Z-Info 1/2003 US EDITORIAL It is not a secret that some processes must be changed within the club. Most active members meet together in Dortmund or in Göppingen. So we discussed how to improve our services and solve actual problems. Z-Info Of course, we will still present you the new items on the Z market. But we want to slightly change our focus. Today, it is well known that every Märklin loco has a five pole motor. So it is not necessary to repeat it every time. The same is true about fine the detailing of models from big manufacturers as well as small series producers. Even the usual tech- niques (etching, injection molding and so on) are of little interest in these stages. If you are interested in such terms, you could ask the dis- tributor. Instead of such catalogue-information, we want to provide you with more information about the prototype, so that you are able to de- termine as to whether or not a new item fits into your model-railroad project. If we will receive the respective articles from you, or if we will find the time to do it ourselves, we want to present more articles about tips and tricks, how to do it manuals, and the technical basics of model-railroad- ing. But we do not want to neglect reports abaout layouts and exhibitions. Speaking more generally we want to make a magazine which entertains you and gives information to you inde- pendent of the calendar.In contrast to the newspaper of yesterday, you should benefit from reading the maga- zine even some weeks or months later. Exhibitions The new structure of our exhibition team seems to be proven itself positively. So actually changes are not necessary. But we have to pay attention in the future and how the results look, mainly caused by the growing restraints of exhibition-organizations. For example, we actual- ly received a cancelation from the Messe Leipzig. Internet Even if our magazine comes on time in every case, it would be impos- sible to beat with this print-media the speed of the internet in informa- tion transfer. In a medium time-range, after solving the other challan- ges, we want to modify our web-site so that it will become a valuable source for all Z news. NM, AvH 2Z Club 92 Z CLUB 92 CONTENT Italia Via Morgagni 15/2 EDITORIAL ........................................................2 I-41100 Modena Tel. + Fax +39 059 35 40 64 54TH TOY FAIR IN NUREMBERG............................4 Deutschland MÄRKLIN: EPOCHE II ..........................................5 Postfach 13 01 01 D-44750 Bochum MÄRKLIN - SONDERMODELLE ..............................9 Fax (0234) 54 00 10 MÄRKLIN INSIDER: BR 4290 ...............................12 North America Distributed by Märklin Inc. MÄRKLIN: TAURI (ÖBB) AND HUPAC ...................14 P.O. 510851, New Berlin WI 53151, USA HECKL KLEINSERIEN:NEW ITEMS .......................19 Fax 414-784-1095 RAILEX: NEW ITEMS .........................................20 Japan Distributed by HOBBYEXPRESS Ltd. SCHMIDT: NEW ITEMS ......................................21 1-5 Eda Nishi 1-Chome, Aoba-Ku Yokohama 225-0014, Japan MICRO-TRAINS LINE .........................................22 Fax 045-911-9607 WESTMODEL: NEW ITEMS .................................23 @ Internet http://www.zclub92.com KIBRI: NEW ITEMS ...........................................24 [email protected] KRÜGER: NEW ITEMS........................................25 Direttore Responsabile: TRAIN-SAFE: NEW ITEMS ..................................25 Nicola Malavasi ..............................................................NM Stampato presso: Z-SHOP CARS ..................................................26 APVD s.r.l., I - 41012 Carpi (MO) Registrazione: Z UND MEER: NEW ITEMS .................................27 Tribunale di Modena Nr. 1523 del 29.03.2000 MZZ: NEW ITEMS .............................................27 Collaboratori: Arnim v. Herff ...............................................................AvH KÜPPER: NEW ITEMS ........................................27 Johannes Maaßen .........................................................JM Frank Meek..........................................................................FM MOVIE TRAIN...................................................28 Dieter Nolte........................................................................DN Manfred Wilhelm.........................................................MW STIPP:NEW ITEMS ............................................30 Jens Wimmel.....................................................................JW Kai Wüstermann ..........................................................KW Z-MARKET .......................................................31 Thomas Zeeb.....................................................................TZ CONTEST.........................................................31 Z-Info is the magazin of Z-Club 92. It will be published four times per annum. Delivering is part of Club-membership. Z-MODEL OF THE YEAR 2003 .............................32 Z Club 92 tries to publish and sent it following this arrangement: March Nr.1 June No. 2 COVER September No. 3 Dezember No. 4 incl. annual Club-car There’s no advertising in the magazine; we publish exclu- Insider Modell 2003 sively articles of technical relevance or for collectors. All material published is covered by copyright. Reproduction or At first sight some thought it is re-publication is therefore prohibited without prior permis- sion. Z Club 92 is always interested in readers views and another exotic model in an ugly invites all members to send in photos and articles for publi- colour. But research of the pro- cation. We cannot, however guarantee that we will have space to publish all the material we receive. If you would totype shows that it represents like us to return your material we will do so gladly, al- a very interesting chapter of though we are obliged to charge for mailing expenses. All articles must be accompanied by the name and address of DB-history. AvH the author and details of any relevant copyrights. Z - Info 3 54TH TOY FAIR IN NUREMBERG Traditionally the model railoading year starts with It seems the that dealers have moved from local the Toy Fair in February.The very active hobbyist shops to the internet and mail-order dealers. My does his research about the new items on the inter- own observations support this. If you drive through net and at the local dealers. The professional buyers the Swabian country-side, you will find in nearly and distibuters travel to Nürnberg. every village a local Märklin-dealer. If you cross the This year's was the 54th annual exhibition. In times “Weißwurstäquator” (a virtually line which divides in which the economical trend is very difficult to fo- Germany in North and South nearly the river Main), recast, the main question was how it will effect the you can not be sure if you will even find a distribu- toy market. To the relief of organizers and exhibi- tor for our hobby in small towns. In this statement tors, the approaching thunderstorm passes and at the special situation in the former GDR is not consi- some places the sun shined through the clouds. All dered. spoke about suprisingly good spirits which were ra- With these observations the behavior by Märklin to ted as a good sign for further developments during particularly support local dealers makes sense for this year. The number of visitors was around the uninvolved hobbyist. Many of us became infec- 74,000, about the same level as last year. Si- ted with the virus because they saw model trains milarly, were the number of exhibitors at the local shop. Where should our young (2,716), also about the same level as friends get the best illness of all, if their last year. A small decrease was need of mobility is satisfied by “Taxi compensated by an increased Mama”? number of countries of origin. Of course, some special models 60 per cent of the exhibi- were presented at the 54th Toy tiors comes from outside Fair. You will find these on pa- Germany. Even the per- ges 9-10. NM centage of foreign visi- tors increased from 45 to 48. This shows a growing inte- rest in the fair from abroad, and a special German pheno- mena--2,500 visitors less from Germany demonstrating an in- creased concentrating/merging of the German toy-market. 4Z Club 92 MÄRKLIN: EPOCHE II This year's news from Märklin seems like Christmas quently displayed layouts, this station with a length of and a birthday together for the era 2 Z-model rail- one meter, will really be inappropriate. As it is a ter- roader. Nearly all of the articles, that modellers need, minus station, the Z-gauge gets another simultaneous are included in the three new diecasts for era 2 of the kick to be a real model railway. Realistic traffic from A total of six in the complete new items program. to B can occur,without the “carroussel-feeling” of mini-layouts. If the firm which created Z-scale contin- Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof ues such attempts, conceptual and actual changes in The “Anhalter Bahnhof” (89200) is probably going to its marketing, then Z scale has a chance of dispropor- be the central drop-in centerpiece of the German era tionate growth in the future, because here has Z un- II Z-fans. With the dimensions of 87 x 46 cm, paralleled advantages over other model scales. Maerklin unofficially gives up the exclusive adjustment For the “Berliners”, the station opened in 1880 was of miniclub as a “toytrain in a frying pan”. For the fre- the point of departure for travelling to France, Italy and southern Germany. That's how the Anhalter be- came very popular