Hi everyone!

As a 10 year-old I used to be an "expert" wiring my small Marklin train set It is a late 1960's - early 1970's HO set with the flat electrical connectors in middle of the tracks (I think that these are now on placed more towards the side of the track).

After keeping it in storage for 35 years I decided that it was time for my 9 yo son to have it. But I am finding it difficult to remember how to wire things. I feel so embarrassed... now I have an engineering degree to show off but can't figure out how do the simple things that I did as kid

I got the two wires from the tracks connected to the transformer. My two engines initially resisted coming up from the cold, but soon I had them running again. Wow, what a feeling!

Then I tried connecting the blue switch boxes that have four sets of red/green buttons and that control all track functionality. There is where I got stuck. Do I connect this to the transformer, and if so then which cable goes where?

Many thanks!
Alexander

Here's a few manuals on the Marklin USA website which may help you, in addition to Ray's comments.

ftp://ftp.marklin.com/pu...ly%20Set%20Up%20booklet/

ftp://ftp.marklin.com/pub/Old%20Manuals/

http://www.marklin.com/tech/SignalManual.pdf

I am so impressed with your responses, you've given me exactly what I was looking for.

Everyone, thanks very-very much!!!

Alexander

Alexander,
Welcome to the forum.
I hope you've passed your engineering degree onto these members

Welcome from me, too, Alexander.

And also a warm welcome from me, Alexander.

Renato

Hi Mark.

The turnouts and signals are controled with the blue boxes with red and gren buttons the others are and on/off switch.

Try looking at my links in posting number 4 in this tread.

Cleaning the track depents on what you mean are they rusty?


And welcome to this forum.

Hi again.

If the track is not rusty - i would find a locomotiv and try runnig it befor any thing was don to the track.
In my opinion the best track cleanning is intensiv running of trains other than this a track cleaning eraser from f.ex. ROCO migth be useful.

Yes you can take the controls apart - but again try them out befor doing anything.

You were right... everything seems to still work after 30 years... chased some loose wires for a bit...

I have a conceptual problem.

I have two transformers which are to run two interconnected loops on a 4 x platform. The two transformers share a common ground and I have a set of toggles which control one of the loops and a separate set of toggles for blocks on the outer loop.

My question is... are the two loops completely independent... and so when I switch a train from the inner to the outer loop... Train Control by one transformer will switch to control by the other transformer when it crosses into the new block.

It appears that you could connect the toggle banks through the end connectors... This doesn't make sense to me though.

Thoughts as to what is going on?

TIA
Tcatman

The answer is: The end connectors are there so you can create a control console of multiple devices and thereby manage multiple switches / signals without having to pull wires to each box.[/quote]

Makes sense.
The trains are wired now with multiple switches and blocks in two separate banks screwed to the platform side. It's not very intuitive.

We have to move the controls anyway and would like to map the turnout controls and block control to a map of the layout on a control board. Are there any thoughts on what kinds of switches are needed here... Anything that is unique to marklin trains? Will the smallest toggles work with the Marklin current's?

For instance, right now the marklin block controls are single pole single throw toggles in sets of 4 ... and control one transformer's output (on or off) ... Would it make sense to use single pole double throw switches with the center off. This would allow one transformer to control a train on either loop of the layout.

is there a clever momentary toggle switch that you could use which would allow you to set an led to know which way the turnout was pointing?

Am I making too much out of building a control panel.. and I should just use the marklin turnout controllers.

Thanks again for your patience.

Hi Folks.... its cold again so we are back on the train project.

I have linked to a bmp of the Marklin layout we inherited. I have shown the blocks based on old diagrams and looking at the track.

Schematic Picture


I don't really understand it.

From what I can tell... this layout will only support one train running continuously. We have never seen this running (actually I don't remember the details from when I was ten)


The marklin toggle switchs were connected in two banks to two transformers.... Is there a way to run two trains simultaneously?


I want to replace the Marklin banks of 4 toggles with individual toggles.

Do I want to keep the layout the same... or replace with double pole double throw toggles? Recomendations?

TIA

Edited by user 14 November 2010 17:15:37(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified