I have been trying to get stated with my Märklin trains for a while now, but I seem to have a general lack of space in the foreseeable future. Oh well.

As I get more comfortable with my track and the functions I try to look at how to make my track more exiting, but there is an issue with information.
This forum and others are responding well to questions and I can go to a store and get answers but as far as I can find there are no well written tutorials for well... anything really. The Märklin website is horrible really only a webstore and pure technical information but no information on what a thing are and what it does.

I have found books that are very expensive and may or may not have the information I seek, mostly in german though.

The problem is, I can't pose intelligent questions until I have a basic understanding of things.

Basically I am looking for interesting beginner tutorials and informative examples of most things:
- How to use a circuit track
- How to use an S88
- Cool electronic examples for beginners
- How do I plug in a power booster and when
- How do I use other digital systems
- How do I use Railduino :)
- More!

Maybe I'm just missing some informational treasury right in front of my eyes.

Regarding using Arduino for control (Railuino)...


A topic about the Railuino:

https://www.marklin-user...d-station--Railuino.aspx

The project:

https://code.google.com/p/railuino/


Turntable control with Arduino:

https://www.marklin-user...rolled-with-ARDUINO.aspx

Perhaps Juhan a sticky in the General section "Starting Out" or similar with all the obvious and less than obvious threads that are pertinent to the "Beginner" who is more often than not clueless about model trains.

I have to agree wholeheartedly with Greytag that there is very little "easily found" information for beginners or those returning after a 30 or 40 year hiatus.

Unfortunately much of what is available or easily found is basically "assumed prior knowledge" and doesn't really help someone after basic information all in the one place. The almost total lack of any printed material in any language other than German is also a major stumbling block for many of us than need a book or printed matter to make sense of things. More often than not a simple drawing can make more sense to me than 5 pages of in depth descriptions of how to do something but instant understanding once a clear diagram is seen. For me at least a circuit diagram of a decoder makes more sense than a picture with colour coded label's.

I may have spent ~35 years in IT but returning to model trains after a nearly 30 year break due to kids and the brave new world of "Digital" I was totally confused by it all (and still am by many things). A guide for the "clueless" would be a excellent idea to me.

Maybe a blow by blow description of how to assemble a dual track oval with 4 points, a un-coupler track, blocks/contact sections and setting up a MS2 (or maybe others) could be helpful for many. Any of the better "Starter Sets" could be used as examples so long as they covered what most newbies would need help with.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Please note that I am referring to Marklin and 3 rail in general with all the comments above.

Anyway sorry for the rant, (old farts disease according to the g'kids)

Shane