Italia
Via Morgagni 15/2
41100 Modena
Phone and Fax: +39 - 59 - 35 40 64

email: service@zclub92.com
URL: http://www.zclub92.com

Z Club 92 is a "not for profit" club. Membership in Z Club 92 entitles you to a number of products and services. Their color magazine, Club-Revue, is published quarterly. It has many interesting features relevant to collectors and operators. Many if not all of the electronics and projects featured in a particular Club-Revue are available for purchase from the Z Club 92-Museum or through the mail. The magazine features a classified section where members can place free ads. Club-Revue is published in German but you can get an English translation addendum. From a collector's point of view the magazine is a gem. We saw many interesting Z Scale items first in Club-Revue, including forthcoming Märklin items. For operators the magazine would appear to be equally useful with their precise descriptions of tips, techniques and gadgetry. It's been a real eye-opener to see how many different manufacturers of Z scale product are out there. Club-Revue seems to cover them all complete with addresses.

Z Club 92 holds regular contests and awards prizes. They answer Z related questions for members and provide a hotline out of Germany. Each year Z Club 92 sends its members (those who are members all year) a club car and a comprehensive list of all Märklin Z cars cataloged and otherwise with variations from the dawn of Z. This list is also available electronically for an additional charge.

From the point of view of North American subscribers (New Yorkers at that) Z Club 92 was a bit sluggish. We never really knew when we were going to receive product and would wait anxiously wondering if it will arrive. Z Club 92 now has an association iwth Märklin Club. You can subscribe and order things via a USA address. It's very easy to communicate with Z Club 92 (now we prefer email) and in the one case where something was indeed lost in the mail they didn't hesitate at all to resend it. Clearly this is not an extremely well oiled professional organization. However it is an extremely well meaning and important volunteer one. The quality and value of their products and services and their personal responsiveness more than compensate for any mechanical glitches.

The Club operates the "Z-Museum" located in Bochum, Germany at the address listed above. From Club-Revue 1/95:

"As anticipated we have now opened the very first international museum dedicated to Z-scale modelling at Bochum (Germany). The main aim of the museum, as suggested by the name, is to collect the largest possible number of rare and curious models in Z scale to offer visitors the most comprehensive information possible. We therefore asked and in most cases obtained the support of all main manufacturers, namely Märklin, Micro-Trains-Line, Schmidt, Westmodel, Heckl Kleinserien, etc. Anyone who is interested in exhibiting products is invited to call the Club's offices directly.

A second, and equally important scope of the museum is to offer [a] focal point for all Z-scalers, for which we have set aside a 'meeting point' room for presentations, discussions and any other initiatives that are suggested. We have also set up an information board for the exchange market and in the future we will be organizing one day events dedicated to model trading.
...

See how to subscribe from your location in the Z Club 92 web page.

The Märklin Enthusiast of America (MEA) is a non-profit organization. It is not affiliated with Märklin USA, Inc. The MEA currently holds several (4 or 5?) swap meets per year in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. They publish the "Handelpost" newsletter bimonthly and an annual Membership Directory.

The MEA is an all volunteer organization existing soley for its members and its members' love of Märklin and other European trains and toys. Although Z Scale doesn't top the membership's interest (~20% acording to the 1994 Membership Directory) you're unlikely to see more Z Scale for sale in North America at one swap meet than at the MEA events.

The "Handelpost" newsletter offers members free 1/2 page ads. There are rarely any articles about Z scale (the silent minority) but there are plenty of member advertizements with Z Scale for sale.

Annual membership dues for the first year are 23.00 or 29.00 US dollars (bulk or 1st class) for USA addresses, 31.00 US dollars for Air Mail to Canada and 33.00 or 43.00 US dollars for surface or Air Mail overseas. Subtract $5.00 for subsequent renewals.

The Märklin Club of North America is associated with Märklin, Inc. Membership entitles you to the Märklin Club magazine, "Insider", published six times per year. With the bimonthly publication you'll receive a catalog from the Märklin Depot with various interesting cars including some (or all?) produced by Z Club International. In addition you'll get certificates that enable you to purchase Insider Club Edition and Special Collector Edition cars (one per member while supplies last).

One year memberships -$30.00 (Canadian Rate $42.00) (International Rate $72.00)
Two year memberships -$54.00 (Canadian Rate $75.00) (International Rate $130.00)
There's a 10% discount for elders.

Märklin has founded the "Märklin insider" club in 1992. It is not limited to Z, but covers all gauges manufactured by Märklin (Z, HO and I). The fee is around $ 80,- per year; it includes a subscription to the "märklin-magazin" , a special model made exclusively for the members once a year and early information about all new models including the limited series that are sold in Europe by the MHI (Märklin Händler Initiative, Märklin dealers initiative) so far in advance that you have a fair chance to place an order with your dealer.

The Z-Club has been in existence since the mid-eighties. It deals exclusively with Z gauge model trains and is not related to any manufacturer (including Märklin). The goal of the club is to promote the "Z-idea" world-wide; currently, there are > 2.000 members in something like 70 or 80 countries. The club provides a rather irregularly appearing journal to its members that covers all aspects of Z model railroading with emphasis on the rolling stock. Members get a special model once a year which is exclusively made by Märklin in limited edition and is not commercially available. Every couple of years, the club provides its members with the, to our knowledge, most complete list of all Z-material ever produced by Märklin (including limited editions, production times, slight differences in running series etc.). As a member, you are entitled to substantial discounts on some models. Just recently, there was an offer to buy the famous ADLER, the first German train that ever ran, from Railex for 750,- Deutschmarks (which *is* substantial compared to the later price of 1.250,-). The annual membership fee is 69,- Deutschmarks. All the club's publications are in German. For further information and membership application please contact the president, Mr. Roland Kimmich. Please don't get impatient if you have to wait for an answer rather long; as we are, Mr. Kimmich is a Z enthusiast who manages the club's affairs in his spare time!

Ztrack

Ztrack magazine published bi-monthly. A one year subscription is currently 35.00 US dollars. If features lots of good articles for operators and some for collectors. If you haven't read it as of Volume 10, Number 2, take another look. Here are some tables of contents with a few links to articles that have appeared.

(by Christoph Ozdoba)

Modellbahnen-Welt Verlags GmbH
Postfach 940
D - 73009 Göppingen
Germany
Fax: x49 - 7161 - 79 439

Apart from all the well-known model railroading magazines, we want to mention especially the "märklin magazin" which is the only "official" regular publication by Märklin. It covers Z, HO and I as well as new developments in "real" railroading. There are six issues per year (always in the even months: 2, 4, ...). The price for the subscription is around 50,- Deutschmarks ( ~ $ 35,-) a year; the subscription is included in the Märklin insider - Club .

From the membership form:

Z Club (G.B.) is formed of people who have an interest in Z Gauge and who wish to meet or contact other like-minded people.

As the club is affiliated to Z Club 92 we are able to obtain their limited edition vehicles and other items. It is also hoped that we will be able to obtain a discount on Z Gauge items purchased.

All members will receive a unique Z Gauge item on joining, and also a quarterly newsletter. Depending on the membership, in the future it is planned to produce a magazine which will contain information about forthcoming items from Marklin and other lesser known producers of Z Gauge items. The magazine will hopefully contain articles provided by the membership on topics such as prototypes, conversions, scratch building and their own layouts or collections.

Membership of Z Club (G.B.) only is currently £5.00 per annum.

If full membership of Z Club 92 is required, this will be approximately £52.00 extra, and will include its annual limited club wagon. This is not compulsory.

Here are some Z Club (G.B.) Newsletters provided by Graham Jones.