I have some old Marklin Amtrak cars and a few keep derailing, mostly on the turnouts. On my N scale the first thing I check is wheel gauge, but I cannot find a Z scale standards gauge, do they make one such as the N scale version? By the by, I am using micro trains track set up on a table top. Thanks, CBG
There aren't really any standards, by the NMRA. But there are reliable tools for the track and cars: NZT's CT-004 Clearance set which includes track gauge: http://www.nztproducts.com/ct_004.htm Nn3 Track gauge from Republic Locomotive Works: (Z scale !) https://www.republiclocomotiveworks.com/show_item.php?ID=570 Micro-Trains MTL-920 (988 00 032): Wheel and coupler height gauge. Only good for straight track gauge. http://www.zscalemonster.com/mt/tool/988-00-032.jpg
Thanks Z_thek and Jeff, Just what I needed but couldn't locate. Now to decide which one, or ones, I will order.
Actually the NMRA has wound up releasing standards for Z scale, but still no track gauge... So we're indeed committed to work with those SJ-Z Man spoke about. Don't know whether those match, so in my case I rely on MTL's, that works for AZL as well. Dom
Dom, Yes the NMRA has released standards and Rokuhan is reported to be compliant. IMHO there are some technical tolerance issue with some of the standards. There is also the European NEM standard. Unfortunately my French isn't good enough to understand them, but they seem to be similar. A while back, I spoke with DKS after he released the NMRA S-7 clearance gauges. It seems that the machining requirements to make a track gauge was challenging. So, I really don't expect to see one in the future. I'm the old-fashioned type: I use dividers and a micrometer to check track gauge. Mark