rfleischHello all, This is my first posting here. I'm in the early planning stages for a 9x5 foot layout for my TRIX EXPRESS collection. I haven't had it up in about 10 years now. After I do get it up and running as the 3-rail DC that it is, I plan on converting it to DCC. I am assuming that it will be AC-DCC. Can anyone thing of why this might NOT work????? I'm planning on using the center rail and one outer rail and NOT the TWO outer rails. On another note. What would be the problem of running a new Marklin AC-DCC Loco on the DCC converted Trix Express tracks. Regards, -Ray Fleischmann
As I remember the early (50s-60s) Trix Express motors were part of the truck and may be difficult (not impossible) to isolate, which is absolutely essential for DCC operation, I don't know about the later (TE) stuff and NMRA DCC is not compatible at all with Marklin's digital system or the AC it runs on. Just putting an NMRA DCC decoder in a Marklin loco won't work, the output from the decoder to the motor is DC (like your DC powerpack), the Marklin loco still needs AC to run.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
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CAZEPHYR The C&O T1 class 2-10- 4 prototype locomotive used 69" drivers. I was not aware of the smaller size on the BLI model since I have none of those. Those DM&IR 2-10-4's did have the 64" drivers according to the book I have and they were B&LE locomotives when new. There is still one in preserved. These locomotives were almost identical to the CB&Q 2-10-4's called Colorado's by the Q. CZ
The C&O T1 class 2-10- 4 prototype locomotive used 69" drivers. I was not aware of the smaller size on the BLI model since I have none of those. Those DM&IR 2-10-4's did have the 64" drivers according to the book I have and they were B&LE locomotives when new. There is still one in preserved. These locomotives were almost identical to the CB&Q 2-10-4's called Colorado's by the Q.
CZ
I probably got the dimensions wrong, but I think the BLI drivers are about 3" smaller than they should be. I think it was a Model Railroad News review that mentioned it. But as I noted, that's actually not that uncommon on model steam engines...either the drivers are a bit undersized, or they're spaced out a little farther than they should be, to allow for the flanges.
I believe the preserved 2-10-4 you're talking about is currently lettered for the Missabe on one side, and B&LE on the other!! Both roads were owned by US Steel, and as the US steel railroads like B&LE and EJ&E dieselized, they sent some of their steam engines to the Missabe. I think the 2-10-4s arrived around 1951 on the DMIR.
The CB&Q/C&S Texas types were great looking engines, I have the old WB Video's "Last Steamers of the Colorado & Southern" that have some nice movies of the engines in action.
Ray,
Trix Express is long gone and is starting to turn into collector´s items. It would be a shame to not keep it in its original condition.
Trix Express is DC, so you should be converting it to regular DCC, if you have to. No sense to convert it to Marklin´s proprietary Motorola based system, as Marklin locos won´t run on Trix Express track.
wjstix I think the days of European equipment using oversized flanges ended maybe 15-20 years ago. I have a Trix NYC caboose made a couple of years ago and the wheels are comparable to what you find on any US made freight car or caboose. Many many model railroad steam engines have slightly smaller than normal drivers, because even small flanges that will work on code 70 track are still oversized compared to the prototype. The alternative is spacing the drivers out a little farther than they should be. IIRC my BLI C&O style 2-10-4 uses 63" drivers instead of the prototype's 66" drivers - I might be an inch or two off, but I know they're a bit small. (As it happens, I got an undec one and lettered for my free-lance iron ore railroad, because it reminded me of the Missabe's ex-B&LE engines, which I believe actually had 63" drivers.)
I think the days of European equipment using oversized flanges ended maybe 15-20 years ago. I have a Trix NYC caboose made a couple of years ago and the wheels are comparable to what you find on any US made freight car or caboose. Many many model railroad steam engines have slightly smaller than normal drivers, because even small flanges that will work on code 70 track are still oversized compared to the prototype. The alternative is spacing the drivers out a little farther than they should be.
IIRC my BLI C&O style 2-10-4 uses 63" drivers instead of the prototype's 66" drivers - I might be an inch or two off, but I know they're a bit small. (As it happens, I got an undec one and lettered for my free-lance iron ore railroad, because it reminded me of the Missabe's ex-B&LE engines, which I believe actually had 63" drivers.)
Any Trix product was made for the states and they have the correct flange size for our use. They still use large flanges in the EU.
Not all Marklin HO is the eqivilent of three rail, although it may be now!
There is a Broadway version available at the store, but its the early silver red stripe color paint scheme, which I'm not a big fan of. I have also heard from one hobby shop owner that the original runs of the BLI GG-1 had major gearing problems.
The Marklin GG-1 I am looking at is beautiful, too bad it only runs on AC and three rail track. The downside is also the lack of customer service in the US, and it costs $600. I'm not sure if I want to put out that kind of money for a European manufactured engine, no matter how beautiful.
Well there is always the IHC GG-1 which is $100. What do you guys think of this one or the Rivarossi?
Trix locos and rolling stock on sale in the US usually have wheel sets following NMRA´s RP 25 - the same stuff in Europe has different wheels with slightly larger flanges, according to NEM standards.
In Europe, the times of those dreaded pizza-cutter flanges are thankfully over. The equipment you now buy can run on code 100 and code 83 tracks, some even on code 70, but not all. In Europe, layouts feature much tighter radii than in the US, due to space limitations. Standard radius is still a 14 3/4" curve, just like in the old days. The bigger flanges are supposed to prevent derailments in sharp curves.
Marklin is still a different story. Even the newer stuff will not run on code 100 rail.
Forty Niner Yes, they are the same company basically however, Trix is 2 rail and DC powered and Marklin is 3 rail AC powered. Marklin has been making 3 rail AC locos virtually ever since they have been producing model trains so they have quite a huge following. I'm not "up" on how Trix came about or became part of Marklin although they do make quite a bit of European prototype equipment and always have, but in 2 rail DC. My first exposure to Trix was in the late 1960's with their N Scale line, at that time they were making about the best N Scale equipment on the market and continued to do so for many years. So if it's Trix, it's 2 rail DC and if it says "Marklin" it's 3 rail AC. I would assume that Trix also offers that same GG1 with the 2 rail DC chassis under it but if you can't find one Broadway has made a beautiful version of this loco as well, only problem is I think they are out of production now so they are a bit tough to find. Hope this helps, Mark
Yes, they are the same company basically however, Trix is 2 rail and DC powered and Marklin is 3 rail AC powered.
Marklin has been making 3 rail AC locos virtually ever since they have been producing model trains so they have quite a huge following. I'm not "up" on how Trix came about or became part of Marklin although they do make quite a bit of European prototype equipment and always have, but in 2 rail DC.
My first exposure to Trix was in the late 1960's with their N Scale line, at that time they were making about the best N Scale equipment on the market and continued to do so for many years.
So if it's Trix, it's 2 rail DC and if it says "Marklin" it's 3 rail AC. I would assume that Trix also offers that same GG1 with the 2 rail DC chassis under it but if you can't find one Broadway has made a beautiful version of this loco as well, only problem is I think they are out of production now so they are a bit tough to find.
Hope this helps, Mark
I believe all of the Marklin models use deep flanges also instead of the flange size we normally use in the states. I believe that is the reason the Trix Big Boy has undersized drivers on it. ( 64" ) The large flanges used in the marklin version required reduced driver size to get the spacing correct.
The Trix is a nice model and runs extremely well and may be the best running model train made to date.
Like everyone says Trix is DC/DCC equipment while Marlkin is 3 rail HO AC equipment. While Marklin has a huge following in Europe, in US it's a niche. The nice thing about Marklin acquiring Trix is that many fine Marlkin locos are available in DC/DCC HO, while retaining virtually the same tooling for the shell and drive.
The only negatives are the price, very often two to three times more than competitors and for US customers very shaky customer support. Marklin dropped a local US branch and instead uses Walthers for the customer support in US. Walthers however cannot do anything but the simplest repairs and have to ship everything to Germany for warranty repair. Ask me how I know...
Marklin H0 has always been 3-rail AC. Trix was Trix Express back in the 60s and early 70s and was 3-rail DC, then changed to 2-rail DC sometime in the 70s. I believe it was in the late 90s when Marklin bought out Trix Express and dropped the "Express". It's now Marklin's DC/DCC line for both European and US models and took the place and then some, of Marklin's Hamo line, which was up until then Markiln's DC line.
I have one of the last Trix GG1's available since about 2006 and felt privileged to get it. I even paid a darned good price, thankfully. Anyway, Mark is correct, Trix is the Marklin N. American market product (at least, a lot of it is for this market), so it is DC or DCC (my GG1 and Trix NYC Mikado are both DCC with sound) and two rail. The Marklin equivalents need the tiny metal dots in the center of all the ties that are the German substitute for the third rail. That makes them AC.
-Crandell
There is a brand new GG-1 I'm interested in, but I believe its in a yellow box, labeled Marklin (if I remember correctly). A person working at the store told me that it wouldn't run on the usual power system and required special 3 rail track made in Germany. Whats the difference between Trix and Marklin locos, I thought they were the same company?