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Offline PMPeter  
#1 Posted : 15 August 2014 21:45:40(UTC)
PMPeter

Canada   
Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 1,273
Location: Port Moody, BC
I recently purchased my first 2 Maerklin bi-level passenger cars 43580 and 43589 from eBay Germany. While the 2 cars are in excellent almost new condition I notice that the coupler height is approximately 3/8-1/2" lower than any of my M locomotives. It doesn't appear that these close couplers have been modified in any way, but the cars will not couple to any old or new locomotive that I have.

I can manually lift the bi-level car's coupler onto the locomotive's coupler, but the bi-level front wheels barely touch the track and routinely derail at a turnout.

What am I missing?

Peter
Offline Dangermouse  
#2 Posted : 15 August 2014 21:51:53(UTC)
Dangermouse

United Kingdom   
Joined: 01/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 115
Location: Wales
What couplers do the locos have?

I have 43589 and it's fine with my Br.111s (3042/3642/3355), but I have fitted all of them with the close coupler heads from the 7205 pack. Sometimes they need a gentle nudge with a coffee stirrer to get them to line up, but the height is fine.
You can never have too many Silberlinge
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Dangermouse
Offline PMPeter  
#3 Posted : 15 August 2014 23:02:14(UTC)
PMPeter

Canada   
Joined: 04/04/2013(UTC)
Posts: 1,273
Location: Port Moody, BC
Thanks Dangermouse. Once you confirmed that the height was OK I knew I had a problem with my cars and I found it. The springs for the couplers were detached and the coupler guides were thus below their normal position. Now that I have the springs in and the couplers in their guides they couple to my Marklin locomotives, but not my new Brawa diesel which is still a 1/4" higher. I will have to adapt the Brawa couplers to match the Marklin.

Anyway I can live with that and now probably know why the cars were sold.

Cheers
Peter
Offline Dangermouse  
#4 Posted : 15 August 2014 23:47:41(UTC)
Dangermouse

United Kingdom   
Joined: 01/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 115
Location: Wales
It's surprisingly easy to dislodge the close coupler arms while you have the bodyshell off. If the coaches have lighting units fitted then it might well have happened while they were being installed.

Surprised to hear the Brawa loco couplers are too high, have you tried changing them for Roco universal couplers? They look a lot like the Marklin coupler heads but with a lower profile loop, so they don't catch on the underside of the buffers on non-Marklin stock. They will intercouple quite happily although some trial and error as to which loop needs to end up on top of the pile may be needed, I think I usually find that the Roco loop needs to sit on top of the Marklin one to avoid problems.
You can never have too many Silberlinge
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