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Here’s something you don’t see every day! This gorgeous collapsible model railroad layout was custom hand-crafted in Germany by a husband and wife team in the 1950s for the Hill family.
It has been in the family now for almost 70 years and has provided holiday cheer and excitement for children of every age in the family for generations. This unique HO Scale train layout is durable enough that it will continue to provide the same for many more generations!
In this tour, we get a look at how the layout is constructed, hear about its history from owner Harry “Bink” Hill, and also get to see lots of vintage Marklin equipment running on the layout as professional garden railroad track foreman Curtis Hill carefully switches the blocks to avoid collisions as multiple trains speed around on this unusual layout.
Add to this an introduction of several pieces of rare vintage Marklin equipment by superstar of prototype and model railroading, Kevin Hill, and you have a unique video tour unlike anything else you will see anywhere!
Enjoyed the video very much .Hope there more to come .
Great Video!
This is absolutely gorgeous. I love it !
The SK 800 is based on the Class 06, your Class 50 is actually a class 44 and your class 3 is actually a Class 01 (241 built). Great Video!
Happy man! You own a piece of history, a real master arts work . Hope it will end up in a museum when time comes. I recognize on this layout many of the accesories, buildings, etc. which I owned in my young age. Some of them are still in my possession, and can be seen on my home-made Marklin vintage layout. Have a look at my Youtube channel which has a number of videos showing my collections of HO model trains, my permanent layout as well as several "temporary table-top layouts" built for the fun and dismantled after some playing time.
Regards.
Hi again. Could you confirm the exact date of construction of the layout ? I believe it would be before 1956, and after 1950…
Your brother is the CEO of Not Blinking
We in germany call such a layout Epoque III (1945-1970). Nice, you got a piece of old Germany in post – war – time😁.
We had a similar Marklin HO set up, just not with a portable table, but a table that my dad had built out in the garage. We had about 10 engines at one time, but of course would only run about 3 at a time, and once in a while 4. I had 2 younger brothers, so that worked out pretty well, in keeping an eye on the set while managing the engines. Unfortunately, now it's all in boxes, but we hope to get the set out again and build it once some of our boys are off to collage, and some room opens up!
Thank you for posting, My parents and brothers emigrated from Germany in 1960, in the late 1950s before we were approved for immigration into the U.S., my Dad built a model train that I sort of remember and I'd like to re-create that layout. This video helps bring back thatnmemory
zoooooooooommmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!
Nice Shit – I like it …
Thank you for sharing appreciated. Great layout
what a wonderful heirloom and memory box!….and how wonderful you have all cherished and maintained this!
Great layout. Our family has some old vintage Marklin, and a lot of new stuff now. What did you do with the original transformers?
You have an amazing layout, and those engines are now antiques!
I can only imagine how much money that initial set costs…….Marklin made Lionel look cheap when it came to costs….my Grandfather could only afford to buy Marx trains for my Dad and Uncle….. a train dealer once said to me at a show…..when it comes to Marklin….you need TWO wallets. Top quality though….I own an HO Croc myself…..wired for DC.
That’s honestly a really nice piece of family history. I’m glad they kept it working for so long