This thread sort of follows on from this previous one discussing 3600 series track but a little more specific focus

www.marklin-users.net/fo...spx?g=posts&m=311314

I have been going through some track checking and cleaning as required and noticed just a few items where the outer rails are solid, possibly of Brass rather than the rolled tin you normally find.

I find myself wondering why these were made because there appears no rhyme nor reason behind it and the solid rail must have been somewhat more expensive than the rolled tin.

The largest quantity I have are some pairs of 3900 turnouts, but I have also a couple of uncoupler tracks, 3601EK, 2 with brass rails (but also one with rolled tin), a single 3601 half-section, a 3601D 1/4 makeup section and a 5108 3/16 makeup section. Also an end-buffer with solid rail.

Yet I also have plenty of other 3600 sections with rolled tin rails - and these are all Stud track, not the earlier 36xx with solid centre rails, (and some rolled tin among those also).

All I can imagine is that from time to time they may have run out of rolled tin and substituted the solid rail to keep production going, or is it more likely these were simply production errors, that saw the wrong rail and/or track bed slipping into the wrong line?

Of course the only way we'd probably get a definitive answer would be from someone on the production line at the time.

I'm certainly not losing any sleep over it, but it is curious all the same and I wondered how many others of you might have solid-outer-rail among your M-Track?

I have even heard of people actually re-railing M-track to replace the rolled tin with solid rail, but that's a lot of fiddly work and somehow I doubt these few random examples are a result of that.

Depending on the light, they certainly stand out when they are a single section in a length of non-brass track.

Cheers

Steve

Hi Steve,

Yes, I know: It is a little bit confusing:

Until 1952 the standard rails were delivered with solid rails. In this year the new tin-rails at reduced prices were introduced. In Germany the new version of the regular straight rail (3600 D 1/1) was sold for 0.75 DM compared to 1.25 DM for the version with solid rails. In the first year the new rails were named B 3600 ..., train sets with the new rails got an additional H: For example the express train-set SK 846/4 became SK 846 H (H= German "Hohlprofil" - hollow profile). You find these additional letters also on 1952 boxes.
From 1952 catalogue


The switches of the 3900 series also had brass rails. When the production of these switches ended in 1956, the remaining stock was used 1956/57 for short pieces of the 3601/5100 series. But I have never seen 1/1 rails from this period with solid rails.

Regards

Markus

Hi Steve,

Did you miss the last line of my last posting: These rails were just used to clear the stock of solid rails which were originally planned to be used on 3900 switches. They are made for a very short period 1956/57 and never announced anywhere.

Regards

Markus

Hi Steve/Markus,

Very interesting...thanks.

Ian.

Hi Marcus,

I relayed this story to a fellow collector, the 'H' on starter sets has cleared up the mystery for them also. We probably would have twigged sooner had Märklin used the English word '(H)ollow' rather than 'Tubular'. The Spanish catalogue uses the word Hueco so they will have been in on the secret for some time, as have the French.

It's a conspiracy I tell you !!

One of my comrades has come back with another question Markus which surely you will know the answer to. He refers to a box bearing an 'E', on an SK800, but I do not know if this is a Loco box or a Set box.

I have another question regarding starter sets but I'll start a new topic for that to keep it 'on topic'.

MfG

Steve
NZ

Hi Steve,

The "E" is known from boxes which were sold at PX-stores short after the war. In 1945-47 nearly every toy Märklin produced was either exported (mostly to Switzerland) or sold in special shops for members of the allied forces in Germany (PX-stores). So most probably the "E" stands for "Export". After the monetary reform of June 1948 (introduction of the German Mark replacing the worthless Reichsmark) some remaining stock also was sold in German toy-stores.

Regards

Markus

Hi all,

Some of my 1936 track that appears to have brass rails.

Ian.




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Hi Mike, I agree that it does look like 1936 series from the colour etc. Good score. I have a bunch of it myself and I think it's neat.

But.... got something suitable to run on it??

My track has the mounting holes inside the rails and the exit holes for wiring. Probably late thirties-early forties. Perhaps the use of brass was discontinued due to material availability.

I found the rolling stock to match my old brass track and took some pics with my wife's camera - very much better quality than my cellphone! She told me so

I think the RS800 and first wagon are post war but both of the back 2 wagons are pre war. The Gambrinus beer wagon at the back has a KK1 coupling which dates it in Koll's to 1937. The red gravel wagon has a KK3 which dates it to 1938/9. These are the oldest pieces in my collection.

There are a number of different vintages in my track as if you look at the colour of the roadbed it varies with some of the roadbed more yellow than others. The brown on the underside is also a different shade.

I have cropped the top of the clock tower on the station as unfortunately I am missing the roof. I will need to make one when I get around to my analog layout.

The DA800 is for Ian's benefit. There are 2 more in my display cabinet plus a number of other analog steamers and crocodiles. I have not counted my analog locos.

Mike

Well spotted Ian, can't believe I didn't check that myself considering the quick cheat-sheet that I have posted here numerous times..... (re-linked for easy reference)

Just to confuse the issue I have a piece of M track with a solid middle rail, rolled tin outer rails, but the securing hole pattern is the mirror image of the 52-55 track.

Yeah, even that dating on the image is a bit mis-leading because the hollow/rolled outer rails were not introduced until 1953 so that's another tweak possibly needed.

On the other hand, the reference image is at least a starting point and appears to be largely accurate.

Cheers

Steve

Hi all,

Here's a couple of photo's of Marklin's 1930's track.

From the left.....1935....1mm center rail...securing holes in the middle of the track.

Middle track.......1936....2mm center rail...securing holes in the middle of the track.

Right side track..1937....securing holes either end of track, cable exit holes.

Ian.




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Hi Ian

Thanks for the very clear photographs of the evolution of early M track.

Am I right that the color used for the underside of the track got darker in the years from 1939 onwards? The fibre insulator also got darker.

This is the contention of the website I mentioned earlier.

http://marklinstop.com/e...in-00-ho-track-1935-1950

Mike

Hi Mike,

I'll have a look at that tomorrow.

Ian.

Thanks Ian. I appreciate your input

Mike

Hi Ian

I look forward to seeing the photos. This will be of great assistance as I have also noticed differences in my track.

Mike

Hi all,

Not sure how clear those photo's make it......

Looking from the left....

Light brown roadbed

Reddish brown roadbed.

Lighter reddish brown roadbed.

The 2 reddish brown roadbeds have the same design, and the light brown roadbed has a totally different design.

Ian.

Hi all,

Again looking from the left.....

Light brown track has a brown underside

The 2 reddish brown tracks have a black underside.

Ian.

Hi all,

These photo's show the 3 colours of insulator material used.

Ian.




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Hi all,

And here's a contact (?) track that has a plain roadbed.

Ian.




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Hi all,

Here's the tracks altogether.

Ian.




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