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Märklin-H0-Knowledge

Special knowledge about tracks

Märklin “Modellgleis” (model track)
– a closer look on these exotics

state: 10.02.2026 17:14

Modellgleis?

What is that?

The German „Modellgleis“ means „model track“.
Aren’t all model railway tracks model tracks? – Well, actually yes...

But the „Märklin-Modellgleis“ is really something special.

There is a reason, that so many people pay
about 45 € / 53 $ / 40 £ for a 65 years old turnout.
Or 8 € / 9 $ / 7 £ for a single ordinary piece of track.
Or 25 € / 30 $ / 22 £ for a contact track. Plus shipping, needles to say…

Let’s look, what is so special and whether it is worth to go for a hunt…

Vocabulary:
German „Weiche“ = „switch“, „point” and „turnout“ (I use this last one because there is no ambiguity in it).

How it started…

Until 1953 Märklin delivered only tinplate tracks with a third center rail as conductor.

Then Märklin presented a new track, the „Modellgleis“, a quantum leap in track construction.

Unter the following link you find a very good German description, that I’m quoting here:
Märklin-h0-Forum.de, Faq und Tipps und Tricks, rund ums Gleis, die Märklin-h0-Gleissysteme

The „Modellgleis 3900“, made as metal-plasic-mixed construction.

1953 the Märklin „Modellgleis“ saw the light of day.

The development of the track, probably espacially the plasic-injection molding technology, took place in collaboration with the french model railway producer Vollon et Brun, who offered similar tracks as the Märklin standart track on the French as well the international market.

The „Modellgleis“ represented a technical revolution in four ways:

1. The center conductor as continuous third rail had been replaced by point contacts for the first time.

2. The Track was made as metal-plastic-mixed construction. The plasic sleepers were embedded in the metal bedding. The balast bed is mottled beige-brown, embossed and painted. The sleepers are colored black.

3. The geometry of the previous track was abandoned and in particular two new, large radii, R4 and R5 compared with later systems, have been introduced.

4. The turnouts of this system with a large radius and a flat branch angle of approx. 17 degrees were designed as slim turnouts. The 17 degrees correspond to ¾ of the 22.5 degrees standard curve track of the „Modellgleis“ system.

„Modellgleis 3900“

Comparsion of „Modellgleis 3900“ and „M-track 5100“.

Comparsion of „Modellgleis 3900“ and „M-track 5100“, bedding underside.

Both the enormous space requirements of this track geometry at a time when small „table top" tracks were still the measure of all things, as well as the significantly higher price compared to the standard track still included in the range (Price example 1955: Two and a half times as expensive, -, 60 pfennigs the straight 3600 standard track at 1.50 marks for the straight 3900 „Modellgleis“, which was due to the complex production and patent / license costs to Vollon et Brun as a development partner) made the „Modellgleis“ unsuccessful, so it was disappeared from the catalog in 1957. Only in the present is it a sought-after, rare and high-priced product on the collector's market.

Quote from the 1955 catalog for the „Modellgleis“: „These „Modellgleise“ combine the advantages of the 3-rail track with the model appearance of the 2-rail track. As in the 1:1 railway, the sleepers are separate parts, separate from the rest of the rail bed. Realistic track layout design by parallel circle. [...] The 3600 track sections can be used together with the 3900 „Modellgleis“ sections without any difficulty."

The system comprised 2 radii (R4 and R5), straight tracks, contact tracks, the slim, electrically driven turnouts and a matching crossing. As in the later C-Track system, the slender turnouts are combined with fitting pieces for the corresponding position depending on the track plan. The embankment of these „Modellgleis” fittings is accordingly not at a 45 degree angle in the contact areas, but rather straight.

The previous 180 mm geometry was abandoned and the standard length of the straight track is 224 mm for the „Modellgleis”. The curved tracks were implemented as 22.5 degree pieces, so that 16 track pieces form a full circle.

A connection with the standard tracks is possible and was expressly mentioned in the catalog.

„Modellgleis“ electric turnout 3900 MW.

The electric turnouts had an illuminated turnout lantern. Despite the relatively short production period, parallel to the development of the „M-Track 5100-5200”, modifications of the turnout lanterns and turnout drives can be found in the image documents for the „Modellgleis”.

The switch technology changes in parallel from that of the 3600 track to that of the 5100 track, although the first switch lanterns of the „Modellgleis” were significantly smaller than those of the 3600 track.

This range is referred to as „Modellgleis” or „Modellgleis 3900”.

Quote End

What pieces of track were there?

Note: The table below the quoted report is difficult to read in this reproduction, contains errors and is incomplete. Therefore I write the table of the tracks available at the time myself.

First we look into the catalog of 1953:

Straight pieces of track

number until 1956	number in 1957	description	length
3900 BSD	5055	Straight Contact Track Section	224 mm
3900 D 1/1	5056	Straight Track Section	224 mm
3900 D 1/2	5057	Straight Track Section	112 mm
3900 D 1/4	5058	Straight Track Section	56 mm
3900 D 1/7	5059	Straight Track Section	32 mm
3900 D 1/8	5060	Straight Track Section	28 mm
3900 DA	5061	Straight Terminal Section	224 mm
3900 DE	5062	Straight Complementary Section	115 mm

Note: The straight supplementary track section is referred to as 3900 DÅ in the track planning program SCARM, which I’m using for the graphics here.

The visible difference between 3900 DE and 3900 D 1/2 is a 3 mm wider sleeper spacing on half of the 3 mm longer track section.

The benefits of the complementary track section can be seen in the following track plans:

At a track connection with two turnouts or a turnout and a crossing, it ensures that both tracks end in one line.

Track curves

number until 1956	number in 1957	description	radius curved track	arc angle
3800 A 1/1	5040	Curved Track Section	535 mm	22,500°
3800 A 1/2	5041	Curved Track Section	535 mm	11,250°
3800 BSA	5042	Curved Contact Track Section	535 mm	22,500°
3900 A 1/1	5050	Curved Track Section	585 mm	22,500°
3900 A 1/2	5051	Curved Track Section	585 mm	11,250°
3900 A 1/4	5052	Curved Track Section	585 mm	5,625°
3900 AA	5053	Curved Terminal Section	585 mm	22,500°
3900 BSA	5054	Curved Contact Track Section	585 mm	22,500°

Curves 3800 and 3900 are significantly larger than those of the M track.

The curve angle of the 1/1 curve is 22.5°, therefore 8 pieces of track are required for a semicircle.

The following track plan shows the proportions.

For illustration I have put a couple of short four-axle passenger wagons on top.

The article cited above speaks of R4 and R5. I am talking more about R3+ and R4+.

Next the comparison with the C-Track (green) and the K-Track (blue):

Turnouts, Crossing and accessories

number until 1956	number in 1957	description	length of straight track	radius of curve	arc angle
3900 K	5063	crossing	203,3 mm		16,875°
3900 MW	5064	pair of turnouts with 1x 3900 ZL and 1x 3900 ZR	224 mm	585 mm	16,875°
3900 MWL	5065	left hand turnout	224 mm	585 mm	16,875°
3900 MWR	5066	right hand turnout	224 mm	585 mm	16,875°
3900 ZD	5067	supplementary track, straight	56 mm
3900 ZL	5068	supplementary track, left-hand curved		585 mm	5,625°
3900 ZR	5069	supplementary track, right-hand curved		585 mm	5,625°
461 B	---	bumper with illuminated yard block signal	56 mm

The turnouts have the same radius (585 mm) as the curves with 3900 numbers, but only 3/4 of this arc angle of the 1/1 curve (which is 22.5°). The branch ends so early that no normal section of track will fit.

There are 3 additional pieces of track available for this purpose:

The left turnout can be supplemented with the additional track section ZL to 22.5° and the right with ZR.

You can also use the original angle of 16.875° with the additional straight track section ZD.

And - this is interesting - you can put a left additional track section on the right turnout or a right one on the left turnout. This reduces the turnout angle to 11.25°. However, there is a very slight winding movement of the train when driving over it.

If you attach the opposite curve directly to the switch or the additional track section without an intermediate straight piece of track, these track distances (in mm) result with the various combinations:

If two turnouts are to follow one after the other in the same direction, a compensating track section must be inserted between them because the drive box is in the way.

In the first picture, there is an additional track section ZR on the branching leg of the right turnout, so the curve is supplemented in the same direction to 22.5°. At least one 16 mm compensating track piece is required between the turnouts here.

Note: Since the rail fishplates on the model tracks are significantly longer than those on the M tracks, the fishplates may need to be shortened, at least in this application. You can clearly see that the compensating track piece cannot be inserted correctly, leaving gaps on both sides.

In the second picture, there is an additional track section ZL on the diverging leg of the right-hand turnout, i.e., a counter curve that reduces the turnout angle to 11.25°. At least one 45 mm compensation track section is required between the turnouts here.

The crossing is used to cross the neighboring track, for example at a branch or a siding. That's why it has the same angle as the turnouts.

Here you can see the restriction imposed by the compulsory use of the additional track sections:

An additional piece of track must always be inserted at the branch of the turnout and at the track ends of the crossing.

TIP: With manual dexterity you can certainly also adapt the bedding of other tracks.

The Bumper

It was the first time that a bumper of this design appeared in the Märklin range.

The basis was the straight 1/4 track section 3900 D 1/4.

And now let's take a closer look ...

First we consider the complex basic construction.

The sheet metal ballast bed has an opening for each sleeper.

The sleepers are part of a plastic insert that is held in the bed from below with bent sheet metal tabs.

The 1/1 track sections (straight as well as arches) have 2 inserts, each with half the track section length. This will probably have production-related reasons and stock-economy reasons. The 1/1 and 1/2 track sections have the same inserts.

The straight 1/4, 1/7 and 1/8 track sections have their own inserts. The supplementary track section 3900 DE has 2 inserts of the 1/4 track section.

The hollow profile rails (the switches have full profile) lie on top of the sleepers.

They are held in place by bent metal noses that protrude from below through the sleepers. The noses are part of a continuous metal band that lies on the underside of the insert.

Each rail is isolated from the other and from the track structure.

The rails are not attached to the last sleeper because there is the connecting strap on one rail and the space for the connecting strap of the rail to be attached to the other.

A stronger claw is attached to the penultimate sill, presumably to absorb the increased forces when sticking together.

With many pieces of track there is a metal bridge between the rails, so that both rails are then electrically connected.

The bridge is not set to all track sections. There are two generations - I will come back to this when describing the center conductor. The first generation have no bridge with the exception of the connecting and contact tracks, the second generation not always. With arches of the 3800 form, I sometimes find the bridge at the other end.

The 1/4 (straight tracks and curved tracks), 1/7 and 1/8 track sections as well as the straight supplementary track sections 3900 DE and the additional track sections 3900 ZD, ZL and ZR generally do not have a bridge.

This bridge can be found in the C Track today.

On the terminal track sections, the bridge is the connection point for the earth cable.

There are bridges at both ends of the contact track.

A rail is cut in two places and the metal band is parallel to it on the underside. This creates a piece of rail that has no electrical connection to the rest of the track.

In the middle of the insulated rail section, a connector with 2 sockets is inserted into the track. The sockets are connected to the insulated rail section.

TIP: You can also turn a normal piece of track into a piece of contact track: You cut through the bridge, if it is present at all. Then you solder a connection line to one of the rails and replace the connecting brackets on this rail and on the subsequent rail with insulating rail connectors that are available from Fleischmann (No. 6403 or 6433) and Roco (No. 42611). Done!

As mentioned, there are two generations of the „Modellgleis“.

The primary characteristic is the type of center conductor connecting tongue.

The first generation has small copper tongues, the second generation wide and slightly longer nickel-plated tongues.

Note: When assembling our M-rails, you can first bring the middle conductor tongues into the desired overlap before threading the rail brackets.

The copper tongues of the „Modellgleise“ are so short and the rail brackets so long that you first have to thread in the rail brackets and then you can only determine the top-bottom position of the copper tongues with problems.

The nickel-plated tongues of the second generation are longer and significantly more stable than the copper tongues. This means that they can be plugged together as we are used to.

If you visually compare the M-rails with the „Modellgleis“, you will notice that the point contacts of the „Modellgleis“ are much less conspicuous. The sleepers are nicer, the surface uninterrupted. The optics of the M-track between 1956 and 1981 (center) were significantly worse. Only the version from 1982 (above) came closer to the appearance of the „Modellgleis“. That is why I only use the upper version in the visible area and „Modellgleise“ or my M-Flex-track in the arches.

The central conductor is a steel comb that extends in one piece from the first to the last sleeper.

In relation to the plastic insert or the two inserts, the second and penultimate puko noses are missing. At these points Puko inserts are let into the sleepers from above, which have lugs on the underside with which the Puko comb is attached. Track sections with two plastic inserts therefore have 4 attachments of the Puko comb, track sections with one plastic insert 2 attachments.

The central conductor connecting tongues are fastened together with the central conductor comb on the central conductor fastenings at the ends of the track section, i.e. on the second or penultimate sleeper.

An interesting form detail of the arches:

The sheet metal track body has a 2 mm wide fold on the lower edges, on which the track rests on the table. We know that from the older M-tracks.

The difference to the M-rails is that this fold has gaps. This makes it possible to raise the outer edge of the arch by this 2 mm with little effort, to „exaggerate" the arch by bending the fold back again.

I found the track shown in a bundle.

Now let's take a closer look at the turnouts:

As mentioned, the turnouts have solid profile rails.

The radius of the branch is 585 mm, the curve angle is 3/4 of the normal „Modellgleis“ curve. It doesn't get any shorter than this. This turnout design was only taken up again by Märklin in 1975 with the M-track turnouts 5137 to 39.

The guard rails (check rails) are made of metal, very solid and, with a distance of approx. 2 mm from the stock rail, significantly more effective than those on the M-track turnouts.

The turnout lantern is almost identical to that of the M-track turnouts of that time.

The cover of the solenoids is a little ... unattractive.

The construction of the turnout blades deserves special attention:

Both tongues have their own pivot bearings. This type of construction is still used today in German tram turnouts.

The tongues are prototypically slimmed towards the end, the stock rails have recesses to accommodate the tongues.

The tongues are moved by a slide in the middle of the tongues where there is no sleeper.

The shortness of the branching track requires special adapters. The elaborate interior of the turnout prevents such a simple solution as was chosen for the M-track turnouts 5137 to 39 (almost every track section fits there).

Two turnouts fit together with their branching legs. The crossing of the „Modellgleis“ system also fits directly to the turnout.

We now look at the turnout from below:

The drive is covered, as you are used to with M-track turnouts.

The center conductors are mounted in 4 parts in the plastic insert and connected with a red wire.

The metal contact area around the frog is connected with a brown wire.

The above-mentioned slide for moving the tongues is moved by a simple rigid wire. The shape of the kinked wire creates the movement of the slide. The elasticity of the wire allows the switch to be cut open.

A simple kinked wire, pushed straight through a hole ... ingeniously simple. No spring that can wear out, break or get lost.

Conclusion:

If one observes the market with patience and common sense, the „Modellgleise“ can be acquired at prices that have to be paid for new C‑track sections.

Anyone who is impatient or wants unmarked pieces can pay many times more.

The „Modellgleise“ are fully compatible with the M track system, but noticeably more beautiful than this.

Turnouts and curves are unrivaled in the M-Track system. That is why they are the first choice for me in the visible system area.

There was also a Märklin product insert.

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