Has anyone had good results converting other makes of American freight or passenger cars to Marklin ?. I'm trying to fill in gaps with freight cars and would also like to create a California Zephyr train to go with my MTH Rio Grande F7s. What does it entail? Specifically, which Kadee couplers would work best and how would I go about finding good wheel sets to convert cars to AC

Any info or pictures of your handy work would be greatly appreciated.


Ken

Hi Ken
I have "converted" quite a number of US prototypes to run on märklin tracks.
Key question : what is your layout build with? M-, C- or K-Track?
If the answer is "C" , you're in luck!
All the cars, coaches and loks that I have recently (last 5 years) adapted kept their original (RP 25) wheels!
In case there was still a problem (on switches/double slips, etc.) all it needed was to reduce the inner spacing between the flanges.
There is a handy gauge to do that Fohrmann handy Gauge tool

If you layout is M or K , I'll answer "it depends".
Often re-gauging will solve the derailment problems , but not as successfully as with C-track.

You have then to get new wheelsets , which is not always obvious, especially because there is not always a one for one equivalent for US style equipment.
My current approach is then, wherever possible to *reuse* the original axles, and *replace* RP wheels with NEM profiled ones of the same diameter .
Again I use tools from Fohrmann to operate the "transplant"
ROCO is a good source , but the "donors" are often old european style rolling stock found on garage sale, swap meets, etc.
It sometimes require to adapt the wheels to the axles diameters , or to adjust the length of the axles or even manufacture new axles.

All cases were a small lathe and a wheel press are indispensable.


Hope this helps

I bought the trix 24902 wagon set with 20 USA cars.I changed the RP25 wheels,i had a lot of problems running them on my layout with C tracks.I changed and the couplers,with the cadee couplers i had problems when i run trains over 20 waggons.

A Big Boy looks somewhat naked with only 20 freight cars.
Couplers that cannot handle 40 freight cars are a problem.

Trains with 40 cars can be seen in Germany with just a Bo'Bo' loco.

I have run all my double Alcos with 70 or 80 cars without any problem with marklin standard couplers but not with cadee couplers.

https://www.marklin-user...6-Hellenic-M--club/page9


You can see one of them in post 449.

Thanks for all your input in this matter, and sorry I am so late in my reply. Work calls unfortunately. I run K track just so you guys know, and so I have tried various methods such as adding a Trix cars as a go between car for the coupler set up (one side with a M. Close coupler and the other side with kadee. And yes the wheels seem to be the MAIN issue.[attach]

Edited by user 08 April 2017 09:01:02(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Jacques! I keep forgetting to order one of these, and am doing so now. Do I need a puller/press, or does the gauge tool kind of double as a press when you squeeze the wheelset in, and on the other side you can clamp down to the edge. (debating if I *really* need the other tools... )

Best it to have the wheel press rig
It's not very expensive, and will save you soooo much headache(s) in the future.
Works both as a puller and a press.
Cheers