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Identify Old Marklin Trains
Gerhard sent in this question, but to get an accurate response from readers he really needs to add a photo in the comments section below:
Gerhard writes:
“I have recently aquired some pieces of a Marklin set with rails and all. It seems to be quite an old set with many locomotives and wagons. Where can I determine how old this set is and get some more technical info on it as I do not have a power supply for it. It is a beautiful set, specially some of the loco s. It has a central track power take off system.”
3 Responses to Identify Old Marklin Trains
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Hi Gerhard, Marklin has been running on AC not DC and have used a 3rd rail to send electricity to the locos, which to pick it up use a “shoe”. So if the tracks have a 3rd rail in the middle it’s from the 50s, whilest if it has some dots in the middle 60s to 90s. You’d be needing a transformer to turn 110/220v down to 12/16v.
Though I believe best thing would be to contact Marklin through their website, once you get an email from them send in your enquiry with photos and data. They’ll surely help you out.
Cheers
Hi Gerhard, I got my Marklin train set in 1958 it has the 3rd rail as they call it which was a series of small teeth in the middle of the track for the shoe pick up to run along. From memory the early locos needed 2 presses on the transformer dial to reverse the loco , later around 1970 the new locos changed to only requiring 1 press to reverse. I only ever had the original transformer so not sure how the newer transformers achieved reverse. Not sure if it helps any. Cheers Gordon from Australia
Be careful what transformer you use. The newer locomotives have chip in them and can’t be run on the olds transformers go to Marklin.com for help.