I live in Germany. In the late 80s IT was quite popular to build these in the then popular small briefcases used for documents

Ain't no way you thought that the z scale engine would actually have a smoke unit 💀

This was fun to watch. It takes me back to 1976. I was six years old and my father said he was going to buy me a train. We went to the toy store. The man in the store showed us two types of trains. One was H0 and the other was Z. My father asked me wich train I want. He didn’t have to do that. I would have been thrilled to play with either of them. I choose the Z train. I had a blast playing with it. Fortyseven years later the little engine can still pull the little yellow banana car. I have it in the original box on a shelf in my livingroom. 🙂

Tony: The letter "ä" with an umlaut, the 2 dots above is pronouncdd like the English long "a" sound, like the word , "air" in English, or like Mehrklin.

My Opa joined Marklin after his time in the war. He sent me beautiful train sets on Christmas each year. I still have it all...hopefully for my son soon.

I got this set 2 years ago, it still runs perfectly, zero issues. It makes me happy everytime I run it due to the perfect craftmanship in its build.

I didn't even know this size existed. I've never had room for any kind of model train stuff but this might be a game changer for me. All you need is a modest sized table space and you're good to go. I haven't given any thought to getting into model trains in ages, the KZfaq algorithm comes through again!

If you have a G scale layout, you could have the Z scale run as part of the scenery as a G scale layout within the G scale layout.

My father and I checked into getting a Z gauge set back in the mid 70's. We went with N instead after our local hobby shop told us only 2 people in town messed with Z gauge then, and both were surgeons. After I held a Z car, I knew why.

The 12V are the supply voltage for the controller. It needs a bit of headroom for its own electronics, to supply +/-10V to the rails. The capacitor is mainly for radio interference suppression. Usually it should be mounted as close to the motor as possible, but in Z gauge this is often not practical due to the very limited space. As for German model rail brands, there are actually a couple more - albeit there have been quite a few mergers in the last decades. The other 'big player' in Germany is Fleischmann (since 2008 under the same parent corporation with the Austrian company Roco). Then there are mid-scale manufacturers like Brawa, Tillig (with their TT gauge in 1:120 scale), Arnold (now a division of Hornby), Liliput (now a division of Bachmann), Piko, ... and dozens of other small-scale producers.

I lived in Zurich for a year and when I came home I had a small suitcase full of Z Gauge. I love it.

Marklin is a wizard of replica train since I was a child, even now.

It's a marvel that something sooo tiny still works!

About 30 years ago, I build a Z-scale track in a Suite case. Including landscape, a tunnel, a station with a signal, small village, a Forrest, deer, cow-farm on the hill….. Even a small lake in the village… nothing beats this scale.

What always surprises me is how the start sets in Z gauge never changed, they still include the same Models as in the 70s, same molds.

Ein schöner Bericht über das Starterset in Spur Z. Willkommen in der Fan-Gemeinde. Wir haben von 20 Jahren mit Spur Z angefangen. Neben Märklin befinden sich in unseren Fuhrpark auch Lokomotiven, Wagen und Shinkansen von Rokuhan auf unserer Kofferanlage Japan. Weiterhin viel Spaß und viele Grüße aus Berlin Jens und Sylvia 🚄🚄🚅🚅🚉🚉 A nice report about the starter set in Z gauge. Welcome to the fan community. We started from 20 years with Z gauge. In addition to Märklin, our fleet also includes locomotives, cars and Shinkansen from Rokuhan on our suitcase layout Japan. Continue to have fun and many greetings from Berlin Jens and Sylvia 🚂🚂

Beautiful setup. i inherited a LARGE collection from my grandfather of his Marklin Z Gauge trains (upwards of 3 20 gallon totes), and have been really wanting to find the time to build a large scale diorama with them. This sorta gave me a good push!

Very nice video! Thanks for posting! By the way, the Germans call O gauge "Spur Null" which means zero gauge. And the low-sided car is how they call their gondolas in Germany.

Loved the "banana for scale"

Great review 👍 for me personally it would be to small, but my 86 y.o. dad has started a Märklin Z layout last year and is enjoying it very much (I have a few videos about his layout if interested). Thanks for sharing the video🙏👍🙋‍♂️

this reminds me of my uncle having a tiny Z-Scale scenery in his glas-topped couch table.

I love the banana for scale! Superior to imperial or metric!

I have a very small apartment but would love a train set. I think Z gauge is the way to go.

I too bought a Z scale train while I was stationed in Germany in 1982. I still have it.

You can make a hobby park train ride for your O-scale layouts! 😊

This brings back memories. My dad bought me a set while at a conference in Zurich. The locomotive and carriages are identical, and the detail is so lovely!. Only difference is that my set came in a purpose built briefcase, which you could also use to set up the track in. I lost the rerailer very early on, so became very good at getting everything on the track by hand. I’ll have to check with mum to see if she still has it in a cupboard somewhere.

When you want a narrow gauge, you combine the H0 scale with TT tracks. It's the solution for streetcars

I've had one of those when I was young back in the '70, nice that they still exist. Great video !

The capacitor in the connection rail is a Funkenstörkondensator which means something like noise suppressing capacitor.

Thanks 🎂from 🇩🇰 I love ❤️ the Z

You'd be amazed at all the stock available for Z scale. I probably had nearly 100 different pieces when my eyesight started to go and we sized up to HO. That was over 20 years ago and I'm amazed at the how much more is available these days. Another thing I've noticed is the smaller scales are usually much better when it comes to the detail of the stock. O gauge and above always makes me think of toys, not something that is attempting to be true to the prototype. Which when you think of it, is exactly opposite of what you'd expect. Seriously, how much easier would it be to get accurate underpinnings on something that is literally 100X larger?

my grand-uncle has a whole landscape with these, apparently one of the reasons they created it was that it would fit inside a demonstration suitcase to show off what Märklin can do.

Nice overview of Marklin history, in relation to other manufacturers like Lionel. Marklin’s HO offering is unique in that it is 3-rail track but runs on AC, not the more common 2-rail version in the US which is DC. The center rail carries one polarity, while BOTH outside rails carry the other. Marklin’s HO AC wheel sets are NOT insulated from each other, and will short out on 2-rail DC, unless you replace them with their insulated DC versions. The company makes mostly European models, with some US versions on occasion. For much of the latter half of the 1900’s, Marklin competed with other European model train manufacturers including Trix, Fleischmann and ROCO, and Japanese manufacturer Kato, each of which offered 2-rail DC locomotives and rolling stock in both HO and N scales. The Trix brand identified specifically that company’s HO offerings, while Minitrix was their N scale brand. Z scale was for many years exclusively Marklin’s domain. Layouts built inside a standard briefcase were often advertised to showcase its tiny size. When Marklin Purchased Trix (and Minitrix) in 1998, they gained a huge competitive advantage with 2-rail DC HO scale offerings AND a complete line of N scale products as well for the first time ever. And today it remains a global powerhouse in every scale from Z to G, except as you noted for O scale, and the less well-known TT scale from Eastern Europe. Z scale’s major disadvantage is the high cost of everything from track to rolling stock, compared to other offerings in N and HO scales. But still, even a little starter set like the one you bought recently is a marvel of engineering, and can show up in the tiniest of places. Not bad, Marklin!

I love Marklin, prefer to anything else. I got a HO set for Christmas back in the early 50s at 5 years old while my dad was stationed in Germany. It was frustrating back in the states to find Marklin. I finally was able to build up my set when we moved to California. Say what you will I love the internet and modern tech to find trains etc. oh, I also enjoyed the video, another plus from the internet. 😊

Congrats on going viral. I'm not into this hobby, but KZfaq said I should watch your video. It was interesting and well made. Trains are cool! In 2008 I bought the Amtrak one month unlimited rail pass (no longer offered) and rode every major route in the US. It was a great experience.

Mister you are very special proffesional instructor. Of this Z scale starter set. TK.

my dad has an 80000€ Z-setup on a 5x10 meter wooden plate, all self built with underground train ways for access xD always a pain the butt if he wants to change anything on the middle xD

Thanks for the video. I have just ordered my set and your work was very useful.

I bought a whole bunch of Z gauge stuff when I was stationed in Germany back in the early 1980's. I have a couple big wooden ammo crates somewhere full of the stuff.

I have been a Z-Scale railroader from 2000, although my scalemodel railroading years begun some 20 years before that.. when i was 10.. the small cars do indeed feel finnicky at first. but after a while you start to get a feel for it.. the re-railer? i don't use that for the BR 89 Locomotive or the 2 axle cars.. when you have a BR24 locomotive, with tender then it might come in handy, or with Double Bogey Locomotives... The Couplers look big indeed, but, if you're not scared of a finnicky job, Microtrains from the USA makes Knuckle-couplers that are way smaller, and look way better.. they're just hassle to properly adjust.. but then.. they look good, and work great, also enabling you to push a car without it coupling again, if you first de-couple it over a small magnet... that makes shunting way more fun.. Dust and dirt can indeed stop your train from running smoothly.. regular maintenance is a must..for me that is no problem, since i'm a watchmaker :)..

My grandfather retired from Missouri Pacific Railroad in the early eighties as a retirement gift they gave him a marklin set z-scale with extra track sometime after he passed my grandmother gave it to me I still have it to this day

Came across my first Z scale set at a friends place back in the early 80's, same old set (but older packaging) and back then they were a 3 pole motor (now days its a 5 pole motor), It was set up on a little base board and had fields of "sheep" (which I still laugh about) which were tiny cotton balls with a bit of paint on them. (back then there was no internet to order or find people, buildings, etc, and if you bought anything from Europe of the U.S, it was a 3-5 month wait on snail mail as it was shipped across the world). At the time I was getting inot N gauge and ultimately went into Narrow gauge when I saw my friends Dads layout - O scale/gauge but with early hand made 0n30 and 0n18.. all scratch built. I ended up going HOn30/009 myself back then, but never forgot the Z scale. years later after moving countries, traveling the world, etc I got back into the hobby, and came across some Micro trains (U.S) flat cars.. and that was it.. I restarted back into Z standard gauge, but ended up also back into Narrow gauge (HO scale), as well.. HOn3, HOn30, and HOf (which is mining stuff on Z scale track, primarily made by Euro manufacturer "Busch" (Runs on 3 volt, uses magnets a lot and metal under the Z track to "adhere" better to the track). Over the years there have been some Japanese manufactures who also make affordable mech's (like Rokuhanu) and they have snap track like Kato N, and can run on 12 volt.. however to be safe, run on 8-10 volt max. A Marklin Z power pack will still power an HO scale modern loco, just not at full power. however a regular N or HO pack has to be stepped down in voltage, and there are kits available to do this (so you don't have to dump your old MRC power packs). I personally use Marklin Z power packs with all my Z stuff - which are a few marklin engines , Micro Trains, and AZL (American Z Lines). Problem with a lot of the older marklin Z scale loco's is they can "gum up " with old oil and freeze the gears, then you apply power, and burn out the motor in under 30 seconds(and not realize it). so when buying them and running them the first time, check for movement in the gearing, spin the armature by hand (gently) to see its spinning free, then apply voltage and run in. As for the smallness of the scale, you simply get used to it, and you won't need a re-railer and in fact, N scale will look "a little to big" when you work with it. You will also get very good at track work in larger scales, because of what you work with in Z for smooth running. Another tip I learned (especially for shows) is run your trains double header, so buy 2 of the same loco at a time, run them together, It makes stalling a thing of the past, and you don't have to run at race track speeds (which you often see as a thing with some people in Z), you can run a lot slower. Sadly these loco's do burn out and it can be a real challenge remotoring, or finding parts. Often its just easier to make a "dummy loco" and go buy some of the latest.. most of us have a couple of burned out 0-6-0's (they do last well, and held the record in the Guinness book of records for smallest commercial loco running the longest continuous time - not sure if they still do though. Also, Z scale is used for mechs, track and rolling stock in Nn3 narrow gauge. Microtrains for a while also produced rolling stock, and there are kits to convert marklin Z engines into U.S narrow gauge prototype style loco's, and a few people who have rather large layouts. The other thing is also HOf (sometimes called HOz). I personally have found you can buy the cheap Rokuhanu "shorties" power units (for around 20 bucks U.S) from japan and use these as power units in HOf - so you aren't chopping up 200-500 dollar Z scale loco's for the same job. So much happening in Z scale as well the last 10 years.. AZL even did limited runs of Brass engines like the Big boy 4-8-8-4, near impossible to find them for sale any more, and when they do its the price of a good second hand car...

Great video, I really enjoy your sense of humor

Z gauge seems perfect for city scenes and subways. Imagine creating the Chicago El train!

The fun thing is: This starter kit is practically identical to what it was in 1972. I got it as a child around 1974.

Bizarre, I didn't know this world existed. Fair play to the reviewer when he felt confident in criticizing as well as praising the kits merits. The plonking down of the banana gave a good view on perspective.

Thanks for the video, as I often buy things from Märklin, I know that For N there can be N or Minitrix. Best regards from Germany

I always loved Z gauge, and I bought some random track and cars and an engine when I visited Germany in 1988. Then I brought it home and proceeded to fry it by running it on my HO transformer. :( At least it still makes a nice static display.

Love the circles joke.

Excellent video Rambles ! I’d love to see more footage from the hobbie shops you visited on your vacation… perhaps a follow up video to this one ? Thanks for the nostalgic flashback to my childhood. This little Z was my first train set !

Hi, I bought my wife a small Z-gauge train about 18 years ago (wow was it that long ago). I agree about the contact thing. I was constantly clean the track and it always seemed dirty with intermittent contact. I though I would build a unit that would pulse DC voltage, but much higher than what the transformer puts out. But then I got real and searched the internet and found a unit made for that purpose. I bought the GaugeMaster unit (from England, I think). The Z train is up in the mountain under the Christmas tree. There is also a Lionel O gauge (from my youth) goes around the perimeter. I tell people that the mountain train is actually the same size as the O train, but it just looks smaller because it is soooo far away. When we first put the train on the track, it will hardly run. It jerk and stops. A little push and it continues. After a few seconds of this it keeps going. Keep doing this for a minute or 2 and it will get better and better. You then let it run for 5 minutes and, voila, the track is clean and the trains runs pretty good.

Interesting video Tony! Z Gauge looks like "rabbit hole" I wouldn't care to go down, BUT at 1/220 scale it might make an interesting add-on for ship modelers, as in adding some action to a German naval dockside scene.

Sweet video. As a UK N gauge modeller, I really like that!

Love the scale, stayed for your spirit 😂

Surprising amount of detail in those tiny cars. I can see Z gauge for tiny 'novelty' setups for under a Christmas tree, for example, or for a centerpiece on a tabletop. Z gauge much too small for my taste though. HO is as small as I'll go. Friend of mine just purchased an 'O' gauge Lionel train set scored a great deal on a 'like new' set there's something to be said for those beefy die cast body locomotives for durability, but the size limits how much you can put on a 4 x 8 foot layout, for example and that's where the smaller gauges shine.

As for tiny size, I had a large oval in z scale, complete with CATENARY, set up on the dining room table for a big family gathering not too many years ago …

One aspect of the Märklin Z gauge is the fact it's so small many make a tracks in briefcases, I seen several pictures of amazing builds and there are some great videos on youtube also.

Dont know why KZfaq brought me here at 4 in the morning but it was cool looking into other people's hobbies. I mostly build Gundam kits in my free time so this was an interesting shift. Love the details on these models.

The packaging is realy well done its neat for people who dream of a train but say only have corner of their home or a room with a table its great nice kit for a fother son father doughter id even look into this size where my spare room is all i need not a whole basement

I was at a train show with my Dad back around 1973 or so. I saw one of the early Z gauge starter sets. I was amazed and fascinated. For the entire set, they wanted $50 US......quite a bit of money back then....

Wow quite intricate.

Great video!

Fantastic review, I purchased the same start set in June 2021, it's still un-opened in the box!!! I will start a Z gauge layout ASAP

That capacitor helps to suppress unwanted radio interference as it is way to small to deal with voltage fluctuations while the engine runs or starts up. I first laid eyes on Z gauge just over 20 years ago and I like those tiny models.

I had Z gauge trains as a kid years ago. They were great fun. I have them somewhere here and I should figure out how to set them up again. Also: Great New Hope and Ivyland loco there!

Beautiful toy

The capacitor is for supressing interference on your TV. That's its only purpose. It has to be removed if your running your trains on DCC.

KZfaq recommendations are such a strange thing. I’ve never even watched a train video or searched for one before this.

The claws on the wheels are the brakes. The brake pads are on both sides. Really great video, and very well explained. If you are ever in Germany again, I can recommend the Transport Museum in Nuremberg. Greetings from Bavaria Nuremberg

Excellent!

I love the trix n gage

I have essentially the same set from 1983 which my parents bought me on our vacay in Austria or perhaps Germany.

I enjoyed this video -- thank you! Just a note, the brand is pronounced closer to "Mehrkleen" (not "Marklynn"). German here :) Also, interestingly, I had a Märklin N-gauge train set as a child, and in Germany it was referred to as "Minitrix".

My dad had Marklin z gauge trains around 50 years ago.

My brother had a layout that was 4 x 8 huge for Z scale Cantenary stem multiple tracks..tons of scenery..4x8..and cant forgot the "CROCODILE 😅"

I was looking at your trains on the wall and thought you must be from south east PA. Then you said Harry Henning. So you must be closer than I thought. I am going over to Hennings later today.

great, will buy..............

Great video, nice review of Marklin too. Just a bit of an add-on: the gauge idea was just a bonus by Marklin, the Marklin Brothers main contribution to model railway systems is the model railway system. Prior at best a train may come with some straight track. Some a circle. Issmayer appears to be the first with sectional track, but Issmayer never grasped the concept of a model railway and never offered separate sale track. Marklin demonstrated its superiority by demonstrating for the first time turnouts, a figure of eight track, stations and people. Which is a bit of a giveaway as to why Z was invented. Marklin wanted to venture a bit further but if they'd entered the N market the mighty Marklin firm would've become just another N scale manufacturer. You'll also note that Z early on was marketed for adults, as a technological accomplishment, a conversation piece, a demonstration of the sophisticate, and priced accordingly. Btw, H0 really came about from that amazing and probably the most influential product from Bing via B-L and Greenly. Marklin actually termed their H0 as just 00 just to confuse things, and the English termed theirs either H0 or 00 for the same size. Henry G not helping the situation by not seeming to be able to make his mind up which to call his own invention! Much as I liked Z I just found it a little too whimsical for real use. Still got a TEE set somewhere, its always nice to broaden ones' horizons, well done Great video :)

This looks extremely close to what I had as a kid in the late 70s/very early 80s. Haven't looked at it in decades, but it seems pretty much identical. I did have one or two more cars than this, but those could have been bought separately. I remember a green one, besides the two shown here. I also believe the locomotive smokestack was taller and angled slightly more than in this set. Maybe my set wasn't even from Märklin? I was way too young to notice or care about such details back then. I think I know where it's stored so I'll probably take a look later. 🙂

Nice little set. Funny, I checked on the Märklin site, and it turns out they still sell the same expansion sets (E, T1, T2, T3) as they did 40 years ago when I had a Märklin H0 track.

N gague in the uk , 1: 148 , however , i personally use Kato , etc stock with no issues ... platforms etc may be diffrent but thats fine ... its "Zed" gague :):):)

Henning's in Landsdale,Pa. Man i remember his dad Harry Sr. . Great hobby shop too. I used to go there with my grandpa back in the 80's when i was a kid. I recall they used to sell different scales of trains, but mostly Lionel and others. If I'm not mistaken, didn't they take on the remaining inventory of Lin's Junction, that closed a few years back??. I wish i still lived in Pa.

I have a Marklin Z gage train that I bought in 1979. His starter set has the same engine as mine, but the cars are different. One is just a lowside with out the cover and the other car is yellow. and. The power track is wired different to.The transformer is really big to the ones they use now. I've added two more trains, one is the Oriente Express and another passenger train that put a set of cars and engine together. I also have the E set and sets 1,2 and 3. It's been a long time since I ran any of them. I did find a company named American Z line the makes nothing but Z gage. So I might get back into them again. Not easy to work with. I also own ho and n gage.

48yrs ago Minitrix "N" scale trains I would take over Z Gauge any day. Z Scale is to dam small & doesn't make it any better, just more frustrating to handle & maintain. And Doubled or tripled the price over "N" Scale Train layouts. I had a complete layout of "N" Scale trains over 200 rolling stock, over 40 assorted Locomotives, F9's Etc. I sold it all & the layout 25yrs ago. Train hobbies are not cheap anymore. Took my 7yr Nephew to a Train Shop, blew his mind! He got to see what I use to have & then he saw Z Scale, he said that's to small LOL! Enjoy what makes you happy, even Z Scale! LOLOL!

well, you talked about every gauge, but the one I've been running for 35 years, S gauge, I guess, Mr. gilbert was a pioneer with his very own

I’m hyped for LGB T guage

If you place the track pieces on a flat surface, you can push them together easier.

The ceramic capacitor is for EMR suppression of the sparks.

Marklins were expensive! I had the joy of running and maintaining the NYC Macy's massive train display back in the 70s. When the trains were running, they were a joy to watch, unfortunately, the locomotives, after continuous running on the display, I had to repay them frequently. Those tiny motor bushings burn out quickly; since the department store was picking up the tab, it wasn't an issue for me, it was just so many locomotives no longer working sitting there in a pile. Kids would throw food and chewing gums over the plexiglass partitions onto the tracks to derail the trains. I could never be able to afford even a decent Marklin Z gauge of my own. Sad, they were miniature masterpieces though.

Don`t worry about connecting your power pack they actually are selling a conversion kit for travelers in usa

Marklin has another gauge S spur. It was bigger than gauge H0, but smaller then gauge 0.

Great video , I am running 3 sets of O scale right now , but always wanted to buy a Z scale set . Very helpful video . Do you have a starter set for sale at this time . New subscriber to you today . Mike Espo .

Funny thing about the packaging is that the set itself is over 40-years old. The old packaging had a walnut on it...

16 x 22 is s still bigger than my N scale layout, which measures 11x 23. would love to have one of these, though!

Vell done !! ✌😎

The only things I have in z scale are the same little 0-6-0 locomotive, a yellow bananen car, and I assume a brake van of some sort, that I got for $4 at an antique shop. Unfortunately I have no idea how I would go about testing it or finding out how old the version I have is.

9:40 the capacitor eases extreme changes in voltage and gives you the feel of mass to the train. Clip it out if you want to do some burn out paradise :D

You are correct, the guys in the T Gauge club would disagree with this being he smallest electric train in the world. However, when you look at the detail available in T, you realize that Z is about as small as you can get before it looks like a toy up close. The capacitor is there to cut down on electromagnetic interference. Arnold Rapido used this trick in the 1970's, but the capacitors were too big to mount in the locomotives in Z Gauge. You can now get a capacitor into a Z locomotive, but it's cheaper just to put it on the power supply. The design of the rail car axles is just for he European models. If you were to look at North American Z Gauge you would see a completely different design.

@The Rambles is it possible to make the track smaller than the stated dimensions? I really need a 12" circle... would it work if only used a locomotive and maybe 1 car?

Ive been wanting to get a Z gauge starter set and run it on my 7.5" gauge flatcar WHILE that is running. N is just a hair too big to make an oval within the confines of the car.