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Offline nouveau.ukiyo  
#1 Posted : 23 July 2024 03:53:59(UTC)
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nouveau.ukiyo

United States   
Joined: 23/07/2024(UTC)
Posts: 3
Location: California, Walnut Creek
Hi,

I'm new to model trains and I'm thinking of getting started with a simple N-scale Minitrix digital starter set and getting some track / trains to mostly do temporary layouts. I don't want to be tied to one brand and would like to have digital locomotives from several brands. Is the Mobile Station that comes with the Minitrix Starter Sets compatible with non-Minitrix products? And if I got a Central Station or another DCC controller, would there be issues with controlling several different brands on trains?

Thanks!
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Offline H0  
#2 Posted : 23 July 2024 07:53:35(UTC)
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H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,432
Location: DE-NW
Hi!
Welcome to the forum!

Originally Posted by: nouveau.ukiyo Go to Quoted Post
Is the Mobile Station that comes with the Minitrix Starter Sets compatible with non-Minitrix products?
I have H0 gauge locomotives from many brands and the Trix MS2 handles them quite nicely. Should be the same for N gauge.
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
UserPostedImage
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Offline JohnjeanB  
#3 Posted : 23 July 2024 12:22:24(UTC)
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JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,550
Location: Paris, France
Hi
Welcome to this great forum.

Here is the little I know:
- MS2 (Märklin 60657 and Trix 66955) are identical except the green knob for the Trix unit.
- Minitrix operate with 15 VDC power supply to feed the track box (Märklin 60116 used both by Märklin and Trix) and not with 18 VDC power supply for both Märklin and Trix HO.
- upgrading MS2s is only possible using an on-line CS3 or CS2. Alternately a visit to your dealer may help.
- Digital on Z gauge uses DCC with a lower voltage (15 VDC to feed the "box").
- larger Märklin family gauge use 22 VDC to power the "box" (a different one) like LGB for instance.

I have the following units: CS1, CS2, CS3, MS1 and MS2
They are all very good except the CS1 and MS1 which now look prehistoric.

Cheers
Jean


My layout videos
latest vid
marshalling yard
My Layout
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thanks 1 user liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
Offline nouveau.ukiyo  
#4 Posted : 23 July 2024 17:02:58(UTC)
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nouveau.ukiyo

United States   
Joined: 23/07/2024(UTC)
Posts: 3
Location: California, Walnut Creek
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
Hi!
Welcome to the forum!

Originally Posted by: nouveau.ukiyo Go to Quoted Post
Is the Mobile Station that comes with the Minitrix Starter Sets compatible with non-Minitrix products?
I have H0 gauge locomotives from many brands and the Trix MS2 handles them quite nicely. Should be the same for N gauge.


Originally Posted by: JohnjeanB Go to Quoted Post
Hi
Welcome to this great forum.

Here is the little I know:
- MS2 (Märklin 60657 and Trix 66955) are identical except the green knob for the Trix unit.
- Minitrix operate with 15 VDC power supply to feed the track box (Märklin 60116 used both by Märklin and Trix) and not with 18 VDC power supply for both Märklin and Trix HO.
- upgrading MS2s is only possible using an on-line CS3 or CS2. Alternately a visit to your dealer may help.
- Digital on Z gauge uses DCC with a lower voltage (15 VDC to feed the "box").
- larger Märklin family gauge use 22 VDC to power the "box" (a different one) like LGB for instance.

I have the following units: CS1, CS2, CS3, MS1 and MS2
They are all very good except the CS1 and MS1 which now look prehistoric.

Cheers
Jean


Thanks for the details, this is helpful because I am considering HO and Z scale as well. It seems like I can use the same MS2 unit across different scale but I would need different power supplies?

One follow up question: I understand Marklin / Trix uses a different digital standard called mfx. Are there any significant features of mfx absent in DCC? If I have a non-Marklin DCC controller, would I lose features on a Marklin / Trix mfx locomotive?
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Offline H0  
#5 Posted : 23 July 2024 17:17:10(UTC)
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H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,432
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: nouveau.ukiyo Go to Quoted Post
If I have a non-Marklin DCC controller, would I lose features on a Marklin / Trix mfx locomotive?
Some Märklin locos have 32 functions, but I think only 29 can be controlled using DCC.

Without mfx, you miss out on the automatic mfx registration.
Without RailCom, you miss out on the automatic RailCom+ registration.

Märklin CS2 and CS3 have nice GUIs for programming Märklin mfx decoders.

If I'll ever have a permanent layout, I won't be using mfx with it. Still it's good to have a CS2/3 for programming.
I'm sure others will tell you that mfx is great.
Sorry, but try yourself and find out if mfx works for you.
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
UserPostedImage
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thanks 1 user liked this useful post by H0
Offline nouveau.ukiyo  
#6 Posted : 23 July 2024 17:23:58(UTC)
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nouveau.ukiyo

United States   
Joined: 23/07/2024(UTC)
Posts: 3
Location: California, Walnut Creek
Originally Posted by: H0 Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: nouveau.ukiyo Go to Quoted Post
If I have a non-Marklin DCC controller, would I lose features on a Marklin / Trix mfx locomotive?
Some Märklin locos have 32 functions, but I think only 29 can be controlled using DCC.

Without mfx, you miss out on the automatic mfx registration.
Without RailCom, you miss out on the automatic RailCom+ registration.

Märklin CS2 and CS3 have nice GUIs for programming Märklin mfx decoders.

If I'll ever have a permanent layout, I won't be using mfx with it. Still it's good to have a CS2/3 for programming.
I'm sure others will tell you that mfx is great.
Sorry, but try yourself and find out if mfx works for you.


Thanks. I'm thinking of getting a Minitrix and Fleischmann starter set and playing around with both to see how they work. It looks like I won't be missing out on much without mfx.


You mentioned you don't have a permanent layout. I'm looking into just doing some temporary layouts. Is there a kind of track you prefer? I was considering the Kato Unitrack Master and Variation sets, as they seem easy to assemble / disassemble and feature some interesting desgins. The only drawback is that they are made for analog setups and not compatible with Minitrix controller without some modification.
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Offline JohnjeanB  
#7 Posted : 24 July 2024 00:56:21(UTC)
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JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,550
Location: Paris, France
Hi
@nouveau Ukiyo
MFX is great when using Märklin: Very user-friendly and improving all the time.
When using other brands I suggest you to use DCC (wide spread). I just had a nightmare using an ESU LokSound 5 micro decoder with a Märklin CS3.

Temporary layouts
I have now a permanent layout with C Track and it is excellent for temporary layouts as all is hidden uder the ballast (switch motors, decoders, etc) thus making the wiring very small and discrete. This is HO. I N gauge I don't know but maybe Kato hides their solenoid inside the points and they write " Digitrax recommends their DS52 or DS51K1 stationary decoder for operation of Kato Unitrack turnouts."

Cheers
Jean
My layout videos
latest vid
marshalling yard
My Layout
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thanks 1 user liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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