Just bought some older Marklin ho trains--probably late eighties and early nineties--at auction. It's tough to find parts and service in Brazil. Can somebody help me out on whether these trains are compatible with other ho brands? Will a non-Marklin transformer work with them? What about spare trucks and couplers? Track? Tx.
Marklin compatibility
- Thread starter william r barr
- Start date
I think you can interchange whatever couplers you desire. The rest of it is exclusive to marklin as far as track and motive power is concerned. You can probably run other makes of rolling stock with the Marklin locomotives if you make the couplers compatable, but marklin ho is ac like Lionel. Everybody else runs two rail dc. With Marklin, instead of a third rail, they use black "nails" on each tie for the third rail. The "track nails" aren't as obtrusive as the Lionel three rail.
Welcome to the Gauge, William!
Marklin locomotives run on AC, so you MUST use a Marklin power pack with them - on Marklin track, as Russ explained.
If you want to use Marklin cars on two rail track there is another problem: The wheels are not insulated, since Marklin uses both rails as one conductor for track power. So if you put these cars on two rail track, you have a short circuit!
To run these cars on a normal two rail DC layout you have to exchange the wheelsets for insulated ones.
Ron
Marklin locomotives run on AC, so you MUST use a Marklin power pack with them - on Marklin track, as Russ explained.
If you want to use Marklin cars on two rail track there is another problem: The wheels are not insulated, since Marklin uses both rails as one conductor for track power. So if you put these cars on two rail track, you have a short circuit!
To run these cars on a normal two rail DC layout you have to exchange the wheelsets for insulated ones.
Ron
William:
There is another difference with the Marklin AC power. To reverse, they send an extra high voltage to operate the relay. I remember that when you push the reverse button, all the lights come on extra bright. You must have a Marklin transformer; Lionel or American Flyer won't do.
The couplings are a common European type. You might find other cars (even 2 rail) that have them that could be added to your trains.
And the Marklin cars will short out on a 2-rail layout.
There is another difference with the Marklin AC power. To reverse, they send an extra high voltage to operate the relay. I remember that when you push the reverse button, all the lights come on extra bright. You must have a Marklin transformer; Lionel or American Flyer won't do.
The couplings are a common European type. You might find other cars (even 2 rail) that have them that could be added to your trains.
And the Marklin cars will short out on a 2-rail layout.