Joined: 27/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 3
Location: Athens, Greece
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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
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 Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC) Posts: 15,870 Location: Gibraltar, Europe
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Hi Alexander,
If I remember correctly, each turnout or signal should have 3 wires, one yellow with yellow plug, and two blue, with one red plug and one green plug.
Connect yellow wire to yellow socket on transformer, blue wires to red and green sockets on switch boxes, and connect the socket on the side of the switch box to brown on the transformer.
If you have uncoupling tracks you can connect tham as half of a turnout. |
Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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 Joined: 17/09/2006(UTC) Posts: 18,771 Location: New Zealand
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Joined: 20/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 267
Location: , Denmark
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Philip.
Let's keep it simple.
MFDWPL |
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Joined: 27/01/2010(UTC)
Posts: 3
Location: Athens, Greece
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I am so impressed with your responses, you've given me exactly what I was looking for.  Everyone, thanks very-very much!!! Alexander
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Joined: 14/03/2005(UTC) Posts: 15,870 Location: Gibraltar, Europe
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You're welcome, Alexander.
By the way, welcome to the forum! |
Ray
Mostly Marklin.Selection of different eras and European railways
Small C track layout, control by MS2, 100+ trains but run 4-5 at a time.
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 Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC) Posts: 14,875 Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
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Alexander, Welcome to the forum. I hope you've passed your engineering degree onto these members |
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Joined: 18/06/2003(UTC)
Posts: 3,023
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA
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Welcome to the forum, Alexander! I am glad you have what you need. Cheers, Ranjit Edited by user 27 January 2010 18:37:48(UTC)
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Modelling in HO Scale - Era III & IV. K+M Track, Analogue + Digital
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#Get Vaccinated
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"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come" - Victor Marie Hugo
"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney |
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 Joined: 16/08/2006(UTC) Posts: 5,382 Location: Akershus, Norway
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Welcome from me, too, Alexander. |
Best regards Svein, Norway
grumpy old sod
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 Joined: 21/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 31,692 Location: United Kingdom
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Welcome to the forum, Alexander. |
Large Marklinist 3- Rails Layout with CS2/MS2/Boosters/C-track/favorites Electric class E03/BR103, E18/E118, E94, Crocodiles/Steam BR01, BR03, BR05, BR23, BR44, BR50, Big Boy. |
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 Joined: 19/03/2004(UTC) Posts: 976 Location: Gorizia, Italy
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And also a warm welcome from me, Alexander.
Renato
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Joined: 20/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Maryland, USA
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Hello All
Another Marklin newbie here.
My brother and I have inherited our uncle/s Marklin trains circa 1955. The engines and rolling stock are in mint condition and probably have not been run in 30 years.
We were advised by a Marklin owner to have the engines completely serviced.
The 4 x 8 platform has three rail track and is blocked to control a couple of trains.
Most of the wiring is intact... (a mind boggleing array of three colors of thin wires with little plugs.
The platform was stored in the garage and the control switches look pretty oxidized.
We have two kinds of switches... sets of 4 with red and green buttons and toggle switches (all Marklin.
From my American HO days... we controlled the track sector with a three way toggle switch with the center being off.. Turnouts were controlled with a slide switch that you pushed to activate. Which are marklin track control and which are turnout controls?
How do you clean Marklin track?
Any and all advice solicited for how you would move forward to restore the layout to it's former glory?
Thanks
Mark
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Joined: 20/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 267
Location: , Denmark
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tcatman wrote:Hello All
Another Marklin newbie here.
My brother and I have inherited our uncle/s Marklin trains circa 1955. The engines and rolling stock are in mint condition and probably have not been run in 30 years.
We were advised by a Marklin owner to have the engines completely serviced.
The 4 x 8 platform has three rail track and is blocked to control a couple of trains.
Most of the wiring is intact... (a mind boggleing array of three colors of thin wires with little plugs.
The platform was stored in the garage and the control switches look pretty oxidized.
We have two kinds of switches... sets of 4 with red and green buttons and toggle switches (all Marklin.
From my American HO days... we controlled the track sector with a three way toggle switch with the center being off.. Turnouts were controlled with a slide switch that you pushed to activate. Which are marklin track control and which are turnout controls?
How do you clean Marklin track?
Any and all advice solicited for how you would move forward to restore the layout to it's former glory?
Thanks
Mark
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. |
Philip.
Let's keep it simple.
MFDWPL |
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Joined: 20/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Maryland, USA
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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.
Thanks Phillip
Your links were terrific. I am sorting through them this weekend.
The track is not rusty..... It just looks a bit oxidized.. certainly not shiny. Don't know if that is a problem.
I am concerned about the switch controls. Can you take those apart and clean them with contact cleaner?
TIA
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Joined: 20/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 267
Location: , Denmark
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Quote:
The track is not rusty..... It just looks a bit oxidized.. certainly not shiny. Don't know if that is a problem.
I am concerned about the switch controls. Can you take those apart and clean them with contact cleaner?
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. |
Philip.
Let's keep it simple.
MFDWPL |
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Joined: 21/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 31,692 Location: United Kingdom
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Hi Alexander, Welcome to the forum. |
Large Marklinist 3- Rails Layout with CS2/MS2/Boosters/C-track/favorites Electric class E03/BR103, E18/E118, E94, Crocodiles/Steam BR01, BR03, BR05, BR23, BR44, BR50, Big Boy. |
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Joined: 20/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Maryland, USA
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Philip wrote:Quote:
The track is not rusty..... It just looks a bit oxidized.. certainly not shiny. Don't know if that is a problem.
I am concerned about the switch controls. Can you take those apart and clean them with contact cleaner?
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
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Joined: 20/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 267
Location: , Denmark
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Hi Tcatman. Quote:My question is... are the two loops completely independent... The answer is: No, they have common ground. Quote: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.
The answer is: Yes, it's probably just the whole idea of two transformers for train control. Quote:
It appears that you could connect the toggle banks through the end connectors... This doesn't make sense to me though.
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. |
Philip.
Let's keep it simple.
MFDWPL |
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Joined: 20/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Maryland, USA
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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.
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.
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Joined: 20/10/2006(UTC)
Posts: 267
Location: , Denmark
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Hello Mark.
You may ask as much as you want, I´m just not sure I can give you an answer you can use.
When it comes to function and the description of older Märklin components, I can maybe help you some way, but if it comes to alterations of the electrical system with other manufacturers components I'm not sure I can give you the correct answer.
Genrelt it must be noted that Märklin AC system is low voltage and electrical components suitable for this should also be used on a Märklin system.
The primary consideration by itself build a control console should be that it may never be possible to connect two transformers / power sources into the same circuits.
And that at the switches and signals by magnetic relays may not be possible to switch on both coils simultaneously. |
Philip.
Let's keep it simple.
MFDWPL |
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Joined: 20/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 20
Location: Maryland, USA
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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 PictureI 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
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 Joined: 20/03/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,660 Location: Paris, France
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tcatman, For automatic 2 train control, see here : http://www.nakedmarklin.com/layout.html Check out the rest of this site, it's very informative ! Hope this helps, Yum PS: lol, last post 11/2010 .. oh well .. better late than never ;P |
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Joined: 22/08/2013(UTC) Posts: 1 Location: Florida
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Originally Posted by: Philip  Thank you very much. I too am returning to my Marklin hobby after having packed it up 35 years ago. It was simple then and your posts here helped me understand it as an adult. Tom
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