 Joined: 26/03/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Virginia, Vienna
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I live in the Washington, DC Metro area. I have visited ebay numerous times attempting to find a small analogue train such as a 3003 2-6-0 or a 3005 2-6-2. I have ordered from sellers twice with poor results. One engine did not run at all (the 30005), and the other barely ran, plus it overheated. In the first case, the seller swore that the engine had been tested and run, and in the second instance, the seller admitted after the fact that the engine had been sitting in his display case for eight years, and had not been tested and run during that time (probably an oxidation issue).
The bottom line is, I'm looking for an engine that runs, and need a reliable source at a reasonable price. Can anyone offer some suggestions? I'm pretty leery of ebay at this point.
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 Joined: 01/03/2008(UTC) Posts: 2,883 Location: South Western France
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Originally Posted by: Don Greenwood  I live in the Washington, DC Metro area. I have visited ebay numerous times attempting to find a small analogue train such as a 3003 2-6-0 or a 3005 2-6-2. I have ordered from sellers twice with poor results. One engine did not run at all (the 30005), and the other barely ran, plus it overheated. In the first case, the seller swore that the engine had been tested and run, and in the second instance, the seller admitted after the fact that the engine had been sitting in his display case for eight years, and had not been tested and run during that time (probably an oxidation issue).
The bottom line is, I'm looking for an engine that runs, and need a reliable source at a reasonable price. Can anyone offer some suggestions? I'm pretty leery of ebay at this point. Hello Don Welcome to the forum! A Märklin engine like will almost always run nicely with just some TLC, even after many years as a shelf queen! Especially true for older ones like a 3005!!!! They were build to be virtually nuke proof (Remember , it was the 1950's....  and SAC was flying 24/7..)  More seriously: it is really simple to clean and lube and check the mechanism. If you need specifics, we'll be more than happy to give you a few pointers. Cheers |
Jacques Vuye aka Dr.Eisenbahn
Once a vandal, learned to be better and had great success! |
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 Joined: 04/06/2009(UTC) Posts: 20,289 Location: Scotland
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Hi Don, Welcome to the Forum.  Ian.
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Joined: 26/03/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Virginia, Vienna
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I would love to have some guidance regarding maintenance. The 3003 that I received through ebay initially ran slow and erratically. I lubricated all the usual spots. The engine then ran a little better, although it overheated when run. I have not yet sent it back. FYI, I have a Marklin 280A "Super" transformer connected to M track. I recently cleaned the track, plus I have three other engines which have been lubricated, and have had the driving wheels cleaned of all old hard grease buildup. They all run well, but this one has me perplexed. P.S.: I am rather new to Marklin equipment.
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 1 user liked this useful post by Don Greenwood
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Joined: 11/05/2013(UTC) Posts: 488
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Perhaps you need to replace the brushes and/or clean the motor this is just a guess but it helped at times with my other loks.
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Joined: 26/03/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Virginia, Vienna
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Thanks for the info. But I have already received a refund from the seller, so the engine is out the door. For future reference, I would appreciate more guidance on how to perform this type of service. Should I go to the Marklin website? At this point, I am looking for a reputable seller who has tested and run engines before putting them up for sale. IMO, Ebay does a poor job on regard to requiring consistent information on the items being sold.
And thanks to everyone who welcomed me to the users forum/
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 Joined: 31/12/2010(UTC) Posts: 3,998 Location: Paremata, Wellington
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Originally Posted by: Don Greenwood Thanks for the info. But I have already received a refund from the seller, so the engine is out the door. For future reference, I would appreciate more guidance on how to perform this type of service. Should I go to the Marklin website? At this point, I am looking for a reputable seller who has tested and run engines before putting them up for sale. IMO, Ebay does a poor job on regard to requiring consistent information on the items being sold.
And thanks to everyone who welcomed me to the users forum/ Hi Don, Welcome also to the forum. For the vintage of Loco's you are referring to, may I in turn refer you here.... http://www.lctm.info/Biblioteca/Libros/index.htmDownload the excellent "Service Manual", although the site is Spanish, the book and most other items on the site are in English. Grab what you can and start reading, you'll learn heaps. The service manual will give you a lot of help in understanding your Loco's and maintaining them, where to oil etc. Some of the best buys on Ebay are items that have been rarely run because more often than not they are in good condition, with the only problem being gummed up from dried lubricant which literally takes just a few minutes to resolve. Often they will be sold as not working because the sellers don't know about the seizure problem, nor how to correct it. A perfect fix is a full strip-down, clean and re-lubricate but in the real world, once you have the mechanism free a sparing drop of oil in the right places will often be all that is needed. One important tip - to free up a seized loco, never try turning the wheels directly, this may loosen them on the axle and on Steam locos this will affect the quartering. Always better to pop the body and try turning the gears directly, removing the motor brushes will ease the tension. Hope this helps Regards from NZ Steve (Cookee) |
Cookee Wellington  |
1 user liked this useful post by cookee_nz
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Joined: 26/03/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Virginia, Vienna
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Thanks for the link. I found a Marklin Service Manual in PDF on the link which I have bookmarked. It seems pretty complete and should be useful.
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Joined: 15/11/2009(UTC) Posts: 300 Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
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Hello Don,
We are rather lucky to have IMHO a pretty good Märklin dealer, here in the DC metro area. I recommend you take a trip to Warrenton, VA and check out Hobbies, Etc. While their stock of new items isn't quite as large as when the owner also had the Trains Etc. store open in Lorton, Beryl does have a reasonable selection of second hand Märklin engines, rolling stock and track. I've been a happy customer for many years and have purchased a good bit of both new and used products.
Good luck with with your search! |
Rob
Mackenrode Wende Bahn |
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Joined: 26/03/2015(UTC) Posts: 13 Location: Virginia, Vienna
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Actually, I am aware of Hobbes Etc. and once took a trip to their old Lorton shop. I sent an email to them recently but have not received a response. I was not aware that they offer "previously owned" equipment. It might make sense for me to actually go out there and see what they have in stock. Thanks for the info.
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