FAQs

Questions and Answers

Where can I find old track plans? How do I incorporate water perfectly into my landscape? Where do I find queries about my purchase, or where is my order?

Here you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions. Feel free to take a look at our FAQs and you’ll find the answer to your question.

If you can’t find an appropriate answer to your question, you’re welcome to contact our customer service team by e-mail or telephone.

Terrain and Track Construction

Track plans are available for our Preformed Layouts for the railway manufacturers listed in the catalogue. The track plans are included with the Preformed Layout.

You can also get most of the track plans on the internet. Please click here to view the list of available track plans or obtain the plans directly from us by post.

We would also be happy to send you printed track plans - please contact us at info@noch.de to enquire about ordering and the costs for international postage.

We have created a track plan archive with track plans from older layouts. You can find this here.

You are also welcome to send or e-mail us (info@noch.de) the name, item number or a photo of the layout (aerial view) and provide the size of the layout; our technicians can then check if any plans are still available.

With an older layout, however, it may be that there are no track plans for Märklin’s C-Track. This is the case if the layout was produced before Märklin C-Track came onto the market.

We would also be happy to send you printed track plans - please contact us at info@noch.de to enquire about ordering and the costs for international postage.

You’ll find suggested accessories for assembling the Preformed Layouts in our track plans.

Since we don’t manufacture some of the buildings ourselves, it may be that an item is no longer available in specialist shops.

If a building is no longer available, we ask you to choose something else from the respective manufacturer’s catalogues (e.g. Kibri, Vollmer or FALLER).

If a NOCH item from the accessories line-up is no longer available, please replace it with an alternative product from our current main catalogue.

The Märklin Metal track plan can be changed to C-Track since the radii are the same. However, the lengths must be tested and possibly trimmed.

We can’t guarantee whether the C-Track will fit our older models. You’ll have to try it yourself at your own risk.

You’ll find directions for shortening the tracks in our ‘Instructions for Shortening Märklin C-Tracks’.

If you wish, we can send these instructions free of charge along with your track plan.

It may be that a house is no longer available due to a range change by the manufacturer.

In such a case, please replace the item in question with another house with the same floor space.

You can find the floor space in the respective manufacturer’s catalogues.

Our Preformed Layouts are made of polystyrene and can be processed with a polystyrene glue or with hot glue. It’s also possible to screw more polystyrene onto the Preformed Layout and expand it as appropriate.

For the following railway manufacturers, pre-drill with a 1 mm drill bit and use no. 7599 screws from Märklin (1.4 x 10 mm): Märklin Plastic, Fleischmann Modell/Profi, Roco Line, Pilz TT Modellgleis, Arnold, Fleischmann piccolo, Minitrix, Kato Unitrack.

With the C-Track from Märklin, a 1.2 mm drill bit is used for pre-drilling, and it is screwed on with item number 74990 from Märklin. With Märklin mini-club tracks, a 0.5 mm drill bit is used for pre-drilling and 0.9 x 5 mm screws from the company Peter Post Werkzeuge (tel. +49 (0)5527 4694) are used.

We recommend you use Pattex, UHU, hot-melt adhesive or glue to fix the buildings and decorative material to our structured hard foam terrain.

It is best to attach the tracks with nails or screws.

In the tunnel areas, it is best to glue the rails selectively, i.e. fix the rails in a few places, e.g. with a hot glue dot.

We recommend that you don’t use a Grass Mat on a Preformed Layout but instead use our Scatter Grass "Summer Meadow".
There are three different pack sizes:

Scatter Grass “Summer Meadow”, ref. 08310, 20 g
Scatter Grass “Summer Meadow”, ref. 50190, 100 g
Scatter Grass “Summer Meadow”, ref. 08151, 120 g

This Scatter Grass “Summer Meadow” is the same grass that was used to cover the layout at our premises.

To add grass, you can use our Gras-Master or the Puffer Bottle (ref. 08100) and our Grass Glue (ref. 61130).

You can also find more information about these products in the NOCH catalogue and on the NOCH DVD, which you can order directly from our online shop.

You can find out how to expand an H0-gauge preformed layout with an add-on part (even if it’s an older model) here.

You can find out how to expand an N- or Z-gauge preformed layout with an add-on part (even if it’s an older model) here.

The Model Railway Briefcases are operated with analogue technology.

The following is included in an empty Model Railway Briefcase, which you can only get upon request by sending an e-mail directly to info@noch.de:

the wagon mount
a background picture of a landscape scene (you can choose between a picture of a summer landscape or a winter landscape).

We deliver your desired layout directly to your home – and for FREE (within Germany)!

You can find out how free direct shipment works here.

We charge postage costs for shipping bulky goods (e.g. Preformed Layouts or Aluminium Frames; the items are marked as ‘bulky goods’ in the online shop). Since the products are sent as bulky goods by a haulier, shipping is only possible to the countries listed below. Postage costs include statutory VAT. They apply to all orders containing bulky goods.

Here, you’ll find the detailed overview of the countries to which we send Preformed Layouts.

Due to the change in the drill hole in the base plates, it can occasionally happen that the screws supplied with the kit have too small a head and slip through the hole without resistance. If you are affected by this problem, please send an email to info@noch.de. We will replace the screws free of charge.

Water Design

The problem is probably that the resin and hardener haven’t been mixed together sufficiently. As a result, the resin has settled at the top and remains sticky. The only way to seal the surface is to apply more 2K Water Gel, approx. 1 mm thick. Please pay close attention to the directions in the instructions.

The Water Drops and the plasticiser haven’t been mixed together sufficiently. As a result, the plasticiser has accumulated on the top and remains sticky.

This can be remedied by pouring Water-Drops on again. It’s important to melt and stir the substance exactly according to the instructions.

Yes. When processing the 2K Water Gel, however, you have to wait until the compound becomes slightly thicker so that the 2K Water Gel doesn’t spill over the bank and thus look unrealistic.

You’ll find an in-depth video on designing a waterfall here.

These can be eliminated from the water mass with a hairdryer.

Yes. The following materials are very suitable for this:

Leaves (ref. 07144 or ref. 07146)
Scatter Material (ref. 08420)

Simply add the materials to the water solution you have already prepared as per the package insert.

Due to the fact that our layouts are deep-drawn from plastic, the Water Drops® are not suitable due to the high temperatures. For the design of a pond/lake we recommend the Artificial Water or the 2K Water Gel.

If the model water is poured in too deeply, it can become milky. Only pour in 2-3 mm of water. Further infusions are also not recommended, as this can lead to clouding of the bottom layer of water. If you also work with our Aqua Effects (60872), you can create realistic deep water.

Don't worry - this can happen if the resin of the 2K water gel is not used for too long. You can simply heat the tube with the resin a little. We recommend placing the resin in the sun or in a well-tempered room to warm it up, after which the resin is fully usable again!

Greenery

The NOCH Grass Glue is the best suited for this purpose.

Damaging electronic devices through exposure to the high voltage field generated by the Gras-Master is impossible. However, it is possible to statically charge your body when using the device, such as that caused by friction on clothing or floor coverings. Such a charge may cause damage when touching electronic devices. No electronic devices should therefore be used while working with the Gras-Master. Briefly touching a grounded point (e.g. a water pipe) is sufficient to eliminate static charge.

Model Ballast

Yes.

"Gravel Mat", grey ref. 00080: "Scatter Material", grey ref. 08460
"Gravel Mat", beige ref. 00090: "Scatter Material", brown ref. 08441

Structured Hard Foam

We recommend you use Pattex, UHU, hot-melt adhesive or glue to fix the buildings and decorative material to our structured hard foam terrain.

It is best to attach the tracks with nails or screws.

Yes.

Hard foam parts can be glued with hot glue or contact adhesive.

Yes. You can heat the material using a heat gun and deform it by carefully bending it.

Of course, we advise you to use acrylic paints. Enamel paints can be used, but there may be problems with opacity.

TERRA-FORM

No, we don’t have any add-on parts for the TERRA-FORM terrain.

Once you’ve set up the basic terrain, you’ll certainly have enough experience with this system to be able to expand the individual components yourself according to your own ideas.

Purchasing a Product

You can get NOCH items from good toy shops or specialist model railway shops. Here, you can search for NOCH dealers. Or order directly from our online shop.

Unfortunately, only the items that are respectively shown in the current NOCH catalogue or listed on the internet are available from us.

Yes, a current list of recommended retail prices (for Germany) for our current NOCH catalogue can be found here.

You can get prices for the items not included in this list upon request at your toy shop or specialist model railway shop (go to the dealer search).

Ordering as a private customer is only possible from our online shop or at a local dealer.

No. However, you can always put out-of-stock items on your wish list to purchase later and activate the notification via e-mail.

A coloured dot on the product detail page shows the current stock status. The respective colour stands for the availability status:

red = available on back order; currently being produced for you.
green = available, with specified delivery time.

No, there’s no minimum order value in our online shop. Postage is also free on orders over €50.You can find our delivery conditions and shipping costs here

No, we don’t offer a bulk discount.

Simply enter the discount code in the shopping basket and confirm the entry by activating the tick. The discount will be deducted automatically.

The bank details are on the order confirmation, which you’ll receive via e-mail after completing the purchasing process.

No. To select the payment method ‘purchase on invoice’, you will need to have already placed an order with us by ‘prepayment’ in the past. In addition, a customer account is required for the payment method ‘purchase on invoice’.

We sell our items in the NOCH online shop at the RRP so as not to compete with our own trade dealers. It is quite possible for you to get some items cheaper directly from a trade dealer because this passes on the discount we guarantee to the trade dealer to you.

Delivery of My Online Order

A customer account is required to track your order. Here, you can view the status of your order at any time. If you don’t have a customer account, you’ll also receive a tracking number by e-mail when the order is despatched.

Yes, you’ll receive an automatic e-mail with the corresponding tracking number.

Expected delivery times can be found here.

The ordered items are then either not in stock or they will be delivered from another warehouse.

We base our prices on DHL’s prices. You can find our delivery conditions and shipping costs here.

Since you have placed an order with us in the online shop, you have the right to cancel and return your order within 14 days.
Here you will find the corresponding cancellation form.

We will not pay the postage costs for the return.

My Customer Account

To do this, simply enter your e-mail address in your customer account and select ‘I have forgotten my password’. You will then be automatically sent an e-mail to reset your password.

Check your spam folder of your e-mail account.

You can view this information in your customer account.

Here is the cancellation form to cancel your order.

To do this, scroll to the bottom of the last newsletter you received and click ‘Newsletter abmelden’. You have now been removed from the mailing list and will not receive any further e-mail notifications from us.

General information about NOCH

You can find all the information about modelling seminars and attendance at fairs here.

The opening times for the Modellbau-Welt in Wangen (Germany) you can find here.