Author: traiNmaster

After spending 35 years in Malaysia, I have decided to spend the other 35 years outside Malaysia. First stop, Germany!
Operating SessionLeave a comment

Timesaver for One: Same Procedure Every …. Time

traiNmaster

Note: I have updated this post with the latest setup and play manual instructions that I wrote and published (also see http://www.maerklintimesaver.wordpress.com). The changes will be marked in green. I bought 22 pieces of pre-owned Märklin tracks and turnouts and managed to receive them before New Year Eve; in time for the annual Eve classic sketch – Dinner for One, starring Freddie Frinton as Butler James and May Warden as Miss Sophie. This 11-minute sketch tells the story of Miss Sophie celebrating her 90th birthday with 4 “imaginary” friends, who have all passed on. At every dinner serving, the increasingly … Continue reading Timesaver for One: Same Procedure Every …. Time

Layout Planning & ConstructionLeave a comment

With Every Starter Set Comes The Next Expansion(s)

traiNmaster

Model railway is not a cheap hobby but it does not take away the child in each of us who wants to see our layout grow to run more trains and in different direction too, instead of going in circle. After all, railway existed to carry people and goods from point A to point B and so on. I have two track extension plans, each capitalizing on the existing pieces of tracks and add a few more. Continue reading With Every Starter Set Comes The Next Expansion(s)

Operating SessionLeave a comment

Officially On Board – My Märklin Digital Starter Set

traiNmaster

Yipee! I can now officially say that I am part of the Märklin H0 world. I want to model steam era in H0. My first Märklin and H0 steam locomotive is the Baureihe (Class) 53 0002 DRG, which I have introduced and mentioned umpteen times, if you are a regular follower of my blog. The second steam locomotive is BR 74 854 DB (Deutsche Bundesbahn), which came with the digital starter set Art. 29074. This year, Märklin’s Christmas campaign “Be Little Again” offers a 80€ voucher to purchase a Märklin/Trix H0 digital starter set and other goodies. After fixing an … Continue reading Officially On Board – My Märklin Digital Starter Set

Historical DevelopmentLeave a comment

HAPPY 186TH BIRTHDAY, GERMAN RAILWAYS! 🥂💐

traiNmaster

7th December 1835 marked the historical start of railway travel in Germany. The first 6.04km between Nuremberg and Fürth shortened the travel time between the two trade cities by 10 minutes. Almost 3.5 years later on 7th April 1839, the first long-distance passenger rail travel between Leipzig and Dresden was completely, the 88km stretch that was built in stages over 2 years. 8th December 2017 marked another landmark achievement in the German railway history. The completion of VDE 8 shortened the travel time between Berlin, the capital of Federal Republic of Germany, and Munich to under 4 hours. 186 years … Continue reading HAPPY 186TH BIRTHDAY, GERMAN RAILWAYS! 🥂💐

Layout Planning & ConstructionLeave a comment

Parkettbahn: An Alternative to Above-Ground Layouts

traiNmaster

Whatever you want to call it – floor (dt. Boden), carpet (dt. Teppich) or parquet (dt. Parkett) layout, it provides an alternative to a typical “above ground level” layout – be it modular or non-modular, permanent or mobile. You basically set it up on the floor, run your trains and pack up at the end of the day. The track configuration can vary each time. The advent of snap tracks such as Märklin/Trix C-tracks, Roco geoLine, Roco-Line with bedding. Fleischmann Profi-Tracks, Atlas True-Tracks, Bachmann Trains E-Z tracks. Kato Unitrack, etc. AND wireless app-based throttles made it possible to setup such layout without … Continue reading Parkettbahn: An Alternative to Above-Ground Layouts

2nd December Model Railway DayLeave a comment

2nd December International Model Railroading Day

traiNmaster

It is great to be part of the world’s greatest hobby, as our fellow model railroad friends from the other side of the Atlantic call it. Here in Europe and especially in Germany, we celebrate 2nd December as the International Model Railroading Day (dt. der internationale Tag der Modelleisenbahn). It was an initiative of the well-known SWR Eisenbahn-Romantik series host Hagen von Ortloff, whom I had a chance to meet at the International Modellbahn Ausstellung 2021 (en. international model rail exhibition) in Cologne. In a small way, I think every model railway modelers should promote this hobby and open their … Continue reading 2nd December International Model Railroading Day

Product ReviewLeave a comment

Review: Running Märklin AC Model with Roco/Fleischmann z21 Digital Control Center

traiNmaster

Roco/Fleischmann (both owned by Austria-based Modelleisenbahn GmbH) introduced z21 (white) and Z21 (black) digital control sets back around 2013/14 (I think). I received my first z21 digital starter set for my birthday in 2014. Back then, both white (basic) and black (advanced) versions already supported Motorola decoders (found in Märklin H0 models). At that time, I was modeling in N-scale on DCC. I still do N-scale but interested to run Märklin H0-scale layout in the future. Therefore, I could use z21 control center for both DCC and Märklin Digital. This post explains how I did it. I will use the … Continue reading Review: Running Märklin AC Model with Roco/Fleischmann z21 Digital Control Center

Product ReviewLeave a comment

Review: Insight into Märklin M- and C-Tracks

traiNmaster

So far, I have never been a fan of “snap-on” tracks. To me, they look plastic-ky and toy-ish on a layout. On my N-scale layout, I used Peco flex-tracks and streamline turnouts, which mean lots and lots of effort in placing the tracks and ballasting. That’s one of the fun parts of model railway (also the headache, if you do not do it right the first time) As I explore more about Märklin AC system, I learned more about their track system. During a recent Märklin operating session, I took particular attention on how the Märklinists use C-tracks (dt. C-Gleise) … Continue reading Review: Insight into Märklin M- and C-Tracks

Operating SessionLeave a comment

BR 53 0002 Had Its First Outing on MIST-61 Layout

traiNmaster

Thanks to Rene Goy, whom I met online on Facebook Märklin H0-Forum and later in person at the annual IGE Bad Homburg event near my place, I was a super happy kid today. I showed Rene my model and asked if I could test it on the Märklin Insider Stammtisch (MIST-61) programming track. He brought my model to his colleague and we got it working. I was so happy that the steam locomotive finally moved before my eyes. Since acquiring this beautiful Märklin BR 53 0002 almost 4 weeks ago, I did not have a chance to test-run it. My … Continue reading BR 53 0002 Had Its First Outing on MIST-61 Layout