Hi Kokomo,
Welcome to the forum !
I can not really help you with your questions, but I'm sure some here can.

Marco

No, don't do that, it will make the tracks rust even faster.

To answer the questions

#1 - C track is designed for repeated laying down and breaking up, so is ideal for children and carpetbahn's. K track is really designed for permanent layouts requiring a near prototypical track (as near to prototypical as you can get with 3 rail track). It is possible to get good realism with C track, just have a look at some of the layouts featured on the forum and you will see what I mean.

#2 - You would need the turnout, a 74491 point motor, a 74461 decoder plus optionally the 74470 turnout lantern. Alternatively, you could buy the 74445 kit, which includes the lantern, the motor and the decoder. You only need these if you do not want to change the points by hand.

#3 - The Mobile Station (MS2 - not to be confused with the older MS1) is a current item, and is ideal for run small to medium sized layouts. It can also switch solenoid devices, but doesn't have the advanced features of the Central Station 2.

#4 - The uncoupler works by raising the uncoupler arm, which lifts both couplers of any cars located above it, separating the couplers. You can mix both types, but it is best to have all Relex cars in a single line and all close coupled cars in a single line - don't mix and match them. You might experience some random uncoupling if you do.

#5 - You can add a thin layer of ballast onto C track, but keep it minimal as you don't want the ballast being sucked up and into your locos.

Finally, welcome to the forum!

A lot of people get confused by the uncoupler. It should be used at the entrance to a yard. You do not need a bunch of them all over your yard where you think you may want to leave a car. As you push (not pull) the cars over the uncoupler it activates the pre-uncoupler function of the couplers. Now you can continue to push the cars to the spot desired and then back away from the car(s) leaving it behind.

Welcome!

Welcome to the forum and have fun with your layout, track plan and the helping hand from your children.

John

Hi Kokomo,

Welcome to the forum.

Ian.

The two are not mutually exclusive, you can use good quality M track with digital without issues, but sticking with C track exclusively does make some sense, unless you have a large investment in M track. There are converter tracks that convert from C to M track (and C to K if you so wished).



Depending on what lights are in coaches, and what functions are in the various locos you get, you might find you can operate up to 4 trains with the MS2 without issue.

Hello and thanks to everyone!!!! Superb answers and welcome to this new world.

I am a DC long time modelist and tried to pass on to my children the passion, but electrical issues have frozen their interest in trains and this Märklin set has given a new kick-off (hopefully) to their interest. During to a recent trip to Europe (France & Spain) we used to go to the stations to see trains pass by and I explained them their names and characteristics. Now, for instance, they recognize that an AVE S-112 is called "duck", for instance :D

Ok, now going back to the topic

1) I would definitely stick to C-track for the time being because I want them (aka children) to build their own layouts (under my supervision) and have flexibility. I have inherited lots of M track, which I plan to share some photos later on, and I was wondering about the effort of putting it back to work or just selling it on ebay as is.

2) I would like to have some extension pack to add some more flavo(u)r to the game and playability. I was considering extension sets 78040 and 78080 for this purpose. I know turn-outs add a lot to the game and playability is what I emphasize now.

3) I was planning on buying some cheap locos for them to manage (I was thinking of either 36501, 36795, 36606 or 36653) and I wondered whether this Mobile Station (which I now know is the MS2, thnx) could handle them. One thing about the Mobile station, it says it has 255 stations/slots available for accessories, and the included turn-outs were automatically added to positions 1 and 2. But how do you add new items and remember them for later? I mean, suppose I buy 3 new turn-outs, how do I add them and how do I select them on positions 3, 4 and 80, for instance? Is it easy to do? Will I have to do that everytime I add them to a new layout? How about signals/semaphores?

4) Regarding uncoupling, you have to push the wagon to the uncoupler and that's it? Don't press anything at all? What if you have lots of wagons and want to do some shunting? I am lost...

5) I used to apply woodland scenics medium ballast to my previous creations ( I would later on share some photos) and I wondered whether I could apply a thin layer over C-track, to cover the plastic background. I know from first hand experience that ballast and turn-outs don't get along very well. I am not that handy with airbrush....

And now some extra questions

6) I have connected the Mobile station to track, simply placing the wires under the track, as seen of the first photo. I was wondering if there was a special track which had some "feeder" connection.

7) On a table, do you place the C-track right on it or in order to avoid noise you place it on a sort of foamy trackbed? In DC I used to apply cork, is it the same in AC?

Thanks again to everyone for your support!!!

Hi Kokomo,

Welcome to the forum from me too!

Cheers

Renato

Welcome here!
What a nice and enthusiastic message you have written here! ;-)




1) For the sake of your kids, you should definately stay with C-track. K-track doesnt have electrical problems, but they are very flimsy and gets easily damaged.

2) Yes, several items are needed. For a "carpet railroad" you might want to stay with this method, but for a permanent layout you would probably want separate decoders and must have cutouts beneith the switches, in order to be able to service the swith-motors.

3) The Mobile Station 2 is the most modern controller Märklin has. You are well served with it. Even if you later upgrade to a Central Station 2, the Mobile Staitions can still be used as handheld controllers.

4) The uncoupler lift a small ski embedded in the track, which open both relex and Märklin close-couplers. Yes, you can mix the Märklin coupler types.

5) Some people do that, but in that case (a permanent layout) I would prefer K-track. I think Noch has loose ballast made to look just like the C-track plastic ballast.
Depending on your expectations, you could stay with C-track. Ballast the space between track-segments, and give everyhting an acryllic wash, to get a more weatehred and realistic look. You should go browsing on the internet; Lots of nice layout done that way...

BTW: For your two children, the best way to upgrade/maximize your Märklin train might be to get another starter-set (they are so good value-for-money!) which will get you another loco, more track and -especially- another Mobile Station, which -with a special cable- can be set up as "slave" to the first Mobile Station, allowing both kids to control locos at the same time!

Hi!
Märklin do not offer connector tracks for MS2 or CS2 (the old connector track "ugly box" is for MS1 and CS1 only).

Hi!

Thanks again for your time and patience!

I would stick to C-track because what I want now is my kids to have the most of the fun. I will afterwards consider making a layout but for the next months I will focus mostly on playability.

I was thinking of the uncoupler because I have found close-couplers hard to lift and I thought that perhaps with #24997 you could ease this project. I thought it was just "plug and play" not that you needed an extra thing. I will ask more about this, on the appropriate place, so as not to go off-topic that much here.

6) So no special "feeder track" is needed. I will stick to what I have

8) I did not know that another MS2 could be connected to the existing one. It would certainly add new flavor for them. Each with its own. Is it something simple to do? Is there any starter set that you could recommend me? I am going on holidays in 2 months to the States (sunny Florida) so I plan to buy my Marklin stuff there, Here in Argentina you practically have nothing and what you find is extremely expensive.

Thanks once more! It makes me eager to get back home and set up my carpet-bahn and play with them

Anything special needed? I mean wire? I am seriously planning on buying another one so my daughter can use it

Thanks, and automatically recognized as slave or anything else has to be done manually?

The 60652 is the old MS1 unit, not the MS2 (60653).

Stuart

Hi,

No, the MS1 will not work with the MS2 or the MS2 digital connector box and vice versa.

Gordon

Yes that is correct, might be best to send that one back and look for another 60653.