Hi!
Welcome to the forum!

Märklin sells 2-rail locos under the names "Märklin HAMO" (old stuff) or "Trix" (current stuff).

Most likely it's not worth converting the loco and you're probably better off selling it and getting the corresponding 2-rail loco from Trix or Märklin HAMO.
Or maybe get one with a different livery and just swap the shells.

The decoder is the smallest problem (if it is a current loco and if you do not need analogue DC operation or DCC operation), but you have to add insulation to all wheel sets. It can be done, but I couldn't do it and I wouldn't try it.


BTW: many other brands also make 3-rail locos (MTH, Roco, Fleischmann, Piko, Brawa, ...), so with all brands read the description carefully.

BTW Marklin really ought to make their own conversion kit, Im sure theres lots of us 2 railers that would buy Marklin products if we could convert them over easily enough...maybe one day.....

As Peter has pointed out, Marklin would not consider a conversion kit to be even a remote possibility, apart from the insulation of the wheels from each other there's also the wheel standard, the flange profile is different, the method of collecting power from the wheels would need changing and of course the couplings are different. but the wheel insulation is the biggie. Most average modelers would not have the skill to carry out the conversion anyway.

Going the other way it's a lot easier to convert a 2-rail Loco to operate on 3-rail track if you go about it properly.

Partly it is the long history of Märklin which makes this more difficult. In hindsight, had Mârklin designed their chassis such that the driving wheels were retained by a cover plate and could be dropped in and out from underneath, (with replaceable bushings) then conversion would be literally child's-play and maintenance would also be a heap easier, not to mention lower production and assembly costs.

I'm sure a few of us are curious about the specific model you purchased. If it has the original box the item number will do, otherwise the running number from the Cab should narrow it down. Photo's always welcome.

Something else to mention is I wonder when you last actually saw Märklin '3-rail' track? - the latest C-track has been out around nearly 20 years now and yet so many modelers in the 2-rail fraternity are so blinkered by distant memories that they automatically think of the older M-track, and very few have even seen the very realistic K-track despite being around since 1969.

The 'new' C-track is also available in 2-rail versions under the Trix banner, and even an experienced modeler would be pressed to tell them apart (particularly when ballasted on a layout).

Obviously we are not going to make a convert of you, nor would we try but the model you did purchase clearly appealed to you so if you can let us know exactly what it is hopefully we can find if there is a Trix equivalent that you can enjoy and if you got the first one at a very good price you should not have any trouble re-selling it.

Regards

Steve

Hi plasteredparamedic,

Welcome to the forum.

A nice locomotive indeed, but as others in the forum have already pointed out, it is very difficult to convert this locomotive for 2 rails operation.

Cheers

Renato

I wonder if the shell could be swapped with a fleischmann or liliput...

Still dont know what it is. Item number? Photos don't show it