I live in Norway where Marklin dominates the market, especially their HO-gauge C-track system which is AC powered. Now, at an age where we old guys revert to our childhood (but with more money) I've invested in one of their starter packs which I will expand. However being English I have little interest in German locos and waggons that look like cuckoo-clocks. I'd like to equip it with British locos and rollingstock. Can anyone recommend which brands to look out for and any stores or on-line dealers that sell these. I've looked at the Hornby site but as I undertsstand it their HO scale is not quite the same as Marklin and they are a DC-based system. Appreciate all and any assistance.
Marklin are the only volume maker to persist with their AC system.
Everyone else uses 12v DC for the locos. There is the start of a trend towards digital command using DCC (a chip in each loco controls the motor of the train), and you might want to invest in that rather than one of the older systems if your collection gets beyond tiny.
Hardly anyone makes HO British outline models (there are a few, but you will have to search quite hard for them). British OO runs on the same track as HO, but the scale is slightly larger (HO 3.5mm=1ft, OO 4mm=1ft). Thus, if you had a 12v DC control system (or DCC) you could use any British OO trains on your HO track.
British OO models vary alarmingly in both quality (accuracy to prototype) and running standards. The best are very good. The worst are dreadful. Price is not a reliable guide, some cheap models are superb. Most makers ranges vary in their standards. Your best advice may be to post specific questions about locomotives & rolling stock of interest to gauge the quality and value of the item.
You won't find any British outline that will run on Marklin track, Marklin uses what is basically a three-rail system whereas all UK outline models are two rail.
If you want British outline you'll either have to dump the Marklin stuff, or convert any UK stuff. (dumping the Marklin stuff will be easiest by a long shot!)
If you want British outline, ditch the Marklin. There is no UK outline stuff that's compatible with it (and almost all other HO manufacturers' product is incompatible with Marklin, too.)
You might be able to exchange it for a Trix set (made by Marklin), which runs on DC (like the rest of the world), so you can operate British OO trains on it. But as has been pointed out, OO in the UK suffers from a mish-mash of standards, and huge variation in quality (some mfr don't even use the same standards on all their product - yikes!). And it's _not_ HO.
HO: 3.5mm to the foot scale, 1/87th full size, runs on 16.5mm gauge track.
British OO, commercial variety: 4mm scale, 1/76th full size, but runs on
16.5mm gauge track (but some makers use other ratios)
British OO, scale variety: 4mm scale , 1/76th full size, runs on 18.83mm gauge track (and a couple of variants on this gauge.)
Since the British clearance diagram (outline) is about 1ft narrower and
1-1/2ft lower than European and US clearance diagrams, OO scale British trains are about the same size as HO scale European and US trains. This means you can run British OO on HO layouts without much worry about clearances between rolling stock and lineside structures. But little details like doors will give the game away.
But don't worry too much about it. If you want to run British OO with European stuff, go right ahead. It's your railroad, you can do whatever you like. :-)
salvé davidh skrev i diskussionsgruppsmeddelandet:MYJpd.18917$ snipped-for-privacy@news4.e.nsc.no...
David I live in Sweden and have the same problem, Märklin being the market leader, however there are Swedish and Norwegian locos and wagons not to mention Danish rollingstock, there is one shunter they make (currently! about 900swedish kronor) which looks like an LMS shunter of the 30´s, but you'l still have problems with wagons etc, flesischamn do 3 superb southern coaches, but thats more or less it, I suggest if you can read Norska then you can read Svenska in which case get a copy of the swedish magazine "Allt Om Hobby" in which various swedish and other scandinavian (but NOT Finland :( ) country's gear is advertised and tested, but be aware that a D'lok or a steam loco (tank) costs about 5-6000 kronor they seem to start at c4000 kronor for ready made less for kits, DJH has a large part in making the kits.. they use märklin mechanisms and run superbly without many of the problems associated with two rail trackwork, a Märklin starter set will put you back from 1200 sk up to 1500sk dpending on if you want a dcc equipped ready to run set. (loco 3 wagons and a circle with a point) If you model norwegian atleast you can check the prototype and it will be far easier to buy gear off the shelf so to speak.....the pearl range of coaches/wagons are absolutely superb and should delight even the hardest of British outline hearts (they are brass kits...) and unlike british kits its often posssible to have them factory built at not much more than the kit price. beowulf
Phil: Roco offer an increasing Swedish range, and I've seen it reported that Heljan and Roco are both increasing their coverage this year.
These are available in 2 rail or 3 rail versions
We have just bought the LKAB IORE loco, and added dcc sound, and its predescessor, the DM3 - both Roco, along with their ORE wagons. (Admittedly, despite all the references to TWO RAIL etc in the email, a certain shop sent a 3 rail version which had to go back 8-) ) When visiting that shop, it is noticable how much is 3 rail - which all helps keep ones expenditure down by being able to ignore it. Of course, 2 rail rolling stock is compatible. (although their are minor differences in wheel standards).
Trix do/did a nice Swedish 2-6-2T loco with 3 wooden coaches (dcc ready)- now on release as Marklin in 3 rail mode, I believe.
The Hobby Shop in Bergen offer Norwegian outline - including repaints , and publish a newsletter on the web, I think.
So it can be done in 2 rail - Roco or Fleischmann track has a lot to recommend it. The Roco blue/grey Swedish coaches have been discontinued, but are available in kit formthrough the distributor. Some Lima stock may still be available (and to a much better standard than that previously availble in th UK). The newer Green Cargo loco liveries are available in 2 rail too.
I agree with Beowolf about getting hold of the magazines - essential too for finding out where the model shops are (in conjunction with a GPS mnavigator). I would also recomend Tög Magazine.
Phil: He was looking at Hornby, and finding it was a different HO scale (OO) and DC nor AC (Marklin): Others agreed on the dominence of Marklin ... akin to asking for 'Hornby' in a British Toy Shop. My intent was to show that he need not be bound to Marklin AC: there IS a current and workable prescence of other manufacturers producing for his 'home' market, in 2 rail DC/DCC,, and therefore by implication with a greater compatibility with any Hornby items he may be interested in. (Although, of course, he could now run the Hogwarts Express in AC from Marklin/Hornby)
The question he asked was " However being English I have little interest in German locos and waggons that look like cuckoo-clocks. I'd like to equip it with British locos and rollingstock. Can anyone recommend which brands to look out for and any stores or on-line dealers that sell these."
This in relation to using them on the Maerklin starter set he had purchased! So those suggesting that, since he wants British trains, he had better ditch the Maerklin before spending any more on it were giving good advice. Keith
Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.
salvé Keith Norgrove skrev i diskussionsgruppsmeddelandet: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...
Ditching a loco that may cost over £100 may not be so smart!! but the fact is that a large amount of Märklin compatible gear is available here in Sweden, including locos that just arent available from anywhere else, especially West coast suburban electric loco's (vaguely reminiscent of pre ww1 metropolitan steeplecabs...but with pantographs...) Fleischman is actually only sold by a couple of shops here as they dont think that Sweden is a lucrative enough market, but it is still possible to buy their entire range... but be that as it may, Märklin and the three rail system is enormously popular here,, the TGOJ mastodon electric loco has had an enormous amount written about it re special conversions etc in the swedish mags, it is also I have read somewhere recently possible to buy a model (from Holland I believe) of a Beyer built loco (also 3 rail) which is pretty much identical to the earliest Swedish locos built by....Beyer... :)there is a large range of kits, by Perl and DJH,(3 and 2 rail)so if he is living in Norway he could easily model a local railway, the difficulties of getting stuff here make this a worthwhile decision on his part, even allowing for John Turners absolutely amasing less than a week delivery from Hull to me in Lundsbrunn (absolutely Phenomenal John!!!) it is so much more fun being able to browse rather than take a chance on the model being "roughly" what one wants.Ofcourse he could also model narrow guage :) Beowulf
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