New Exciting Adventure...

Märklin Mini-Club

z Scale - 1:220

I always wanted to play around with z scale, but it is not really available here in South Africa, so it was always just an idea.

My Sister in Law's Dad decided to sell his collection, which I did not knew he had, so I kept a few items so I can do something small.

Lots of new things to learn and new challenges as z Scale is so much smaller than N Scale.

The DesigN

“Small, but have to make a impact.”

I saw this layout in the Window of the Model Train shop and it is basically the smallest you can go with z. I found the plans and decided to make it work for me. I had to make the layout longer because I want to use the station I had. Now the build will start !!!!!

Bench Work & Basic Landscape

I started again with a wooden frame. because it is a small layout I wanted to keep it light, so I used 35x20mm for the frame and 20x20mm for the braces.

Then fir the base of the layout I used 10mm Styrofoam and the WoodlansScenics risers for were the track must go. I also used the 10mm Styrofoam to construct the Mountain.

The curved bridge as well as the tunnel portals I carved out of foam, as I have no resource here in South Africa to buy it, so I made it myself. Quite happy with the way it came out.

I glued some 1mm cardboard on top of the foam to get the track perfectly flat and smooth.

After everything was checked and tested, it is now time to permanently fix the track.

One more Step before Trackwork

I decided to paint the basic earth colour before I fix the track.

I originally did not want to ballast the track so I need colour, but ended up ballasting the track.

GOt InVOLVED

“These small little Marklin Engines really got me hooked.”

The layout was packed away and I really got involved in repairing and building z scale for other people and friends.

I was contacted via FaceBook to build a z scale layout for someone, he supplied everything, I just need to do the build.

Layout fitted on a 1.2m x 600mm Foam Board.

It was going to be with Rokuhan Track and everything else will be imported brand new.

I took up the challenge and it ended up being a eight month project, but it was an awesome experience.

While I was busy with this layout, I was also contacted to sell a whole collection for someone. All Marklin Locomotives and rolling stock. Collection was packed away for about 30 years so I had to clean, test and service every locomotive.

Ended up buying quite a few items from the collection.

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Then another request for a Layout !!!!

This one was much easier and only took me 2 months to build. Was a lot of fun as most of the layout was Scenery work.