Mister - you'll think twice if ya knew the cost of living in Florida ... [xx(]
However, there are many nice & warm coastal states that won't hit your finances that hard [:p]

OTOH - being a stock trader with safe financial background guess you'd enjoy Florida

They should be given a trainset (Prison), so they know what it feels like it.

I never believed that humiliation should be part of the punishment.
This kind of treatment to convicted inmates, is done only to satisfy our darkest parts of our soul.

Nikos - you forgot thousands of brave families lost their homes cos of these dirty bastards [xx(]
Let'em learn what happens if playing with the lifes of innocent people ... [}:)][}:)][}:)]

You're definitely the worst slimer I've met in my life. And there been many
Behaving like a blockwart ya simply can't leave people alone when they talk peacefully ... [xx(]

You're right, Juhan. Let's say it was my fault so don't be angry with our friends.
Will you please accept my apologies, Sir ...

Don't knock it. Sony started out making Rice Cookers. They switched to radios because their cookers didn't work so nobody bought them. (Or so the story goes...)

Nikos, I make that comment tongue in cheek somewhat, I don't advocate torture. But I do think the people who have sucked capital out of Marklin should be brought to account for their actions. We had a situation where some NZ Investment Bankers sucked NZ Rail dry of capital, and were accused of Insider Trading of NZ Rail shares. They were eventually brought to court to face charges for it, but settled out of court for 20 million NZD, without conviction. Their reputation shot to pieces here, they are living in Geneva now.

http://www.nzherald.co.n...=3&objectid=10448754

Why don't we all get together. Attach the brown and red wires from all our transformers to their privates and...


3...2...1 Reverse!

Regards

Mike C

Never mind the 'back transformering'!

This all feels like one of those awful afternoon "judge" shows where some poor man or woman complains to the judge that they gave their "friend" their credit cards and now they are trying to get their money back. The management of the company gave their finances over and said "go to it". The consultants picked up money that was given to them. The only people left to blame are the management that started the process.

These are the same people who couldn't be bothered dealing with foreign dealers and created the current distributorship with all of its problems.

What is it with Florida in this thread?

Every time I see that someone's posted something new here I open it to see if there's any more news about Marklin's problems, but guess what, we're still talking about Florida!

Can we stick to the topic please???

Ray

I have been at hobbystore today and did checking at K-tracks.
AWFUL...! [xx(]
I´m understanding now,why nobody is buying K-tracks anymore time...!
What the **** is wrong with Marklin anyway...?
Marklin must start to change inside,like to created better products about K-tracks and other accoseries there is...!
No wonder why Marklin has trouble with financial...! [xx(]
It really sucks to see same products year after year after year...
Puuhhh...!!!

No wonder why i have decides to trying an new kind of tracks,like from Fasttrack...!
www.handlaidtrack.com

I´m using Viessmanns semaphore signals too,while Marklin still same after 60 years no changed after all...!

I want to see Marklin change byself to survive by satesfiction customer.
HOW...???
Just to change the style of products,so customer will awakening up and saying:"Ahhh...!Marklin has now created new K-tracks...!Better quality too with nickelsilver and not that stainless steel rail...!"

Thanks GOD,that i have not bought Marklin tracks.
I have decides too,by choising another digitalsystem too and not Marklins CS2 or and MS2.
So much trouble is not accepting for me...!

Sorry Marklinist,if i´m stupid against Marklin now but i´m so tired at staffpersonal who don´t want to change products...!

If you have something by saying against me,it´s up to yourself.
I respect yours arguments anyway.

Have an nice day...!

Goofy

I agree with you Goofy,

I too would like to see some new improvements in the K track range, and like yourself will be purchasing alternate brands of signals, simply because marklin have not upgraded their products for too long.

Prehaps this is the sort of rationalisation and focusing on core products they need, rather than bringing us another extensive list of new products when we are still waiting for last years items that are on back order.[:(]

Customer IS NOW supporting Marklin to shopping extra materialthings,just because to support...!
This way is only happens for a few moment,Lutz...!
Customer cannot to shop-supporting Marklin for so long.
It was standing in the swedish massmedia too,that swedish customer are shopping tracks and cars just to supporting Marklin.
Urrkkkk...! [xx(]
I´m not feeling sorry for Marklin,because they have and did damage against byself.
If Marklin wants to survive,they must start now to cleaning up inside of company.
When i did and saw K-tracks again,i was suprise to see the truth that Marklin did NOT GAVE customer a chanse to see changing of product (K-tracks) under all those years...

Goofy

Wrong...!
Stainlees steel are much more expensive than nickelsilver.
K-tracks has about code 125 or 2,7 mm high rail,while C-track has code 90 or 2,3 mm in high.
So you can using older trainmodels on the code 90 without trouble by driving them.
C-tracks has besides nickelsilver and it´s not the same as rail on the K-tracks.
Besides C-tracks has better contact,instead of K-tracks.
Why...?
Because of oxiding at K-tracks...! [xx(]

One more thing:
K-tracks ARE VERY expensive in Sweden,so no wonder why Marklin has problem with financial economy by producing K-tracks for customer.
It´s very hard to sell K-tracks in Sweden.
Customer see C-tracks more playful and easy,while K-tracks are more difficult.

I have notice one more thing here and it´s:
The new startsets 2009 has only C-tracks now.
There is no with K-tracks anymore time...!

Goofy

My observation has been:
1.) Older model Märklin locos wheels are getting liftet when traveling over sleek c -track turnouts
2.) Outer c-track rails are connected to a mounted connection under the track.
Whether it suppose to be spotwelded I don't know but in my case it seperated itself from the
rail.
3.) there are no rail connnections bewteen c-tracks

2a.) k - track to k -track outer rails are connected by fishplates
4.) early k - track middle contact connectors had been made out of brass ? and newer versions are of S/S or silver nickel ?
My k - track has been on my layout for over 25 years, had been in an acidic invironment for 3-4 years, had been embedded with real iron ore ballast and glued in with 50% woodglue and water.
The only problem I've had over these years is a.) the middle contact connections, which obviously have been trenched with woodglue and have survived better when the track was layed on cork instead straight onto a board.
My problems with c - track started more or less immediately but it could be an isolated case.

I cannot see the logic or a positive argument regarding k -tracks demise from a price selling point.
It should be directed at locos and rollingstock and not tracks.
If we have manufacturers, especially Märklin with producing tracks with a middle rail stud system, we as train model entusiasts should have the option to choose which track we would like to buy and to use on out layouts.
It has come to my notice over several years that companies do delete product lines to streamline either their number of products or for production purposes to cut costs.
To suggest the k - track is too expensive to produce it has all the halmarks of another unfinished product line, by extending the range e.g. sleek turnouts to an other level of interest.
When a company like Märklin becomes intreched with bureaucratic red - tape and nobody being at the helm of making decisions about model trains and their accessories any excuse can be used for any failure or stalemate of any product line.
On the other hand I may be an old fashioned model enthusiast that refuses to accept crap, when he sees and handles it.
I have used 2274 k - track to form a half circle, (which it should'nt) but it gave me the opportunity to lay a k-track flexi track next to it on the outside to have a guidance of the correct distance between both tracks.
To create an extra trackbed with c-track would'nt be an easy job, regardless what people have done (although with great success), a k-trackbed is and can be created in the fullest near to perfect condition to the prototype.
I would of thought they (Märklin) could of taken a digital photo of different track beds and than re-create the ballast formation to a more realistic true to form negative.
Money is spend today but it has'nt benefited us down the track or over years to come.
This has happened in the car or housing industry, electricity utility, road and transport infrastructures.
Model trains had been build on the back of an old, but short industry, sofar steam is concerned.
Locos these days are made from moduls and do look alike and its appearance does not tell you the difference in horse power or what the loco is going to used for.
So to make it more interesting we have to advertise different logos onto the loco to find people being interested in it and make them 1 off productions or collectors items.
I wish they would make a sleek k-track turnouts as a 1 off production or as a collectors item !!!

This is why Märklin have economical problem:

1. They produce Z-scale (I'm not in Z-scale).
2. They produce 1-scale ('m not in 1-scale).
3. They produce era I stuff (I'm not in era 1).
4. They produce some US models (I'm only in European models).
5. They produce control equipment (I build my control equipment myself).
6. They produce some 120 V equipment (I use 230 V).
7. They produce wide radii turnout (alas, I don't have room for them).
8. They produce a lot of steamers (steamers is not my cup of tea).
9. They produce 2-rail stuff through Trix (I'm not in 2-rail).
10. ...

If Märklin only concentrated on producing stuff for me, I'm sure they would survive and prosper.

They should also send their new product plans to me in advance, so I could tell them to cancel all products that I'm not interested in. That way they could save a lot.

Because all Märklin customers look like me, they walk like me, talk like me ..., you all agree ?

So it's your fault! [}:)][}:)][}:)]

Marklin appears to be in trouble because of all the things Perz does not buy. If M is to survive then Perz must start collecting all the tiems in his list, I think this is only fair.

I should have guessed it before, it is because of one swedish man, as always [:p]

Probably, what M produces has nothing to do with it's ecomimic crisis. It's possible demise is caused by the world-wide economic meltdown.

The US and Europe's, 600,000,000 people have been living beyond their means for the last 30-40 years. You can't do that forever. We have been collectively spending money we don't have and now that time is over.

The standard of living throughout the world will inevitably decline, even in producing countries such as Japan and China. That means luxury making companies such as Marklin will find it very hard to stay afloat.

It's a new world out there and a little bit scary for many. Hold onto your life rafts, you may need them in the years to come. We haven't seen anything like this for almost a hundred years.

Already, Japan's economy has declined 13.7% and the US by 3.6%. Some others have declined up to 40%. China has closed 70,000 factories and laid off 20 million workers. Western Europe, including Switzerland, lent money under sub-prime conditions to Eastern Europe and now holds the bag for that. They can't pay it back and their currencies have gone bammo. Hold on to your seats.

If Marklin, or anything resembling it, is still around 5 years from now it will be a miracle. It has nothing to do with their line of models. It's way more than that.

Bob

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1235228522.15

I agree with what Robert says, but I think Märklins problems are even worse than the problems of the "overall company". Why? Simply because there are more MRR people dying each year than there are new ones joining the hobby...
Will cheap starter sets and items like "Circus Mondolino" change that? Maybe, but I doubt it...

But let's hope that the legal structure around Märklins facility in Hungary doesn't prevent a reconstruction of the company. If that problem doesn't get a solution the economic situation of today or the future won't matter (for Märklin).

/Torbjörn

Kingbridge and Goldmann Sachs have sucked Marklin dry.

And the construction off Marklin is now so difficult we have to see if Marklin can survive. This difficult construction will make life for a new inverster very difficult.

The chances that Marklin will go and disaappear in april is still very great.

[xx(][V]