Trix Br05 003
This model represents the first DC current steam locomotive offering with the new Softdrive motor and because of this I was very keen to see how it travels. Visually it is very nice and has the level of detail you would expect from Trix. The command station reads the decoder as being by Trix Modelleisenbahn rather than ESU who previously supplied their decoders. This is the same decoder as on some of last year’s offerings like the BR01. I would imagine there is still some degree of involvement between the two, however there are noticeable differences in the sound of LokSound decoders and these new Trix sound decoders. The sound on this loco is very good with some minor room for improvement. The sound is loud and full. It has a nice beefy chuff, which is very appropriate for this loco. Synchronisation is spot on and this stays spot on when the speed increases and decreases. The blowing off steam sound is good and reasonably loud unlike some other decoders where it is barely noticeable. There are two whistle sounds, a long one which you can determine the length of and a short one which is a short blast. The short one is good but the middle part of the long one sounds a little synthesized. It finishes and starts well but the middle bit has that cyclic sound to it that gives the game away. It is nowhere near as bad as some US locos which sound like they had sounds knocked up on a synthesizer but it is not perfect. The brake squeal is good and really conveys the sound of a couple of hundred tons of steel scraping along steel rails. Directional lighting is nice. I’m not sure about the firebox glow though. This is the same feature on the BR01 and consists of a piece of red transparent plastic or glass with a bulb behind it. If looked at directly it looks like a red piece of plastic or glass with a bulb behind it which clashes with the great work done on the rest of the loco. If the intention is that it is not meant to be viewed directly because of the close coupling of the loco and tender than all well and good as all that is intended to be seen is a glow, which to be fair is how it is described in the manual. It’s just when you peer into the cab and look right at it, it could be better. Now onto the motor, the motion is silent, obviously with the digital sound turned off. It has a good steady speed at slow and fast settings. I have had it running round the track for sometime now and there is very little noise at all. The loco has great pulling power but in prototypical terms the F-Zug it pulled only had three coaches. So although it can pull a hell of a lot more, on my layout it will generally only pull these three coaches. There have been some reported issues concerning the motors ability to function under analogue DC however the manual seems to infer that it should function perfectly well under analogue DC. I have not tested it on an analogue layout as I do not have the facilities to run analogue locos but it would be expected that it would be clearly stated if it could not function on analogue DC. The wheels are the standard wide flanges that Trix models have. These may be dropped in future in line with Trix change of direction towards fine detail. There is also the provision for a smoke generator. The one recommended is the Maerklin one, the manual does not mention the Seuthe one or mention its compatibility. Once installed the smoke generator can be turned on and off digitally. This is a One-time series only for members of the Trix Profi Club however there will be a huge spate of these on E-Bay and some for sale at model stores so if you want one it is entirely possible to get one. There is also a Maerklin AC current version available under item 39050 should you prefer three rail. . I do have to say though I think the running sounds on this are very good. Decent volume and clarity combined with good synchronisation make this a pleasure to listen to. Overall it is a very nice model, one with a great degree of presence. It has nice detail, very good sounds and one of the best motors on the market at the moment. If you’re modelling Epoch III this is one worth getting. The sound alone will make a magnificent impression on your layout.

Neil, Thank you for such an interesting and thoughtful review. Tim

Neil, To further endorse your painstaking review and splendid photos, the Trix 05003 runs beautifully on DC analog. My only criticism of its new Soft-Drive electronics is that it still has a high starting voltage, which concentrates its near-prototypical speed range into the last quadrant of my usually sensitive controllers. The motor seems to be the same as that of the 01 147, which took off like a scalded cat at 7.5 V and stopped quite suddenly at 7.0 V. I've replaced that one with the SB-Modellbau Maxon kit and wired past the electronics on the two Trix PCBs so as to use only the LEDs and their resistors. I've not needed to do anything to the 05003, a lovely job indeed. David

Very interesting David. I think that the 01 was aimed at the DCC market and not all the bugs had been worked out for it to run as well in a DC environment. It would now appear that Trix have decided that they need to build loco's that work equally well in the DC and DCC environment. Neil, I am pleased you like it. John

Neil, The Eisenbahn Journal review of the Matrix BR 05003 was quite critical of some aspects of the model: steam pipes to the cylinders not correcting properly; and lack of detail around the locomotive rear bogie assembly (not sure I'm using the correct term here). Could you say anything about this? Looking at your photographs it is difficult to confirm or deny. Regards, Neil

I hadn't noticed this myself, although I only have two decent pictures of the prototype to compare it with so am not best placed to comment. But I would accept what they have said as they are in a better position to know than I am. They probably have far better resources than I do. If I cannot verify prototypical accuracy I generally don't comment on it. I can usually be fairly certain someone else will. Here is a picture of the rear bogie for your perusal.