell universal digital decoder for AZL and Märklin diesel locomotives, version 2.0

Greetings to all,

I would like to introduce the updated version of the universal digital decoder for AZL and Märklin diesel locomotives. The new decoder received the article number ZDL-AZL-01_V2. The first version was introduced two years ago:
https://www.facebook.com/Zmodelltrains/posts/pfbid0gXso9ekb1ozLzkEirDSQtVsJ6uXLKkaWd6fK45eqagGGNhUyJNWZEot7PKnmKJNul

The mounting of the circuit board was always the weakest point of standard AZL chassis used in many different locomotive classes. Almost always, it was very challenging to install the digital decoders due to the different tolerances of the slots in the chassis which were always either too loose or too tight. It often forced to remove excessive solder from the track pads of the digital decoder. Such an operation carried certain risk of damaging if done unprofessionally.

Along with developing a number of chassis with entirely new construction during last years, AZL updated their old standard chassis and finally addressed the aforementioned weak point by adding screws to the standard slot mounting. The new mounting has backward compatibility – the old decoders can be installed onto the new chassis, too.

I decided to update the design of my ZDL-AZL-01 digital decoder, too. The new circuit board was redesigned and now features holes for the screws in the track pads. The new decoder also receive a number of minor updates as well. I will list only the differences in the new version here (everything else is described in details by the link above):

● New screw mounting that eliminates the problem with unreliable electric contact between the digital decoder and the chassis of the locomotive entirely;

● The circuit board layout was optimized and all the traces are now wider by 50% (power traces – by 100%). Widening the traces makes the circuit board more reliable in emergency situations (for example, the chance that the digital decoder gets damaged due to improper installation is lower now);

● The new digital decoder is loaded with the latest version of firmware 3.15.016 that features a number of improvements and new features (see Doehler & Haass website for the latest news: https://doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/news.php);

● I slightly increased the brightness of the dual front LEDs further – now they are 5 times brighter than ones on the stock circuit board or on the digital decoders from other manufacturers (the LEDs on the first version of my digital decoder were 4 times brighter);

● I used a different material for the motor tabs that is less brittle and more break-resistant now;

● I added the set of plastic stickers to the scope of delivery. These stickers are used for isolating the motor terminals from an accidental short circuit with the locomotive chassis. Those who are familiar with the construction of AZL chassis know it very well – the risk of short circuit in this point is quite high in some AZL models.

Like the previous version, the new digital decoder features integrated highly-efficient 470 µF energy storage module with thermal and overvoltage protection.
Please note that the new digital decoder comes without additional solder on the track pads. Thus, in case of installing it onto the chassis without screw mounting, some solder must be added to the top side of the track pads in case the electric contact with the chassis is unreliable.

Here is the list of compatible AZL models:

61000 (SD70, SD70M, SD75M, SD75i)
6200 (GP7)
62000 (GP7/GP9)
62100 (GP30 1&2 run)
62400 (ES44AC)
62500 (GP38-2)
62600 (E8A, E8B, E9A, E9B)
62900 (F3A, F3B)
63000 (F7A, F7B)
63100 (SD70ACe)
63200 (SD45)
63500 (P42)
64600 (E7A, E7B)
65100 (C44-9W)
65200 (AC4400CW)
65300 (FP7)

The locomotives from Märklin (based on AZL chassis) are supported, too:

88615, 88616 (GP38-2)
88625, 88626, 88627, 88628, 88629 (E8A, E8B, E9A)

The new digital decoder is available in Europe at Case-Hobbies.de:
https://case-hobbies.de/epages/cf425545-2399-4746-bee3-e1b1489fe61e.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/cf425545-2399-4746-bee3-e1b1489fe61e/Products/%22ZDL-AZL-01%20V.2%22

Delivery to the dealers in the US is expected later this year.

05/05/2026

09/04/2026