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Offline fje  
#1 Posted : 04 January 2017 22:29:20(UTC)
fje

Spain   
Joined: 14/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 122
Location: Madrid
Hi, question I get from a colleague in Spain and I am not a ble to answer, as I still am M-track user.... :)

"I own a series of Marklin K-tracks of the year 1979 from my old layout. By that time, the K-tracks were numbered as series 21xx. Nowadays they are numbered as series 22xx. I have been told that the only difference is that the old 21xx used to have hollow rails and the current 22xx tracks have solid rails.

I have dismounted my old layout and I am planning to build a new one, doing it bigger, thus, I need more tracks, my question then is:

Is it possible to couple old 21xx series tracks with the newer 22xx tracks without problems? Should I have any particular caution to do it and have the layout built and the trains running without problems?"


Thanks so much for your help

Kind regards.

Javier
Offline hxmiesa  
#2 Posted : 05 January 2017 14:15:05(UTC)
hxmiesa

Spain   
Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC)
Posts: 3,519
Location: Spain
Originally Posted by: fje Go to Quoted Post

[i]"I own a series of Marklin K-tracks of the year 1979 from my old layout. By that time, the K-tracks were numbered as series 21xx. Nowadays they are numbered as series 22xx. I have been told that the only difference is that the old 21xx used to have hollow rails and the current 22xx tracks have solid rails.


Yes, they can be mixed freely.
K-track has improved quite a lot since 1979, but technically the old stuff will work.

Best regards
Henrik Hoexbroe ("The Dane In Spain")
http://hoexbroe.tripod.com
Offline fje  
#3 Posted : 05 January 2017 15:14:22(UTC)
fje

Spain   
Joined: 14/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 122
Location: Madrid
Thanks, Muchas gracias, colega....

Un saludo. Kind regards
Offline 60904  
#4 Posted : 05 January 2017 20:54:51(UTC)
60904

Germany   
Joined: 27/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 312
I would not mix it. There is a good reason why it was withdrawn. Run trains on it for some time and you will see.
Greetings
Martin
Offline Webmaster  
#5 Posted : 05 January 2017 21:09:38(UTC)
Webmaster


Joined: 25/07/2001(UTC)
Posts: 11,161
The 21xx have the same rail profile & construction as the M-track, ie a bent metal profile which is rounded at the top.
The 22xx have a solid stainless steel rail construction with a different profile.

I'd say that mixing them on a layout should be done with some care, like use only 21xx on one stretch and 22xx on another stretch...
Do not mix them freely, like using 21xx & 22xx on the same straight or curve...

I myself also have both of them, and the 21xx (also turnouts) are to be used in slow zones like a fiddle yard where track precision is not so crucial...
Juhan - "Webmaster", at your service...
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb]
Offline PMPeter  
#6 Posted : 05 January 2017 21:26:30(UTC)
PMPeter

Canada   
Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 1,273
Location: Port Moody, BC
The turnouts are also constructed differently. You might only notice this if you are using reed switches and magnets. On the old 21xx series, and the 22xx series with attached solenoids the magnets will pull up the moveable points and cause a short circuit. On the new style 22xx with removable motor solenoids this does not happen.

I have replaced all of my switches with the new style to eliminate this problem, except for the 3 way switches which have not come out in the new removable solenoid style. Maybe someday these too will be modernized.

Peter
Offline cookee_nz  
#7 Posted : 05 January 2017 21:36:28(UTC)
cookee_nz

New Zealand   
Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC)
Posts: 3,948
Location: Paremata, Wellington
Originally Posted by: Webmaster Go to Quoted Post
The 21xx have the same rail profile & construction as the M-track, ie a bent metal profile which is rounded at the top.
The 22xx have a solid stainless steel rail construction with a different profile.

I'd say that mixing them on a layout should be done with some care, like use only 21xx on one stretch and 22xx on another stretch...
Do not mix them freely, like using 21xx & 22xx on the same straight or curve...

I myself also have both of them, and the 21xx (also turnouts) are to be used in slow zones like a fiddle yard where track precision is not so crucial...


Good points but one thing to consider is if you want more precise control for slow running in the fiddle-yard, maybe for a Telex loco.

My small (factory original) layout is all 21xx series, the main ovals are fine most of the time but I do need to clean them regularly for best performance.

I have two sidings in the yard and I always have problems trying to control Loco's on those sort sections because they do not get 'polished' with regular passing movement like the main lines.

As well as that, if I run the layout on Digital, any problems are made much worse because of the interruption of the signal, but analogue locos are not affected so much.

Personally I would use 22xx where you need reliability, difficult access (inside tunnels and bridges) and keep the 21xx for areas that are easy to get to and where the trains generally keep moving.

It's easy to say just change to 22xx but there is the cost also. Perhaps your friend already has a lot of 21xx and replacing it could be very expensive. I have a good mix of 21xx and 22xx and when I build my intended layout I hope to make good use of whatever I have. Maybe even some M-track in certain areas just for the fun of it but I agree that you should try to keep the same track types in each area wherever possible.

Don't be too concerned about hollow rails. They are made from the same material as was used in M-track for another 20 years. K-track on the other hand tended to be used by the more serious modellers so the change to stainless steel was justified in cost. Putting stainless steel rails in M-track would be very expensive, although I have heard of people that have done it!!

Cheers

Steve
NZ
Cookee
Wellington
NZ image
Offline fje  
#8 Posted : 06 January 2017 00:15:45(UTC)
fje

Spain   
Joined: 14/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 122
Location: Madrid
Thanks so much to all of you that answered and helped. All of your ideas and suggestions are really very valuable.

I will pass all of them to our friend and surely he will do a very good use of them, as Steve pointed, he has a good number of old 21xx and it is not a matter of discard them and buy new 22xx...., but with your ideas and suggestions surely he can build his new layout with the best results.

Kind regards and have a very good New Year plenty of trains and happyness.

Javier
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