Our model of the V221 on a scale of 1:120 was made by Berliner Bahn of the former German Democratic Republic. As this manufacturer no longer exists, there are few spares still available for these models. Therefore, special care must be taken.

My first impression was that the model was actually in a relatively decent condition. However, it did not run very well. The engine kept stopping, especially at slow speeds. Therefore, the engine was badly in need of maintenance.

For maintenance purposes, I took the V221 apart. I cleaned most of the parts ultrasonically. However, this was not possible for all parts as, for instance, lettering and paint on the body may flake off.

After the ultrasonic cleaning, I had to remove the corrosion from the contact points. The best thing for this is sandpaper.

Once I had put the engine back together again, I did a test run. This was successful.