Hello all of those of you who are getting into Z sale, or interested in Z. I thought I would pass along some very basic tips that may help you as you start in Z. Track There are three main track lines, Marklin, MTL and Rokuhan. I have primarily used Marklin, but I am very impressed with the Rokuhan line. It makes getting started in the scale very easy, especially since they offer an extensive selection of track and their turnouts are generous and all locos I have test run through them quite nicely. Marklin track can be a bit finicky to use if you are new. MTL is good, but the track is far from a complete line and the turnouts are a little too tight on their tolerances which could result is some locos bounding through them. When connecting track, run your finger across the top of the rails at the connections. You should not feel a bump. What you are doing is making sure the rail has slid into the metal connector correctly. Keep you track clean. I recommend just a soft lint free cloth and rubbing alcohol. Clean your track frequently. Only use track erasures for tough build up since they can leave a residue. Track cleaning cars from Aztec are good to have. I also LOVE the Gaguemasters HF1 electronic track cleaners if you are running analog. Keep the track free of debris. Run a vacuum over your track to pickup scenery or loose ballast. This can get picked up by locomotives and cause them to bind. Design Build with the future in mind. Broad curves are your friend, especially if you want to someday run big locomotives or cars such as passenger. I highly recommend going 195mm to 220mm on your mainline curves. Rokuhan even offers broader section curves at 245mm and 270mm. These are ideal for the massive brass locos from AZL (but I wouldn't quite recommend these locomotives for beginners). Yard space is so important. Add yards and siding to your layout. You may not have a lot of rolling stock right now, but you will in the future. This scale is addicting! It is better to build in some storage now. Avoid grades for mainline operations. Grades really diminish the number of cars you can pull behind a locomotive. I try to only use grades on branch lines and keep my mainlines level. Transformers and power Only use Z scale rated transformers! A full list of Z approved transformers appears in the September/October issue of Ztrack Magazine. Don't trust what you see on eBay. Many sellers will tell you that it is Z rates when it is not. Using the wrong transformer can destroy your locomotive! Drop power leads from your track to your transformer about every 3 - 4 feet. This is a good rule of thumb to follow. Lack of power is a problem with Z. Maintenance Don't go nuts on maintenance! Over oiling is one way to bind a locomotives. Keep it simple. Clean the wheels. Marklin locos tend to require more maintenance with their brushes. But many new locos from AZL and MTL are almost maintenance free. Recommended oil is HTM's oil (sold at Ztrack Center) and Labelle 108. Avoid taking apart Marklin steam locos. Quartering the drivers is not an easy task! Ask questions! The forums are great tools. We are also happy to answer questions offline. Most importantly… have fun! Rob
Thanks for the info! I think I'm finally getting the different manufacturers and stuff sorted out. At the great train expo over the weekend I noticed a HUGE amount of Micro-Trains stuff, little if no AZL stuff and a few Marklin locos and some track. I did see that one place was selling Rokuhan track. Since I have a Marklin starter set, I'm going to go simple and use the track I have and make a simple oval layout. However, for future projects I'm considering following your recommendation of using Rokuhan track. It's definitely cheaper than Marklin track!
