Should MTH make Marklin Tinplate in "Standard Gauge"?

Bill,

Personally I really like the Std Gauge Marklin by MTH. Can or will I ever be able to afford it? The answer would have to be. Not in this lifetime. There are many others in the same boat. Look at the cost of the MTH reproductions of early prewar accessories. Even these are priced beyond the reach of most tinplaters. Especially those on fixed incomes in their senior years.

 

I do not think that Mike Wolf would listen even if you had his undivided attention. Why? He's not in the business to throw money out the window. I feel that the Leipzig Station was strictly an experimental piece to test the waters of the American market. The waters are lukewarm at best. Sure there are those out there and they know who they are can afford to spend 10K a year and not feel it. These are the same individuals who have TW's Grand Central Terminal and more on their layouts. This is being noted as examples only.

 

To think that MTH should market Marklin 1-Gauge in American Std Gauge is only a dream. The American market is not ready for it. And neither is the European.

I don't agree with Pappy, there may very well be a market for Marklin reproductions. I wonder why Pappy thought the Leipzig station received only a lukewarm reception. It seems that it has been selling really well from what I can tell. Maybe Nassau or Wurlitzer can chime in here about sales.

Original Marklin in all gauges are highly sought after trains and are quite expensive, a less expensive reproduction would probably do quite well, especially in Europe.

I would love to see more European reproductions done by MTH in any gauge.

Just my .02,
John.

I'd like to see a Krokodile in Standard gauge.

That would be one large locomotive.

-Greg

What I meant about making the Marklin gauge one is standard gauge was, that if MTH made them, they could offer them in 2 versions. 1 version in original gauge one 3 rail for the European market, and a version in standard gauge for the American market. Just like the way they offer the motors in traditional or contemporary versions.

The size of the trains in gauge 1 and standard gauge is almost exact to each other. I wasn't suggesting that the German or European's would be interested in buying them in standard gauge.

Also on this subject, I have sent some standard gauge trains and a bunch of standard gauge track to my friend that's in the tinplate trains club named Tinplate-Eisenbahnfreunde Niederrhein. They have 2 huge and beautiful tinplate layouts in Castle SchloßBurg in Cologne Germany. They put the standard gauge track that I sent them on their gauge 1 tinplate layout. It's really cool seeing my 385E and 1700 series cars running in a castle in Germany. In return, they he has sent me some awesome Marklin gauge 1 tinplate trains, and got me the new replica Marklin gauge 1 track from Bernd thul. I haven't visited them yet. But I am planning on going when I can afford the airfare. Then I can stay at my friends house, and don't have to spend any money on hotels or food. I'm crazy for not going yet. But like Pappy said, I'm also on a fixed income.

I just thought I would add my story. When I gave the presents, I wasn't asking for anything in reurn. But we have so much fun trading trains back and forth. I'll try to add some links of the layouts in the castle. They are on youtube. But it gets hard to find these videos. The layout is all German tinplate. I can't even guess how much money is on that thing!

Bill

Also, I've noticed that Continental Hobby has a newly made Marklin 1854 Shell tank car in standard gauge listed on ebay. I'm guessing that was someone thinking the same that I am. It looks just like the gauge 1 1854 tank wagen, except it is standard gauge with marklin couplers. If you search Marklin 18540, you'll see it. That cars is $1,000 to $2,000 in original gauge 1. MTH could make it for $100.

Try these. I can't find the video that's close to an hour of everything. These are a few of the layouts they put up for events like Christmas. There is one layout that is perminant that is awesome.

The elevated sections are made by Bernd Tuhl, that makes all the Marklin replica gauge 1 tracks in the videos. The same track that I bought.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=822ELAH0jSI

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmhYhXZW6MI

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIE4337fQxw

What might make sense would be for MTH to make Maerklin zero gauge ("O") reproductions. These would be entirely valid and might sell well on both sides of the pond.

 

Bob

Marklin made one in Gauge One.  We're just talking about making a regauged version.  But yeah, it was big.

IVES and BOUCHER regauged many 1-gauge pieces to Standard-Gauge, so it`s something many companies have done before.

Bing did regauging as well.  However, to answer the question - they will if they think it will make money.  Would I be interested - no.

Here`s a link to thul-tinplate.com. Must be the .com version of the website of Bernd Thul.  http://thul-tinplate.com/

Marklin STDG repros, no.

 

Boucher, Voltamp and other American 2" gauge as STDG repros, yes.

 

 

I could be interested in Marklin repros in Standard Gauge, depending of course on pricing. The Leipzig station is expensive but not off the planet. I didn't have to make a decision on the cost, since I don't have room for such a thing anyway. I think there could be a small, but viable U.S. market for Marklin repros in Standard Gauge. The U.S. market for 1 gauge 3-rail would be tiny and non-viable, but it is at least conceivable that there could be a viable market in Europe.

 

A Standard Gauge Krokodil would be an amazing model. MTH did succeed in marketing the Brute and the Super 381; why not a Krokodil? For me to be interested, though, MTH would have to up its game on quality. The Super 381 has some major engineering and production flaws that undercut its price/value relationship; I'd be pretty leery of spending that kind of money again on any MTH Standard Gauge tinplate locomotive. I haven't bought a Standard Gauge locomotive since the Super and I have no plans to buy one any time soon, until and unless MTH pulls up its socks. 

As a long-time Maerklin fan and collector, I'd love to see some tinplate repros in O and Gauge I -- especially if they would offer a Rheingold express or Flying Hamburg twin-unit railcar.  (Something about that cream and violet paint scheme always appealed to me.)  

G Gauge aka Gauge 1 would be truer to History.

Marklin G gauge Tinplate AKA Marklin Maxi could be used for more modern prototypes.

Standard Gauge is wider than G and could hurt look of marklin reproductions.

I was under the impression that the rarest of Marklin trains were O-gauge pieces. My father had in his collection a Marklin O-gauge New York Central Hudson and a string of Marklin heavyweight Pullman cars to go with the Hudson. This set was highly sort after when my father's collection went to auction.

 

I favor MTH making O-gauge tinplate including Marklin.

 

 

One way MTH could get around the Marklin name and patients, would be to make Marklin "like" tinplate. That is what Santhion of Hungry has been doing with thier German "looking" tinplate stations and buildings. And they look awesome. Some better than Marklin originals. There was some at Stout Auctions that went very high reciently, and they're new. I didn't get a one. And there's more Santion buildings at their auction this Saturday. You can look at them on Stouts website, or search Santhion on ebay's home page, and it'll take you right to the santhion stations and building at Stouts auction. Since Stout has been listing their items on ebay again for more exposier. They are beautiful. So maybe MTH will just do their own thing when it comes to European tinplate. They don't have to be exact replicas to look European and beautiful.