Hello all,
I am requesting the members to refer to any thread on this forum when Rerailers were discussed.

I am considering to try a Marklin rerailer, I understand for the passenger cars having free wheels the ramp serves well. How ever for locos which have gear driven wheels, is it a good practice to force the locos on the rerailing ramp when the wheels are not rotating? I wouldnt be offended at all, if I am told "Come on dont be so silly, you are worrying too much".

Can you share your thoughts and experiences?

BTW, can I use any brand HO rerailer ramp? Or is it suggested to use Marklin ramp for Marklin locos?

Have a great weekend
Vijay

Vijay,

the older rerailer was problematic because it was made of metal and shorted out when it touched the middle rail. The newer ones since the mid to late 1970s were made of plastic which eliminated this problem. As the rolling stock slides along the rerailer, it is the the edge of the wheel and not the flat surface that comes into contact with the rerailer. The flat surface of the wheels only comes into contact once the wheels contact the actual rails themselves. With most, locomotives, with the slider in the front, this allows for contact before the powered axles contact the rails. As soon as you apply power, the locomotive will roll forward and set itself on the track without any damage to traction tires.

As far as using other brands, they may not have the design that permits the use on Maerklin tracks due to the presence of the third rail studs.

Regards

Mike C

A re-railer is a must with the Torpedofanen wagen and the schnabel. As for loks like the Big Boy, once the traction tires are on the rail, I slide the rerailer out from underneath the lok.

It is real handy at train shows or when placing a bunch of rolling stock on the rails.

However for the odd car or derailment, I just place the car on the track....not worth the time to walk to find and get it.

Never had a problem with my Marklin re-railer, no wheel damage, no rubber traction wheel issues and plenty of relief from fiddling with multi-wheel locos!