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"HONGZ" stands for HO scale, N scale, G scale, and Z scale.

Post your non-O scale stuff here!

I recently, in a moment of weakness, bought a Marklin starter set with a German diesel, dump car and a car with a power shovel. It came with an oval of track and the power pack, whatever it is. The track is weird, but it looks like it is new. Also got a Union Pacific commemorative boxcar and a Christmas car from 1993. Is there any interest in Marklin? I looked on the auction website but the prices are enough to make Lionel look moderate. Any ideas or opinions welcome. Will post photos tomorrow on the OGR buy/sell forum tomorrow. Thanks!

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I have dabbled in Marklin in the past. Kind of the Apple of HO Gauge - not compatible dimensionally with the HO (NRMA) standard nor electrically with DCC. Nice if you are doing European trains and I think are much more popular in Europe than in the US. They have a cache / name brand like Lionel from what I gather. Great quality / craftsmanship, especially in that scale. They aren't cheap and seem to hold their value fairly well as evidenced by "that auction site." There are a few solid dealers in the US. 

You never know... might be someone on the forum who is interested. I'm pretty set and focusing back on O-gauge. I wish they would make some modern European trains in O-gauge, but that is a different topic.

Great stuff! I have a lot of Marklin HO that I purchased back in the early 90s, along with some pieces purchased more recently, and I hope to have a small Marklin HO layout (perhaps a switching layout) someplace in the home I am in the process of buying. I also have a good amount of Marklin Z, and just recently sold an entire (large) collection of Marklin MAXI, which was the large scale stuff they made for several years (they still make very costly #1 gauge trains that are way out of my price range). Marklin also owns/makes LGB trains (among others) now.

Last edited by Allan Miller

I have some Marklin HO. It's very nice - command control and the locomotives come with decoders installed. It's 3-rail AC, though the 3rd rail is little studs vs a solid strip. Marklin C-track with molded roadbed is like Fastrack. Also Marklin makes catenary. They don't make too many US trains, though they do have some (enough?). MTH has some HO trains with Proto-Sound 3E+ that they say can run on Marklin systems. Haven't tried those myself.

I have a nice collection of 1960'-Early 70's Maerklin HO and several Gauge I pieces as well. Most of the HO was bought by my Dad when he made business trips overseas. I had some of the later HO from the 80's and 90's but the quality and robustness had suffered so I sold them off. I have a display of Maerklin HO and vintage 1960's American HO in my office. From time to time I do pick up some of the vintage Maerklin HO at train meets when I'm in Europe. Maerklin is extremely common and plentiful in Germany. Most HO modelers nowadays go for the latest digital items so the older analog trains are very affordable! IMG_2775

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Interesting. I'm obviously gonna be in the minority here, but it's been my experience with Marklin that they are way over priced, don't run as well as say, Kato or Roco, and since they are 3 rail AC, you're kind of stuck having to use their products almost exclusively. A good business plan, I suppose, but not good for my tastes.

I got rid of mine, and replaced them with Roco for my few European items. They run on 2 rail DC, and are as smooth, quiet and powerful as any other brand I know of:

IMG_20170414_120112286IMG_20170414_120348657

Having said all that, to each his own; if you like Marklin, then by all means I say "go for it"!

Mark in Oregon

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