new video released by Rokuhan on U tube of their new EMU 113 4 cars sets to be released in Japan at the end of September. http://www.rokuhan.com/english/news/2011/09/movie-for-113-2000-shonan-113-1500-yokosuka.html regards Garth
Very impressive growth and unbelievably agressive product development. It proves, Z-scale has a bright future.
I have been buying trains since 1972 and I have never seen anyone develop product this fast. Very impressive. Great track.
I just came from the LHS here in Germany, and they were like, OH ..you were talking about other people making Z scale besides Märklin..uh..yes it´s here in our new Noch catalogs..uh..I don´t think they can compete with Märklin, harrumph...harrumph...150 years of tradition..harrumph harumph...I just nodded and grinned.
That's funny. At Small Wonder-Z here in Canada we don't stock any Marklin and have never had a customer ask for it. The Rokuhan track is selling quite well however..
Funny statement, or sad depending on your opinion. If Marklin and those who represent it still don't accept the idea that there are now MANY Z scale manufacturers and continue to burry their heads in the sand, I'm affraid they are not in the best shape to face the competition. I don't want to launch any polemics but Z scale market is quickly changing and those who adapt their production will be those who win... Dom
Hi guys :bashful: I dont want to break a lance for Märklin, anyway it is totaly their fault if they still live with technology of the 70tes. But also it was solid technology, very good mechanical quality. Brass and more brass. A few days ago, by a letter, the staff! apologized for the leak of new development in Z. So, just wait. Coming back to the quality I must say that the only "new" player who has convinced me during the years is Micro-Trains. Good quality smoth running engines and a will to improve. On the other side, OK, we all pray now the japanese gods, and I also passed orders to them and will for sure continu. Rokuhan tracks are good, but far away from the look of the real thing, anyway a plastic railbed would never look like handlaid. But this is OK. What in my eyes is the wrong point, the quality (for the moment) of japanese engines. For me, it is more on the toy side. Plastic connection rods, 3poles can motors, plastic wheels, guides, plastic clamps for chassis parts. Cheap sure, but more near to the bin that every Märklin produced in the century.
It is off topic but anyway, I want to add my 2 cents... I agree on Märklin with you Armand, I have an nearly 50 years old HO 0-6-0 steamer, which still runs. Markiln´s Z scale is build similar. If you tread them right they may last a lifetime. The Z scale low speed performance is just poor and their USA models are fantasy models, even there HO models are fantasy. Here Marklin has to improve. They can, see how they build the German V100.