A new beginning

Last autumn, I disassembled the layout completely. Carefully placed everything in boxes and waited for the move. This summer we progressed so far, that I could commence to rebuild a layout in a different location. The new room has different dimensions and hence, the track plan is also different. I choose to make two layouts. A lower level layout with Lionel 027 curves and a Maerklin AC transformer to run Lionel trains. And a top-level layout of Merkur 625 curves with a self-built AC/DC transformer to run both AC Lionel trains and DC Merkur and ETS trains. The layouts are still in a rudimentary shape and in the coming months, more details will be added.

Additionally, a new Merkur tank engine came along. It lights and puffs as it runs the wide oval.

A new beginning that still requires multiple improvements to make an alive and fully-flegded layout, but the trains run and the further decoration can start.

Not all old-structures fit on the new layout and I still have to pull electrical wires under the table for the lights. But then again, it can only get better in the coming months.

Pre-war Lionel engine on modern tubular Merkur tracks

Apparently, some American folks still think that Lionel trains do not run on modern tubular Merkur tracks. This is getting more relevant as Lionel tubular track is getting more difficult to acquire. Although this topic gets raised frequently, lets throw in a video to make this subject clear for once and for all.

So, yes Lionel trains, also pre-war Lionel trains, do run on Merkur tracks. Lets hope we can move forward from here on.

Rail to rail and wheel flange to wheel flange distances

Some German toy train collectors apparently claim that the Merkur outer rail to outer rail distance would not be similar to the one of Märklin rails and of related prewar scale zero brands. And the same would be true for the wheel flange to wheel flange distances. How to convince a German that is precise and wrong at the same time? Hmmm, show the evidence, I would reckon. So, here are some pictures, to deal with this misunderstanding for once and for all. 

So here we have my beautiful table with metal ruler and four types of scale zero rails; from left to right: old Hornby-Meccano, modern Merkur, old Lionel 0 and old Lionel 027.As everyone with good eyes can see; the inner-distance between the outer rails is 3.2 cm. That is why it is scale zero!

And guess what, Merkur and Lionel rails simply slide in each other... (well that is how I have built my layout in the first place).

And guess what, modern Merkur rails also couple with old Hornby-Meccano rails.

Additionally, the wheel flange to wheel flange distance of prewar Lionel cars (top) and modern Merkur cars (bottom) are the same: 2.8 cm. That why both cars run so good on these rails...


Und für die beliebte Nachbarn: Viel Modelleisenbahnspass gewünscht!

Lionel train on Merkur tracks

In case you ever wonder: "does a Lionel train run over modern Merkur tubular tracks?".
Here is the answer: "Yes, it does!".

Building a bridge to ...

This weekend, I discovered that the Lionel 289E engine is a great engine to pull the Merkur coaches over the new track.

The video shows how smooth the Lionel 289E engine pulls the Merkur coaches 9751, 9330 and 9331.

Additionally I started with building the bridge to the other side (what else) and used the Lionel 817 caboose as the highest car in the rooster to measure the clearance.The bridge is still a bit rough, but it is a start.

New track for the layout

This Saturday, I went to Blik en Speelgoed to purchase some new Merkur tracks. The new track enabled me to remove the old half inner circle of Hornby-Meccano tracks and get some clean and level tracks in stead.

 Here you can see what I did with the Merkur switches; make a new switch yard.

 Plenty of new clean tracks, I would reckon.

Also the Weaver tank car that never fancied the Lionel 027 radius tracks, can now safely be placed on a side track without derailing it.

 In the middle of the larger table I used some my older Lionel 027 tubular tracks from the eighties to make a small yard.

 Here the Lionel 1668E crosses the temporary bridge.

Shake rattle and roll over new tubular tracks.
The moral of the last months; you can clean old tracks what you want, but you cannot get it level and straight, so in the end you will buy new tracks anyway.

Cleaning old track gives you black hands

This weekend we went to a local train swap meeting of MSC Achterhoek, which was larger than expected. I just purchased some small stuff; new color-coded wires and a rectifier.
In the evening, I repaired the 1668E, which had a loose wire between the E-unit and the electromotor. Well, it was still cotton insulated wire, so I cannot blame it for its age. Thus I replaced the wires with modern plastic insulated wires. It ran fine of the new Merkur tracks, but not on the inner half circle of old Hornby-Meccano tracks. The third rail pick-ups sparked and the trains did not ride steadily. Therefore, I tried too clean those old tracks, which a Dremel with a brass comb brush, followed by a rinse with tissue paper and alcohol, which rinsed off most of the black charry deposits. The top surface of the old rail now looked like a shiny mirror and my hands looked like those of a coal shoveller.
Some engines now handled the inner curve good, others did not. Engines with sliding shoes as third rail pick ups performed better than those with rollers as pick ups. Anyway, I reackon that I need to buy some more clean new Merkur tracks after all. That is a new project for next week.

Lionel 1668E running on the new tracks

The Lionel 817 caboose has the right size to fit with Merkur coaches.

The Lionel 603-604 coaches look like silly dwarves compared to the Merkur coaches;
Who said that everything American is bigger?