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Get FLEISCHMANN June product news click here
Your first source of information about The FLEISCHMANN model railway system is the catalogue, showing all of our models. There are two catalogues – one for each scale - HO gauge and N gauge.
For those modellers with little space available, then the N <<piccolo>> range would probably fit into the space which you have available for your layout. In comparison with the larger HO scale, you won’t lose out on any of the intricate details or the superb running qualities for which FLEISCHMANN is renowned. Catalogues are available from your local dealer (a selection is shown on this website) or in case of difficulty direct from our UK marketing office. Just send your details to info@fleischmann.co.uk
Naturally, as a family owned, German company, founded in 1887, our models are mainly of German trains, but we also cover other European systems too – Switzerland and Holland for example. Of course, nowadays, modern freight and passenger traffic knows no boundaries with multi-voltage electric locos crossing International borders as a matter of daily running. Thus it is quite normal to run modern freight wagons across Europe and naturally, through the channel tunnel too. International passenger trains can be made up of coaches from neighbouring countries too. However, that wasn’t always the case, and in the days of the early steam trains, locos and rolling stock were purposely kept within the confines of the railway company territory. Modellers of the European scene have conveniently segregated the various periods of railway development in to “Epochs” and you will discover when reading through our catalogue, that the correct Epoch for each model is illustrated alongside its picture.
Epoch I is the period of regional railways (called Länderbahnen)
where each of the states governed by Kings, Counts and Dukes held sway. Nationalisation in 1920 grouped all these tiny
railway companies into one huge state company – Epoch II is the period of the DRG up to 1945.
Epoch III is the period of the “rebirth” of Germany following the Second World War, when the German Federal Railways, the “Deutsche Bundesbahn” was born in the 1950’s, whilst in the Eastern sector, behind the Iron Curtain, the Democratic state railways became the Deutsche Reichsbahn – DR.
Epoch IV is the period from 1970 on the DB when computerized numbering system for rolling stock was introduced. The end of steam engines in 1977. Introduction of the “Trans-European Express” trains.
Epoch V is the period from around 1985 onwards to the present day. The introduction of new colour concepts and the start of the ICE services. Nowadays, the flagship of the fleet, the ICE trains are truly International, with through services across 5 countries, linking Germany with France, Belgium, Holland, Austria and Switzerland. Services to Czech Republic are due to start soon.
As we mentioned before, freight plays an important part of transporting goods throughout modern Europe, where borders have long since disappeared. Containers are an everyday part of modern life, with sea ports linking International trade routes – North / South, East / West.
All of these periods of railway history are retold in model form through the pages of the FLEISCHMANN catalogues. Models which you can use on your layout.
Not only that, but FLEISCHMANN has a complete selection of controllers, switches and signals too. Nowadays, one cannot mention control systems without mentioning digital dcc control.
Well, FLEISCHMANN have been in the forefront of the digital revolution for many years now. Our TWIN CENTER controller is the “Maid of all Work” running not only all the trains on the layout but setting the points and signals too – all from one keyboard – and just two wires to the track! Find out more about digital control by clicking on the “digital” button.
And – if you’re going digital, irrespective of whether you use the FLEISCHMANN control system, our range of digital locos, pre-fitted with decoders, will run from any dcc standard controller. Not only that, but the majority of our standard DC locos now incorporate a six-pin, or eight-pin decoder socket ready to simply plug in the decoder of your choice. [pre-fitted locos have a “6” or “8” prefix in front of the catalogue number].
And – if you’re going digital, irrespective of whether you use the FLEISCHMANN control system, our range of digital
“SOUND ON BOARD” locos will really bring life to your layout! Our steam engines “chuff” with a digitally recorded real sound, synchronized with the speed, wheels and valve gear. The “function” keys of any digital controller will call up the individual sounds of whistles, guard’s whistles, bells, coal shoveling, water filling, station announcements and much more – the squealing of the brakes when coming to a halt! [Our SOUND ON BOARD locos have a “7” as a prefix in front of the catalogue number]. Our SOUND ON BOARD diesels also have realistic sounds too – “rattling spanners” engines, horns, station announcements, door closing warnings – and yes - squealing bakes too!
Even the SOUND ON BOARD electric locos have the characteristic sounds of the electric original – brake squeal too!
The complete FLEISCHMANN range can also be viewed online by clicking onto the German factory site: www.fleischmann.de Then click on the Union Jack to get the English descriptions. For any other information regarding FLEISCHMANN in the UK and Ireland, please contact us on: info@fleischmann.co.uk
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