To celebrate, a locomotive featuring a retro design of the Märklin catalogues from the 1930s-60s will appear on German railway tracks.

Throughout its 160-year history, Märklin has always evolved and developed with the greatest attention to detail. From robust, child-friendly locomotives and intricate models for grown-up model railway enthusiasts to large, highly detailed Gauge 1 products on a scale of 1:32, Märklin appeals to different age groups in every phase of their miniature railway life.

In its anniversary year, Märklin is unveiling over 400 new products and also offering fans a spectacular live experience to mark the company’s 160th birthday – an original locomotive featuring a retro design of the illustrated catalogues of the 1930s to 1960s will be out and about on rail lines in Germany.

Märklin My World is aimed at children above the age of three, while the Start Up product range is designed for children aged six and over, and is the first step into the world of electric model railways. The vehicles are compatible with a number of professional Märklin H0 models.

Fifty years ago, the company launched Märklin 1, boasting particularly high-quality, technically fascinating model railway sets on a large scale of 1:32. “Gauge 1, which is also celebrating an anniversary this year, is much more than just a classic model railway design,” said Wolfrad Bächle, Märklin managing director. “Whether operating as a large layout or simply as a design element in a home, office or doctor’s surgery, our Gauge 1 products are always technologically and aesthetically pleasing unique items of which our customers can be extremely proud. It is precisely this variety of products that defines us. Thanks to our real and tangible model railway sets, we go some way to compensating for the digitisation process, while at the same time providing digital fun that is faithful to the original with its numerous functions.”