Every train modeller has his own respectable approach.
This page only reflects my opinion of the subject.
For me, Märklin is a unique system.
It's the only one where you can find
full metal body locomotives at an affordable price.
I've just enough money to buy sometimes new Hobby locomotives
or second-hand other ones.
My layout is small, so there is no use to have the biggest models
with the longest passenger cars.
Some will say, the Märklin hobby locomotives are not enough detailed, or not enough realistic.
Well, that's also why Märklin is different. This brand has kept the "tin-plate" side
of the model trains that I really like.
There are two different kind of train modellers,
- the ones that want to re-create the true reality of a selected place with the exactly detailed locomotives.
Some will detail themselves the locomotives, some will buy high level models. - the ones that want to create an "atmosphere" - a nice ambiance , an emotion without respecting the exact reality.
It's the same quarrel with the painters, impressionism vs others.
Impressionism can be described this way: you're in a train (!!) and you're watching the land by the window.
You don't have time to see the details, but you have a emotional impression.
So in atmosphere modelling (some call it "misery modelling") it's the mirror of impressionism:
You're in a nice land and you're watching a train passing by and you don't have time
to memorize details - if the real locomotive with the same number has a spot of rust or a dropping of pigeon
on the top left of the roof of the extremity n°2. Or you're so close to a passenger coach in a station,
that you cannot judge of its length.
There is a place for everyone in this train model world. Hoping this will last a long time.
So Märklin has no frontier between these two modelling approaches.
You can adjust your level of reality, by selecting your models, always with the better available quality and reliability.
I enjoy 1960 models and some new hobby ones.
I prefer the metal body locomotives, with their so impressive heavy weight.
This "tin-plate" approach is different from the full detailed models:
you have less details but an extraordinary reliability and an unexplainable beauty.
The too much detailed models have big problems for me:
Just to remove the locomotive from its box, you have to take care not
to bend, break or lose the small fragile plastic parts added by hand
(thats why it's so expensive).
And I've heard about other brands with the detailed plastic parts randomly falling down on the tracks...
For me, the locomotives are made to run. If not, why not buy non-motorized ones, melt in a transparent plastic block.
Another particularity of Märklin is that you can still find spare parts for the 1960 models!
New rubber tyres, few drops of oil in the metal gears of the locomotive and it runs as a sewing machine.
It's unique.
Märkin also keep the possibility to run the trains on small radius curves. Even if it not realistic for long length models,
it's very important for the small layouts.
Some will say, if a real curve radius is about 1km wide, a HO curve must not be less than 10meters wide, or it's not realistic!!
I was really amazed by the behaviour of my second-hand decapod 3047 negociating R1 (360mm) curves:
the articulated chassis was extraordinary working, always placing the
long locomotive body in a realistic(!) way upon the tracks.
This locomotive has also the old telex coupling in analog mode - an great function no other brand could offer at this time.
I don't want my layout to be unimaginative and to represent a reality that already exists - so no need for it.
I want my layout to give an emotion by mixing realistic details and completely imaginary parts.
I try to create spots where to watch trains coming out of a tunnel or a hidden part and disappear in another one,
or spots where to watch trains waiting for crossing.
There is another point that decides me to choose Märklin:
The 3rails AC system. Lots of people are criticizing this solution for its not realistic look.
Well, it's so reliable, so easy to maintain, so insensitive to dirt that it's the best solution I've found.
This way, there are reversing loops on my layout without the need to electronics.
I've done DC to AC conversion on Locomotives. Before converting, I was surprised by the slow motion difficulties on DC 2rails:
the locomotive was coughing and was unable to move slowly in a fluent manner due to current feeding troubles.
The same Locomotive after adding a pickup shoe and a basic Digital decoder used for its analog compatibility
(or even a single 1N4004 diode) was moving slowly perfectly.