Bachmann Trains & Accessories

Ho Scale Train Cars
will lionel cars that are ho scale work on ant train set that is ho scale?

trains
box cars
fright cars

Yes they will, the thing would be coupler height. The gaging is standard through out the industry.

Ho Scale Train Cars

Find out more about American prototype Marklin model trains

American prototype Marklin model trains are often only used by a small and tight knit group of enthusiasts. This is because Marklin is a German based company and usually creates trains for the European market. In general they manufacture models on a three rail track, which is something very uncommon in North America.

They have now created some model trains for the American market. They have released American themed items in the scales of HO, Z and 1. They have also released models in the N scales under the Trix brand name. Generally, you will find most HO scaled trains in North America.

In 1972, Marklin revolutionized the model railroad world with the introduction of the Z gauge. This has the scale of 1:220. These trains are known to have incredible detail and accuracy when compared to the originals. The craftsmanship is something that Marklin takes very seriously, and this has led to their popularity.

They create strong locomotives from die-cast metal and rolling stock with incredible prototype detail. Their fans and collectors seek out these trains for the small scale trains and the detail that comes with them. Besides the trains having incredible detail, the operating systems that they create are also known for their great performance.

Their systems use nickel silver rails for optimum electrical pickup. They also use color coder plug and socket wiring, and a system of plugs and sockets built into the end of each track. This ensures that the tracks are properly aligned and very reliable. It also gives the mechanical connection reliability.

Marklin has hundreds of American and European prototype trains, accessories and track extensions. This makes the manufacturer one of the most popular in the hobby and gives them the strong fan base that they have managed to hold on to for many years.

Just recently, they have released a number of new American prototypes. One of these is the HO digital UP class 4000 “Big Boy” locomotive. This is a model of the union pacific railroad heavy freight locomotive. It comes with a digital decoder and a sound generator. It has a powerful motor with a bell shaped armature and flywheel mounted in the boiler.

The model locomotive also has an articulated frame which enables it to negotiate sharp curves on the track. There are steam lines mounted to swing out and back with the cylinders. There are also a number of other finely crafted details which make this a great model to collect and have in your collection.

Marklin also have a number of kits that you can buy. They have a 45649 HO American freight 10-car set. If you are looking to add a number of cars to your collection then this is a great set to choose. They also offer individual trucks such as the Pennsylvania railroad type N5c caboose. This is a detailed truck with special wheel sets.

As you can see there are plenty of American prototype models that you can find and buy if you want to collect a range of Marklin models.

About the Author

Philip Redfearn is an avid model train enthusiast, with many informative articles published on this exciting hobby. For more great information on model trains, and to sign up for a free Ultimate Model Railway Secrets 11 lesson mini-course, visit http://www.ultimatemodelrailway.com

How many Trains should be used?

In HO Scale whats a good idea for engines. I have about 150 feet of track and 2 engines and 40 cars already. how many cars per engine and how many engines?

At one time I wondered this myself.
So, what I did was:
1) Loaded up 1 engine with as many cars as it could pull around my layout by itself. You will notice different types of locomotives have different capabilities.
2) Then I double-headed some engines, and loaded them up with as much as they could pull around the layout. I found that 2 engines pulling can pull more than twice the freight than the single engine could, and found this interesting.
3) I continued adding locomotives [I went as many as 6 !] and was pulling a train OVER 3/4’s of a mile long! In scale miles of course, through curves and grades.

The thing about model railroading at home is we are limited on space. My first dilemma during my experimentation period was the end of my train was right in front of the engine by about 3 inches!

That’s when major construction projects began and I now have a layout that is approximately 1 1/2 miles long for a completed route around the track. So my trains are about a 1/2 mile long on the average, using 3 engines doing the work with relative ease.
The longest train I could pull through my tighter than real life curves was 86 cars.

The other thing about model railroading is the locomotives do not have the ‘tractive effort’ that the real engines do, so trying to run realistic length trains becomes a real task, because you need many more engines than the railroads really need in real life.

40 cars is an impressive load. So experiment with your engines to get the right amount of power to pull your load around your layout, and try not to get too wrapped up in prototypical loadings, because it gets to be a disappointment when you realize those little models just can’t pull the loads real trains can.

174 CAR HO SCALE TRAIN