MÄRKLIN (MARKLIN) HO (1:87) 4510 WÜRTTEMBERG SET 1

A Word about Märklin…

Märklin (sometimes seen as Maerklin or Marklin) is the grand-daddy of all HO model railway manufacturers. This can be stated without any fear of contradiction, because apart from having a company history going back to 1859, it was Märklin which introduced the HO scale to the world in 1935.

But to this day, the Märklin HO system differs from all others in one particular aspect – instead of being a 2-rail DC system, it is 3-rail AC (the “third rail” is a set of contacts at the centre of the tracks).

There are several technical advantages in this system. For one thing, it is far easier to create complex layouts (even a simple reversing loop is easier in this system than it is in the alternatives). For another, certain controls (like reversing) are transferred to the locomotives rather than depending on the direction of current flow, left and right wheels don't have to b e electrically separated from each other, and so on.

In spite of the fact that few other manufacturers adopted this system as their primary electric configuration, the sheer weight and influence of Märklin in the important model railway markets has led to many other manufacturers (like Roco, Fleischmann, and others) offering secondary production lines of products made for the Märklin enthusiast.

And, in reverse, Märklin offers 2-rail DC models under the trade names of Hamo and Trix, both companies which were taken over by Märklin. Both of those were interesting manufacturers in their own right. Hamo produced nice trams long before some other manufacturers thought of doing so (and, in particular, offered them with tracks that resembled more what one might see in city streets than the standard railway tracks).

Trix had an interesting approach to railway modelling themselves, creating a 3-rail DC system, which allowed for the independent operation of two trains on the same track (each being fed on a different rail, with the centre rail being for the current return flow), or even three trains when the model railways was “electrified” with overhead wires. But this system didn’t really catch on, so that Trix soon ended up offering a parallel range of 2-rail DC models, which was a little confusing for the modeller.

Nevertheless, Trix produced some great models with very fine detail, at times in cooperation with Märklin. The ultimate joining of the talents of both companies was therefore a very positive step.

Märklin is considered the Rolls Royce of the model railway world. Although the analogy doesn’t quite work, it can however be said that Märklin produces quality models which are by necessity quite expensive – no cheap toys here. At one stage, the company attempted to introduce a cheaper line particularly aimed at department stores and the like, which were given the name Primex. But consumer demand soon pushed up the quality of Primex products (and with it prices), so that it ended up as little more than a second brand name for the somewhat lower end Märklin lines. So, Primex was absorbed back into the main product line, and the name almost disappeared (there have been occasional Primex products, presumably in order to keep the name alive).

However, for the collector, Primex offers a particular opportunity and challenge. Because the Primex catalogue is finite (there is a definite starting point and an official end), it is theoretically possible to collect one of each model ever made under the Primex name. As a result, there exists a real oddity in the world of toys and modelling – many Primex products which, even decades after production, are still in sealed original packaging (Primex boxes, once opened, couldn’t easily be returned to a state where they looked originally sealed). So, there are quite a few Primex models which, although created to make Märklin more accessible to users, have never been used by anyone, but are simply passed from collector to collector…

In the meantime, Märklin itself continues in a tradition of creating fine quality products. In addition to the standard range, there is also a range of Delta locomotives, which have some digital functions and can be operated as multi-train operations on the same track. And, at the top end, there is the range of Digital locomotives, which are more comprehensively addressable by digital controls than are Delta units. All three can coexist on a layout, but it may be best for automation (etc) to stick to one type. Other rolling stock is interchangeable between all three ranges.

In addition to their own invention, the HO system, Märklin also offers trains in the huge (and very expensive) I-scale. At the other extreme, Märklin introduced the tiny Z-scale which, with 1/220 size reduction, makes it the smallest electric train system ever developed.

And, via the material inherited through the combination with Trix (Mini-Trix) , Märklin now even has a presence in the N-scale. Up until a few years ago, it used to be an occasionally played “April fools’ joke” in the model railway world to circulate rumours about Märklin having entered into the N-scale market. Since the take-over of Trix, that joke has become somewhat redundant…

You can also find the Märklin name on some other toys and hobbies, such as metals constructor sets, steam engines, and many other items. But their mainstay is the model railway.