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Marklin
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The History
Märklin (MÄRKLIN or MAERKLIN in capital letters) is a
German toy manufacturer, founded in 1859.
They
start
producing
metal and after trains model from the end of '800.
The Märklin,
based in Göppingen (Germany), was for
many years the world's leading manufacturers of model
trains.
It has always been known for the originality of its
models with a majority or full metal design and the
particular operation in direct and alternating current, in
Germany and in the rest of the world is considered
synonymous with model railways.
View the pageof museum in
Göppingen
---> here
In some parts of Germany and of the world, the company's
name is almost synonymous with model railroads.
Märklin released its first wind-up train with cars
that ran on expandable track in 1891, noting that railroad
toys had the potential to follow the common practice of
doll houses, in which the initial purchase would be
enhanced and expanded with more accessories for years
after the initial purchase. To this end, Märklin offered
additional rolling stock and track with which to expand
its boxed sets.
Märklin is responsible for the creation of several
popular model railroad gauges or scale, noteworthy
exceptions being N scale and Wide gauge. In 1891, Märklin
defined gauges 1-5 as standards for toy trains and
presented them at the Leipzig Toy Fair. They soon became
international standards. Märklin followed with O gauge (by
some accounts as early as 1895 or as late as 1901), H0
scale in 1935, and the diminutive Z scale, 1:220, in 1972
- smallest in the world for decades.
Today, Märklin manufactures and markets trains and
accessories in Gauge 1, H0 scale, and Z scale. In 1994
Märklin acquired a Nuremberg based model train
manufacturer Trix. Today Trix is another brand of Märklin
Holding and covers N-scale and DC-operated H0 scale.
Märklin's older trains are considered highly collectible
today, and Märklin's current offerings enjoy premium
status among hobbyst.
Although Märklin is best known for its trains, from
1914 to 1999, the company produced mechanical construction
sets similar to Meccano and Erector. Between 1967 and
1982, the company produced a slotcar system called Märklin
Sprint. Märklin also produced numerous other toys over the
years, including lithographed tinplate toy,
automobiles and
boats.
On 11 May 2006, the company, which had until then been
owned by the three families Märklin, Friz and Safft, was
sold to the British investment group Kingsbridge Capital,
with the support of the employees. The new shareholders
plan to restructure the company and make it profitable
again. The purchase price was approximately $38 million.
At the time, Märklin had approximately $70.5 million in
debt, as a result of several years of slumping sales.
In 2007, the company expanded its product offering by
buying the remaining assets of the bankrupt firm, Ernst
Paul Lehmann Patentwerk, who owned the LGB brand and
product line of G scale model railways.
On 4 February
2009 Märklin filed for insolvency at the Göppingen
municipal court. Almost exactly a year later, on 5
February 2010, Märklin announced a return to
profitability.
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Below you can see the history of the brand Marklin from
1859:
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The tracks
Currently available are the following tracks:
Track
M
: This is
with
ballast
in nuances
of brown,
all-metal,
the early versions of
the central conductor
consisted of
a real
rail (thus
the name
"third
rail"),
and thereafter
was replaced by
a set
of contact points
in relief,
making
the track
better
esthetically.
The tracks
are
no longer produced
M,
and currently
can
only be found
in the
used market .
Track C :
This is the successor
of
the track
M;
the
ballast
has a
gray
plastic,
and
an
easy
attachment system,
and
electrically
reliable
track
is
ideal
not only for
plastic
routes, but also
for
paths
that
must
be
frequently
disassembled
and
reassembled
.
It is
available in
various
curvatures.
Track
K:
this is a
track without
ballast,
only with
rails,
sleepers
and
points
of contact,
looks very
realistic;
is only suitable for
hard
plastic,
it is,
in fact,
more fragile,
could
be damaged
in case of frequent
disassembly.
It is available in
various
curvatures,
also exists
in a flexible format,
which allows
you to create
curved paths
"ad hoc".
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The Scale
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Märklin
produced a four type of scale for theirs trains model:
Scale 0
Scale 00
Scale H0
Scale Z
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The rolling stock
Locomotives
The current production
includes
locos from
German,
French,
Dutch,
Swiss,
Austrians,
Spaniards,
Americans,
Swedish,
Norwegian,
Danish,
Hungarian,
Italian,
and
Luxembourg.
The evolution
has
led to an
increasing use
of electronics,
which
also saw
the collaboration
of Motorola.
The engines,
once made
by
Marklin
in-house,
are
now
purchased from
outside companies,
such as the
Swiss
Maxon,
a world leader
in
precision
electro-equipment
market.
Sophisticated
decoder and
sound modules
mean
that the
site
Marklin
hours
reproduce
all the sounds
with remarkable
realism,
and are
equipped with
features such as
the dropping
distance and
total control
of
front and rear lights.
All in
metal casing,
as in the days
of
"toys"
of the 50s
of last century,
but with
infinite
detail,
too
often
in metal,
rigorously
applied.
Passengers car and wagon
The production of cars Märklin had, until a few years ago,
as the main feature, the use of metal.
Business opportunities have also suggested in recent years
to promote the wealth of detail, increasing use of
plastics.
However, only recently out of
production passenger cars made of metal, 24 cm long
anachronistically (that are in scale 1:87 in height and
width, but in 1:100 scale for the the length), which
still exert considerable appeal to
passionate.
Although passenger cars "short" two
and three axes were produced for decades, in metal.
The request for more details, and probably the largest
cost of implementation, as this has led to abandon the
production, with great regret of many friends of Märklin,
which will continue the collection, looking for them and
by paying a high price in the market.
The total production of passenger coaches and freight
wagons is remarkable.
Some specimens reach prices above those of the rolling
driving, such as the carriages of the train the French "Le
Capitole", or Italian cars in general.
Even some of the 50 wagons and 60
have substantial quotations, over one hundred euros.
Not to mention the pre-war models,
which exceed even 200 or 300 euros for price quotes
Quotation
As mentioned,
some
Märklin
rolling stock
have a great value, but,
are not
very many, of course! Even
if
the overall value
is not
so low.
To
get an idea
of the production
you can purchase the
Märklin
Preiskatalog
historical catalog
published
each year,
which lists
and describes
the production
Marklin
from its origins to
today.
The catalog
also
gives
the prices
for individual
models,
but such data
are to be considered
purely
indicative,
as the
Italian market
check
prices
significantly higher,
particularly
for the
rare material
Railway.
On our website,
you can find
the quotations of
models
available and the
price
of many
models on the market, and if you need more
information you can contact our staff
here
Analog System
It consist of a
tranformer, with a knob: the voltage is
changed turning the knob ( about 4 to 16
volts): the trains change the speed
gear.
The analog transformer ca be
used to control analog an digital system
circuit (is not possible the opposite).
Transformer is also a switch that allows
the reversal of trains, unlike the
current analog system, where the reverse
gear is obtained by reversing the
polarity of the current system in the
reverse gear.; pressing a button (or by
turning the knob to the left beyond the
limit switch), it sends a surge on the
rails, locomotives and in the analog
trigger a relay inside the locomotive
itself, with consequent reversal of
direction
The analog system is simpler to control
the trains, but is not without
complications, in case of tracks of a
certain complexity, the main
disadvantage of the analogue system is
that the transformer action affects all
trains on the track: in words
poor, turning the speed control to the
right, all the trains accelerate,
turning to the left, all the trains slow
down, and so on.
To overcome this problem, you can use
the so-called isolation of the track:
the electrically isolating section is
the path into multiple slices, leaving
the control of each section to a
different processor, thus, more trains
can be controlled independently,
provided that they are in different
sections
Marklin DELTA
This is an
entry-level
digital
train control,
born
as a simplification
of the system
including more than
Märklin
Digital,
with it
you can control,
on the same
time, and
without resorting to
dissection,
up to
4 locomotives
independently
from each
'other
(which
means
in practice
that while
a locomotive
moves forward
at a certain speed,
another can
step back,
yet another
move
at different speeds,
a fourth
stand still,
etc..),
this is made possible
by the presence
in locomotives,
digital decoders
that receive and
interpret
commands sent
from the
control station
on track
Delta.
Delta
A locomotive
can
be controlled by a
similar transformation,
from a central
Delta,
or even
by the most
modern power-series
Digital
Marklin
(6021
etc..)
Or
Marklin
Systems
(Mobile
Station
or Central
Station).
Marklin DIGITAL
The Central
Station II.
Generation
unit.
multiprotocol
Digital control system
of
trains,
which allows management
of a higher
number of
locomotives
from
the
Delta,
also allows
you to control
digital
switches
also
(so-called
exchanges),
traffic signals and
electromagnetic
devices
in general,
thus simplifying
the wiring
of
plastic.
To
control
the
uses
of nuclear
material
6021,
6036,
6040
and
6043.
This
system is no longer
in production.
To
control equipment
utilizes two
types of
units:
Mobile
Station II
:
control unit
economic
new generation
(01/2010),
to manage
the engines
up
to a maximum
of 10
devices
and
elettromagnetic objects.
Central
Station II
:
control unit
developed
second-generation
(09/2008),
color screen,
more
features
and easier
interface with
computers.
Multiprotocol
(10/2009).
It is
the latest evolution
of
digital control systems
of
Märklin
trains.
It is
the system currently
in production,
and is fully compatible
with previous
digital systems.
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