The year 1972 was a year of new beginnings. Everything seemed possible. Model railways, and above all Märklin, of course, wanted to show what was technically feasible. The challenge here was not to go "higher and further", but to reduce. The new gauge was to be smaller and, at its time, top the already widespread N gauge in terms of compactness. At the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1972, visitors were able to see the groundbreaking invention from Göppingen for the first time: a model railway in the unbelievably small scale of 1:220. From then on, the triumphant advance of Z gauge was paved and has continued to this day. If you also want to get started, we have interesting starter packs for you here:

We have come up with some exciting products for our anniversary year.

From the smallest diorama to the full-grown model layout: the scale 1:220 is perfectly suited as a model railway hobby. To mark our anniversary, we are looking for the most beautiful Mini-Club layouts currently available. The layout should have been created in the last ten years or completed in this period. A jury will then select the most interesting and most beautiful layouts from all the entries, which we will then present in the Märklin Magazine.

And this is how you proceed:

• Describe your installation (size, theme, special features) on a maximum of one DIN A4 page.
• In addition to the plant description, send us a maximum of five photos that document the character of the plant.

Send the documents by post to:
Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH
Keyword: Mini-Club layout selection
Stuttgarter Strasse 55-57
73033 Göppingen (Germany)

or by mail to:
maerklin-magazin(at)3g-media.de

Important: The deadline for entries is 31 July 2022. Valuable prizes await the first three winners. Cash payment of the prizes is not possible. The legal process is excluded.

In our photo gallery you will find a few nostalgic retrospectives.

In 1977, the Mini Club secured a top place in the Guinness Book of Records. A model locomotive of the 03 series - harnessed in front of six express train wagons - travelled 720 kilometres in 1,219 hours without oiling, without changing brushes and without a break. That corresponds to the distance between the cities Stuttgart and Hamburg (Germany). A record that is still valid today.

The most important information on new models, inspiring layout reports, digital features, building and tuning tips as well as prototype stories - the Märklin Magazine, which has been published since 1965, offers all this. The "Märklin Friend" section is also popular, with a portrait of the achievements that model railways inspire in life and how much pleasure they give.

Clubnews has been published for over 25 years - first as an unstapled eight-pager, now as a colourful and informative magazine. It is produced especially for club members - with background reports, exciting features and that certain extra bit of information. The Clubnews is a hinge between members and Märklin and promotes the worldwide community as an information platform - it is published in four languages.
As the leading medium for Märklin's premium customers, Clubnews provides information about club activities of all kinds. The involvement of management, product managers and specialist departments of the manufacturer deepen the reporting on the company and rolling stock and finally the "professionals" of the model railway scene are kept up to date by an attractive range of topics - ranging from models and prototypes to production and club activities and event dates.
Regular reports on the Märklin mini-club - our Z gauge - including interviews round off the Clubnews picture. In the anniversary year even with a whole special on the mini-club. Not yet a member of the club? Here's your chance to join:

All Insider Club models in Z gauge at a glance: 1994 to 2022

You can also find a lot more information about Z-gauge on the pages of the Z-gauge community.

Here you will find the dates on which we will pay special tribute to the birthday child for the anniversary year. We look forward to seeing you there. As always, please check shortly before your visit if there are any changes to the event.

Here you can find the dates.