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Question Railway Post Office Frankenstein
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hermancoomans Offline
#1 Posted : 24 April 2012 11:48:07(UTC)
hermancoomans

Australia   
Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC)
Posts: 4
Location: Australia
Hi all,

I'm new to the forum - hope this post is OK! I have a problem and looking for creative suggestions...

I wanted to add a Railway Post Office (RPO) to my Santa Fe "Super Chief" (not really a Super Chief, just a mish-mash of available Marklin streamliner carriages).



Marklin don't make an RPO, so I bought a Walthers RPO, figuring I could adapt it somehow. Here's what I bought:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-9730

Walthers RPO

I've spent the last week experimenting with couplers. At first I just replaced the Marklin couplers on two carriages with Kadee NEM couplers so that they mate with the Walthers wagon (I had to shorten the dangling part of the Kadee couplers so that they didn't short-circuit on the center-studs). This works for a while, but the carriages regularly uncouple. The lateral movement difference between the Walthers coupler arm and the Marklin arm make the Kadee couplings let go on certain corners.

After many experiments with different springs, etc, I gave up, and focussed on hacking the Walthers carriage to have some kind of Marklin coupler.

My best result was in fashioning some old metal Marklin hooks into adapters which fit into the existing (non-NEM) sockets in place of the Kadee couplers.

This worked for a while, but eventually the Walthers coupling mount ripped out of the bottom of the wagon. (its only plastic, of course, and has the weight of all those metal carriages dragging behind it.).

I think what I need is a Marklin base with the Walthers body on it, but it seems like a waste to destroy a Marklin carriage to get a result...

Anybody done something similar? Any suggestions?

Edited by user 24 April 2012 13:51:46(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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BrandonVA Offline
#2 Posted : 24 April 2012 20:11:11(UTC)
BrandonVA

United States   
Joined: 09/12/2011(UTC)
Posts: 836
Location: VA
Hello! I like the experimenting. If I understand, I believe you are looking for Marklin boogies (wheels and trucks) to fit onto the Walthers car. You should be able to buy these as spare parts. I remember a similar thread here:

http://www.marklin-users.net/forum/yaf_postsm321494findlastpost_Walthers-Heavyweight-Pullman-Coach-and-Marklin-K---C-track.aspx#post321494

Walthers stated the part that could be used was Marklin 320551. I am not sure about your application, a different part may be needed...but hopefully this is a step in the right direction.
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Iamnotthecrazyone Offline
#3 Posted : 24 April 2012 21:05:52(UTC)
Iamnotthecrazyone


Joined: 22/01/2012(UTC)
Posts: 490
Fleischmann makes an add on close coupling system (6574) which I bought to use in a formation of cheaply made wagons. It could be the solution to your problem, you willneed to attach it to both ends of the Walther wagon and the connecting marklin side. You might be able to just glue them on, or you may need to use some ingenuity but it is possible. Try "All aboard" in NSW.
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river6109 Offline
#4 Posted : 25 April 2012 02:35:56(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 9,270
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Herman,
welcome to the forum.

I recently converted these type of couplers with maerklin ones on an American caboose.
What you do need is a knowledge of Maerklin close couplers shafts and the rest is just fitting them into the carriage.
A photo of the coupling slot would be an advantage to ascertain which close coupler shaft would be suited.

regards.,

John
river6109 attached the following image(s):
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5 years in Destruction mode
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nevw Offline
#5 Posted : 25 April 2012 03:53:19(UTC)
nevw

Australia   
Joined: 27/08/2005(UTC)
Posts: 11,284
Location: Strathpine QLD
THe other thing is the gauging og the wheels. DC are 14.2 mm and Marklin about 13.8 to 13.9.

NN
wearing the Pink Pinny, which is hard to see and now an waiting for a new shiny tin Hip
Junior member of the Banana Club, a reformist and an old Goat with a Bad memory
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hermancoomans Offline
#6 Posted : 25 April 2012 05:14:03(UTC)
hermancoomans

Australia   
Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC)
Posts: 4
Location: Australia
Wow - thanks for the excellent and prompt replies!

I didn't even realise that the Marklin track gauge is different from other HO track... new bogies a must, then.

Regarding the couplers, here are some photos. First the original Kadee coupler fitted:

Wathers carriage with Kadee coupler

To remove the coupler I remove two screws from the black panel under the carriage:

Coupler removed

And here is the removed hardware:

Removed hardware
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kariosls37 Offline
#7 Posted : 25 April 2012 07:47:35(UTC)
kariosls37

New Zealand   
Joined: 02/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 980
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Is it possible to remove the whole Kadee pocket(black plastic part left on the carriage in photo 2) and fashion a connecting of a Marklin coupler to accept the Kadee pocket holder screw? The plastic underframe should be more than strong enough to pull a complete train of metal coaches or two.

On the wheels, It should be possible to carefully twist the existing wheelsets into the Marklin gauge. Personally, If you have no problems with the coach derailing, I wouldn't bother doing anything to the wheels.

Cheers,
Rick
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hermancoomans Offline
#8 Posted : 25 April 2012 08:19:14(UTC)
hermancoomans

Australia   
Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC)
Posts: 4
Location: Australia
Here's a photo of the two adapters I tried...

These allowed the Walthers fitting pivot left and right as designed, plus gave some extra wiggle, as per the original Kadee coupler.

Custom couplers

The end result was that the original screw which holds the coupler assembly to the frame (the one nearest the bogie) ripped out of the bottom of the wagon...

H.
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kariosls37 Offline
#9 Posted : 25 April 2012 09:48:16(UTC)
kariosls37

New Zealand   
Joined: 02/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 980
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
If the screw iself pulled out without damaging much of the mounting I would try a longer screw at that point. It seems like a very strange point of failure.

Cheers,
Rick
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