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Club members get their first tour of Peter’s layout during a regular monthly meeting at Peter’s home. Peter Manz was [at the time] the only member of our Eastern New England ETE Chapter who was actually born in Europe, although he has lived all of his adult life in Massachusetts. His lifelong interest in Märklin model trains and the European model railroad hobby goes back to his boyhood in southern Germany, and the history of his present Märklin M-track layout goes back a good forty years. It is safe to say that Peter’s home layout is the oldest continually operational one in our chapter
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Peter’s layout predates digital control systems. The control panel was hand-built using Fleischmann switch elements for the turnouts and signals. Peter has found the Fleischmann system to be ideal for his purposes, as it shows the setting of the signal or turnout on the panel mechanically and therefore no electrical or electronic feedback or indicator is necessary. The control panel has been in use for thirty years and still performs reliably. The elements of the Fleischmann control system are still in the maker’s catalogue and readily available. The layout is operated by four vintage Märklin AC transformers: two are used to supply the track power, and two are used to supply the catenary power. The transformers can be switched among the various power blocks. Each insulated track and catenary power block can be powered by either of two transformers. The main lines and the main station are equipped with signals which control the operation of the trains from both track and catenary. The main line block signals can be controlled automatically through relays as well as manually from the control panel.
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The central section of his beautifully landscaped layout, which includes vintage Märklin accessories and catenary as well as M-track, is now thirty-five years old and has managed to survive two moves! This section has a dual-track main line. The lower front level of the layout features a reverse loop passing by a small freight yard with a suburban station and a sand and gravel facility. The main station, which is located at a higher level in the rear of the layout, has five tracks with platforms and one through track with no platform; the station can be by-passed in both directions.
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A passenger train and small freight train pass near the station and roadway. The rolling stock on Peter’s layout is, as might be expected, mostly Märklin, but with some Roco AC locomotives and cars as well. The Märklin equipment spans a good four decades, from vintage 1960s locomotives and cars to current catalogue items. The steam engines are mostly German prototype tank engines. The electric locomotives are mostly older-style box electrics with a few more modern types, and include Swiss as well as German prototype. His collection comprises more than forty locomotives and some powered railcar sets as well. There is even a Roco street-car set (German prototype) that gets an occasional workout. As do many other Märklin collectors, Peter has a nice assortment of beer wagons, including some rare older items and some special Swiss and Austrian market items that were not widely available.
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Zeke Sampson (left) and Royce Thomas admire Peter’s landscape at a recent chapter meeting.