Marklin's open letter to Z scale enthusiasts

Märklin has issued the following letter in Germany addressing Z scale concerns. I had requested and was provided the letter in English. Below is a copy of the letter. - Rob

Göppingen, Germany
September 2011

Dear Mini-Club friend,

For almost 40 years, our smallest scale 1:220 has been part of the Märklin range. The high level of detail despite its miniature size, the technical options and high reliability have proved fascinating from its inception right through to today.

However, fears that Märklin could discontinue this model railroad series are as old as the gauge itself. Shortly before the 40th anniversary of this scale, we received more and more inquiries from customers seriously concerned about the future of this model railroad type. Extreme delivery delays and the resulting impression that the offering was being reduced added to the Mini-Club members’ worries.

As a result of decisions in the past, these are admittedly problems of our own making, for which we can first and foremost only apologize to our customers. We made the mistake of assuming that other external partners would be able to produce the Mini-Club models with the same dedication and thoroughness as our own staff. However, this resulted in very lengthy processes before the quality criteria we demand for series production were adhered to and the products could finally be delivered.

Undoubtedly, wrong decisions are sometimes inevitable, but it would be foolish to stand by these decisions over the long term. We therefore decided some months ago to transfer production of these Mini-Club models back in-house. We still have enough employees from earlier production who can support us in this step with their experience, as well as their enthusiasm for the product.

Unfortunately, we found that on the class 232 model, the propulsion does not consistently meet our quality specifications in series production. We are working flat out on a solution. As soon as we have the replacement parts, we will retrofit our customers’ affected products. If models in this series reveal similar problems in the future, we will investigate the damages fairly in the interests of our customers. However, until these replacement parts are available, we ask those of you who are affected for your patience, and thank you for your understanding.

For the start of new production, we will need a certain run-up time, which could result in further delivery delays. We are aware that this will further try the patience of our loyal Mini-Club customers. However, please rest assured that we will do everything possible to eliminate these delays as quickly as possible. We will report on and document the progress of these measures via our media such as Märklin TV or the

We would therefore like to use this open letter to thank all those involved in the Mini- Club for their years of loyalty and support. The scale is by no means an undesirable appendage to our range, and has been internally supported with much enthusiasm and dedication. We have just approved the new items strategy for the coming years in this gauge and are already looking forward to the interesting and innovative ideas we want to bring to fruition in the years to come. For us, the Mini-Club remains an important pillar in which we can continue to demonstrate what the art of German engineering is able to create, even in miniature.

We hope you continue to enjoy Märklin's smallest products. We will of course keep you informed of further developments relating to the Mini Club.

Lars Schilling
Marketing Director

Jürgen Faulhaber
Mini-Club Product Manager

Rob,
Thanks for the post. Unfortunately, as I read this letter it comes across as another "out sourcing hasn't worked for us and its going to take time to fix" admission. I'm just impressed that Marklin is this open about it.

Mark

Mark,
I was thinking the same thing as you when I read that letter.

What I also noticed was that the Mini-Club project manager shares the name of the motor brand used by Märklins 'competition'

If I understand this correctly... Does this mean Marklin is giving up on China production? Amazing... finally, someone gets it. Cheaper production may lead to higher profit margin, but does not always equate to higher profits. If you lose your customer base, then the company negated the purpose of the outsourcing.

While I no longer buy Marklin products (only because I changed my interests from Europe to US)... if I happen to see a piece I might like, I will be happy to see the "Made in Germany" label once again. I still have a few pieces of older "Made in Germany" Marklin in my collection.

Rob,

This is really great positive news for Z scale. Thanks for posting this.

John

I hadn't realized that Marklin was producing in China. All my recent purchases were marked "Made in Hungary".

I guess this is good news??? At some point in our hobby there may be a point when cost will 'really' be an issue. Marklin, whether products come from out of Germany or not, is making a bold move to consolidate and ultimately help Z consumers. I don't see North American locos and rolling stock as a high priorty in the coming decade. What I do see for Euro and NA modelers is higher prices. Marklin will have to come up with some new NA locos and get the speed down on their original Mikados and Pacifics to make even the average modeler pay higher prices. But ultimately, good for Marklin and good for most of us. Jim

Jim,
Overall, I think this is good news. Marklin recognized that the "partnership" manufacturing solution was producing results and they realized this soon enough that they still have the in-house skills to go in a different direction.
Marklin's continued committment to Z and for that matter, Marklin's continued existence is important to Z. When Marklin first announced the bankruptcy, most of the brick-and-mortar shops I deal with got out of Z. One went so far as dumping all his Marklin into his bargain box and declaring to me "Marklin is bankrupt...Z is dead." So Marklin is Z in the minds of many people.
Also, Marklin is one of just a couple of companies that can produce Z scale products over the long term. While we have a great selection of products available to us, it's important to note that these products are are coming out of hard work and dedication of a very small number of individuals.
The issues of life for these people: family, accident, illness, old age or simply change of intersts would change the landscape of Z as we have it today. It seems to me that only Marklin, MTL & Rokuhan are in a position to do Z in the long haul.

Mark

Mark, Good points. If I went back over the thousands of posts I've made on this site I might find one that reveals I may have said Marklin Z was dead after the bankruptcy! I may not have, but we had long discussions and hand wringing about Marklin then. Although NA Z from them sort of disappeared for a couple of years, I'm very happy to actually read a statement from from them renewing their commitment. Jim