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The PIKO commuter coaches have been around for quite some time. They were originally quite cheap so they quickly gained a lot of fans. The coaches are a model of the German N-type that you used to see around urban areas and on branch lines (and to some extend still do). From time to time PIKO have released modern versions of these coaches, but done nothing else than repainting the older types in the new colours. This is fine, when you think of the price, but there are some small changes that you can make yourself to add a more modern look to the coach. In this article I will show you how I upgraded my models to look more modern.

On layouts built using the Märklin C-track or the Trix C-track you can use the Märklin turnout decoders to conveniently install a decoder underneath the turnout. This is great if you are often rebuilding your layout or building a temporary layout. With the decoder underneath the turnout you basically get a wireless turnout. Depending on the version of your decoder there are a few things to keep ind mind when setting up a turnout on the CS3. In this article I will show you what to do.

I recently installed a couple of the larger radius curved turnouts on my layout. They look great and work absolutely fine, but when combined with rolling stock from other manufacturers than Märklin/Trix, they introduce an unexpected problem with bogie type wagons and coaches: Derailments. In this article I will explore the cause and explain you how to fix the problem.

A fun addition to your Trix C Track turnouts are lighted lanterns. The prototype had them and you can have them too. In this article I will show you how to install them and how to light them up using the built-in turnout decoder instead of an external power source. That way you will have a true self-contained wireless turnout.