Hallo

Hallo all,
I'm an old aircraft modeller (my website www.webalice.it/michelapaolo), about 2 months I started to care scale Z.
I'm from Italy, and here it's very difficult to find train and accessories.
I hope to know every secrets about scale z.

P.S.
Excuse me for my terrible english, I hope to improve with your help (and Google translate).

Bye
Ciao

Paolo, Welcome to ZCS. I checked your website and you my friend are a talented modeler. I especially liked the Polykarpov I-16. Hopefully we can provide you with information to help you on you Z scale modeling. If you model European, you will be limited to mostly German, Swiss and very few other choices. I know of no Italian prototypes in Z scale. If you want to model North American, then you will have a choice of steam (hard to come by) or diesel eras. Marklin is a German company and has been making Z scale since the beginning over 30 years ago. They do make some introductory NAmerican steam, but mostly they are the source for Euro Z scale. Here in NA we have Micro Trains Line, American Z Line and other smaller suppliers which only do NA prototypes. Check out Marklin and see what you think. Ask questions. Hopefully the language barrier is not too difficult for you. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Hello Paolo, and welcome from me also. Don't worry too much about the language - some native English-speakers have trouble with the language too

Marklin do make a small number of Italian freight wagons, but it is a very small number, and no passenger coaches, locos or railcars. They don't make much in the way of Austraian either. None of the US makers do anything European, so it's either US on the one hand or German or Swiss on the other.

Thank you for your welcome. I love all the American trains, the famous Santa Fe with many wagons... wondelful. My problem is the place that I can use in my home, little. Then I think I make a plastic about Swiss or German, but with a Santa Fe on the rail...

Hi Paolo,

The Americans also make a select few diesel Canadian locomotives and cars, though nothing in steam. Canadian railroads are CN (Canadian National) and CP (Canadian Pacific). The Germans do not make anything Canadian.

Thank you for your news. I saw your website... fantastic.
I put my track on a wood-base, what do you use on your platic? Polystyrene or other material for construction?

P.s. this my first video of my scale z...



Bye

excellent, I store my tools in Illy coffee cans as well molto bene

Paolo,

Thank you for posting your video. Your train runs very well on the track Do you have a 2% grade?

Here is the latest photo of our new European layout taken the day we received our track and inclines. The styrofoam inclines are from Woodland Scenics. The track is MTL sectional track that has a plastic base that looks as though it has ballast on it. I will re-ballast the track very carefully after it has been secured to the inclines. I'm not sure yet how I will secure the track to the inclines. Double sided tape has been suggested, but I think I will opt for some fast drying glue due to the complexity of the track plan.

What a beautiful sight. Unfortunately my slope is nearly 4%, in facts I'm seriously thinking of revising entire layout. I'll use other material, like styrofoam and I'll try to have a slope than less 3%.

Good job

Hey Paolo,

From the video you train looks to be running great. I wouldn't worry too much about the grade. If you use the Marklin piers the grade works out to about 3.6%. Yes with a lower grade it will be easier for the train to ascend which in turn translate to being able to pull more cars but it looks as if you are having no problems in that department so far. One of the advantages to Z is the light weight which means you can build with just about anything you are comfortable with.

Mike

Paolo,

I agree with Mike. Your train runs well on the grade already made. If you plan to have more cars pulled by your locomotive, test run it with more cars to see how it runs. If it runs well with more cars, there is no reason to revise the track. It looks great the way it is

...uhm yesterday, on evening, I tested run with more cars... and I had to use two loco (DB260 Marklin) to pull twelve cars... then...

sky_68 wrote:

...uhm yesterday, on evening, I tested run with more cars... and I had to use two loco (DB260 Marklin) to pull twelve cars... then...

Nothing wrong with that. It's exactly what real railroads do to address grade issues.

After all, they need to deal with grades on the order of 7%!

zierke.com/shasta_route/picpages/1-3-75.html

Beverly56 wrote:

Hi Paolo,

The Americans also make a select few diesel Canadian locomotives and cars, though nothing in steam. Canadian railroads are CN (Canadian National) and CP (Canadian Pacific).

Right. Now we're missing the Mexican Railroads... Some ideas, though, for the SD40-2 and for the forthcoming GP38-2 and AC4400W...

Dom

Hello David,

After all, they need to deal with grades on the order of 7%!

zierke.com/shasta_route/picpages/1-3-75.html

but then the line shown in your picture is only a very small step away from needing cogwheels for traction...

If I rememer it right from my ride on this line lately it is the steepest line to be found without cogwheels...

Besides... if you go where the train just comes from in your picture, you are in skys home country...