Joined: 01/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 18 Location: COLORADO, ARVADA
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I just received my very first Trix purchase. I got the 6 car passenger set from Trix 23446.
I noticed these cars sitting next to my Walthers HO scale passenger cars. The Trix cars are significantly smaller, in both width and length.
Are the scales off? Or are European prototype rail passenger cars smaller than the US?
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,443 Location: DE-NW
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The dining coach should be 1:87. The other coaches are too short by 21 mm and too narrow by about 1 mm, but height should be correct. MäTrix call this "new longer length" - older models are even shorter.
Most trains in Europe are smaller than trains in the US - with minor national differences. Locos running in the UK are less tall than continental locos. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
 1 user liked this useful post by H0
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Joined: 25/09/2010(UTC) Posts: 417 Location: Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
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Prototypically, German car gauge (max. area a car can pass through) are smaller that US. UK car gauge is a little smaller that German. The tunnels were smaller in Europe than in the US.
Also, on the model side. US models are prototypical all the way around. However the min radius is quite large as compared to Marklin. I have US models and to run then, I need a layout with minimum R3 or about 20" radius.
In Europe, to accomodate sharper radii common to most layouts (R1 is 360 mm or 14.2 in), they will model long car lengths shorter up to 1:100 scale in length but 1:87 scale all other dimensions. (houses are much smaller in Europe than in NA, hence the desire to continue wanting small radius).
Marklin/Trix do mark in their catalogs 1:87, 1:93. or something and 1:100 with sideways arrows in their icon descriptions to inform us of the short length. Lately, some new product runs have been full prototypical 1:87 length.
I have a Fleishmann ICE 2 and the cars are longer than the Marklin ICE1. |
Harald CS2 DB & Canadian Era 3-6 |
 1 user liked this useful post by witzlerh
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Joined: 01/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 18 Location: COLORADO, ARVADA
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Aha very interesting. I don't really know anything about European railroads. So I really had no idea they were smaller prototypes.
Good point on the model railroads in Europe being smaller due to smaller available spaces.
I am lucky, I have a fairly large layout in my basement. Its 12 ft by 15 ft and it also extends into another room that is 10 ft by 10 ft. So I have 32" mininum radius on my layout. So I can run the large steam locos and 85 ft streamlined passenger cars.
I must say, these Trix coaches are great. Excellent paint/decals, nicely detailed with great looking interiors. And they roll beautifully.
The couplers are strange to me though. Once I figured out how they work, they seem ok to me. I'll probably just leave them. I'm used to the knuckle type Kadee couplers.
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 1 user liked this useful post by Motley
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Joined: 18/08/2007(UTC) Posts: 1,081 Location: Denmark
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Originally Posted by: Motley  The couplers are strange to me though. Once I figured out how they work, they seem ok to me. I'll probably just leave them. I'm used to the knuckle type Kadee couplers. The couplers are the Märklin short coupler. They are mounted in a NEM-pocket under the car, so you can easily change them to Kadee. Kadee offers couplers for the NEM-pocket. There are a couple of sizes available, and I have found that Kadee 18 and Kadee 17 are the best match. With Kadee 18 you are sure not to run into problems with the buffers. Kadee 18: http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page18.htmPlease keep in mind though, that the Kadee is not a short coupler and it is not designed with the NEM-pocket in mind. It will work, but you will loose the nice look of the cars coupled close together. You can perhaps put a Kadee knockle coupler between the last car and the locomotive and then leave the Märklin short coupler between the cars themselves. It depends on how much you wish to use your Trix cars with your American rolling stock. Even though not prototypically correct, that might be a fun opportunity. |
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 1 user liked this useful post by sjlauritsen
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,443 Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: Motley  I must say, these Trix coaches are great. Excellent paint/decals, nicely detailed with great looking interiors. Obviously you haven't seen coaches from Roco or LS Models yet. With respect to detailing and interior details the "new longer length" coaches are not on the level with their predecessors from MäTrix. I've seen those coaches in real life - and this may be one reason why my expectations are higher than those of other MRR fans. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
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Joined: 01/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 18 Location: COLORADO, ARVADA
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Ya I was looking at the Roco cars, but I couldn't find a deal on the full sets with at least 6 cars. So thats why I got the Trix 6 car set. Got them for US $330 on sale.
I don't plan on using these cars with my American rolling stock, I will leave the entire train together with their stock couplers. And not replace them with the Kadees. I like the spacing with them right now.
For the loco with this train, I just ordered the Roco 68193. The BR 10 002 with dynamic smoking. I ordered it from an ebay seller in Germany. So it will take a few weeks for delivery.
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Joined: 08/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 4,430 Location: Attiki Athens Greece
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Can we have a photo of the wagons please?
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Joined: 01/08/2014(UTC) Posts: 18 Location: COLORADO, ARVADA
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OK here's a photo of two of the them.  
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 5 users liked this useful post by Motley
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