Information about Z Scale
Z scale (1:220) uses a 6.5 mm gauge making it one of the smallest available model railway scales. Marklin introduced the Z scale at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1972 Helmut Killian was the design engineer in charge of creating this scale. They chose the letter Z because they thought there would never be a model railway smaller then this, there have been attempts to create a smaller scale but they have never really taken off.
The Z scale is most popular in Europe, North America and Japan with enthusiasts regularly participating in model railroad exhibitions and shows.
Advantages and Drawbacks of the Z Scale
Since the Z scale is so small it's possible to build a much more complex railroad without the need of a large layout or large space. This has allowed enthusiasts to come up with some very creative platforms to build their railways on such as guitar cases, briefcases and cigar boxes. Several museums have been able to recreate real world layouts using this smaller scale. The size of the Z scale allows for longer trains, smoother curves.
Due to the small size and weight of the Z scale locomotives (engines can be under 1 ounce) they are more prone to derailments or being stopped all together from poorly installed tracks or dirt on the tracks. Another problem with the low weight is the inability for the locomotives to pull trains up grades. It is suggest that a grade of up to 2% for 6 four-axle cars and up to 4% for shorter trains. By adding high density weighting materials such as tungsten powder or lead can increase the amount of pulling power.
