I did decides to start this topic to present other factory which also do produce train models for three rail.
I´m not sure if i did count up all...
1.Roco
2.Fleischmann
3.Brawa
4.Jeco
5.NMJ
6.F2010(Hobbytrade)
7.Heljan
8.Liliput
8.HAG

If i did missed more,please write.

Piko,
Electrotren,
Lima,
Rivarossi (not sure)

LS Models
Trix
Gützold
Tillig
Brekina
ESU
Kibri
ACME
Bemo
Sächsische Waggonfabrik (Voith Maxima)
RailAd
Jägerndorfer
Mehano

I think that Bigdaddynz is onto something regarding other manufacturers making models that märklin doens'nt, and hence does not make an impact on the number of sold märklin items. I for one, wanted the Taurus loco in railjet livery a year or two back. The only producer then was Roco and Jägerndorfer. I went with the Roco and have been happy with it. It is plastic and does'nt have the same feeling to it, but it runs great and the sounds are great.

Also, being in to swiss items one researches when it comes to new purchases and I have the general feeling that a lot of swiss models not made by märklin are made by other manufacturers, especially HAG and Roco. There are others of course but these are the main ones. Liliput also has the Flirt and NPZ.

I confirm, Rivarossi **did** produce a number of 3-rail locos (off the top of my head at least a model of the E17, E 18, E 19, two BR 96, a BR 10 steamer, and a great looking BR 39 long before Märklin porposed these. They are, of course, all in my stable...)

Pocher.

Not sure that is quite true - ESU make mfx compatible decoders (they made the original mfx decoders after all), not sure if they fit them to the locos they produce, but I am suspect they do.

[edit] whoops, you are talking mfx+, I'm talking mfx [/edit]

Brand loyalty is a very important factor. Although it is non-existant for some, it is the single most important factor for many. Marklin seems to be very good at attracting the type of customer who will stick with them through thick and thin. If it were not for these loyal customers the company would probably have disappeared years ago.

I have to admit to being a loyal customer, not just for Marklin, but in many areas of my life. For example, I still bank with the same company where I opened my first account aged 17, and I keep going back to Ford cars throughout my life.

This is not about logic or cold facts. It is about emotion and staying in your comfort zone. Don't knock it!

Your purchases will have little impact, but many will buy virtually every new item that Marklin produces. I don't agree that Marklin's loyal customers have little impact. I believe they have a major impact on the company's profits. Many owners of Marklin trains will have started with a Marklin Starter set, and expanded with more Marklin equipment and trains before ever having considered that there may be alternative brands that work on Marklin tracks.

You, Tom, are at the other end of the scale, where, having bought Marklin in the past you are now discovering other brands to be (in your opinion) better than Marklin, so you are no longer "brand loyal". Many Marklin modellers will not have reached that stage, or indeed may not want to ever get there.

I don't want to make a big deal of this, but I do believe that brand loyalty is a major factor, even if you do not relate to the concept personally.

My attraction has always primarily been Swiss trains. I fell in love with the big green locos in 1971 when my parents took us on sabbatical to Zurich. Since then, I have wanted to collect Swiss trains. If Maerklin does not make a model, or if the Maerklin model has visual flaws, then there is no reason why I can't enjoy that loco, car or coach from another manufacturer. Since then, I collect Swiss trains, I am not collecting Maerklin. It just happens to be that my system of preference is 3 Rail AC. I have M, K and C track. Most of the time now I am only using the C Track.

Every modeller has his different motivations for collecting specific models or brands and to each his own.

As far as the metal vs plastic issue, I have always stated that each model has it's positive and negative points. A plastic model might not be as rugged, but it will be more detailed. As most cars and coaches are plastic these days, a plastic loco often matches the coaches better than a metal one.

So, collect what you want and I am sure that your models mean as much to you as mine mean to me.

Here are some more Rivarossi AC models: http://www.roundhouse.ch...rossi_HO_SBB-Modelle.htm

As far as the comment about other brands' AC models being cheaper than Maerklin, that applies only to cheap models.
A Hag model can cost up to twice the cost of a Maerklin one.

On that note, let's add, Hui Modellbau, Friho, Roundhouse, Emag and RailTop, to the list of manufacturers and let's all enjoy the hobby.

Regards

Mike C

I wrote that others do it cheaper and/or better.
HAG makes a better Ae 6/6 and a better Re 460 (well, I can speak for Old HAG only, New HAG is experimenting with new light boards, testing different wiring options - so far I have none of those).
Roco makes the Re 460 cheaper - and IMHO better detailed.

IMHO Märklin had the best BR 101 for years - better than Fleischmann, better than Roco. Now Roco sells an improvement Fleischmann 101 and Märklin is only second best.
Many other Märklin moulds never reached the "pole position" with respect to details IMHO. But they used to have maintenance-friendly c90 motors, C-Sinus, or SDS.

The HAG motor is much like the c90 motor.
HAG shows how quiet such a motor can be - when cog wheels have the grates removed and are mounted properly without too much play. Not cost-optimized.

This was an extremly advanced firm. They made models such as a finely detail T3 when Märklin still presented a sparely detailled BR 38 (P8) with moulded headlights as new tooling. When Märklin still released new 24 cm tin-plate cars which had no interior furnishings and Fleischmann had poorly detailed plastic cars of the same length, Röwa released finely detailed 1:100 (scale in length) coaches. Röwa was the first manufacturer to introdouce short couplers. They presented a track system with a track bed, similar to Märklin's C track, but with better detailing.

However, when it comes about marketing their products, Röwa wasn't as good as Märklin or Fleischmann were.

They played in the upper price league, prices many customers were not willing to pay. So, Röwa had to file for bancruptcy by the mid-1970s. Most of the moulds were bought by Roco who re-released most of the items.

Röwa's AC items included a Prussian T3 (DRG/DB BR 89), an ET 420 (S-Bahn), or an E 91.

Regards,
Florian

Ok Anders, now you probably have 99% of all the ones that actually produced HO 3-rail stuff..
What was the end reason for your asking?
Cheers

Uhm,

To add to the 99% list :

VB - Vollon et Brun (makers of prototype for Märklin 3900 track ...)
JRA - Jean-Rene Allard, "Au Pullman"

... albeit 3-rail DC, "old" analog and almost forgotten ... but not quite (no effect on Märklin PiB of course, only on collector rates ...) !

Y