I really like the models from 1956 with the wide precoupler (breite Vorentkupplung). They have always caught my eye and are interesting to me. But I never understood why Märklin only produced them for one year (1956).

Why was it only produced for one year? It seems to operate just fine, was it a bad design?

Edited by user 08 February 2019 01:00:18(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Vielen Dank Markus. I really like the style & function of these couplers. Going to have to keep my eye open for Wagens with this type coupler. I have only seen them on Locomotives and freight Wagens. Have you seen them on Passenger WAgens?

besten,

Rich

ausgezeichnet Markus! Thank you for the information and helping my understand which models this coupler was used on.

Type 6 Wide Precoupler

Typ 6 breite Vorentkupplung

Freight cars - Güterwagen

313/1 (4606) Niederbordwagen - low sided freight car
313/3 (4609) Planewagen - Tarped car with Märklin logo
310/1 (4600) baggage car - Gepäckwagen
311/1 (4601) open goods car - Offener Güterwagen mit Bremserhaus
312/1 (4605) Swiss freight car - Gedeckter Güterwagen mit Bremserhaus
315/1 (4610) ballast car - Schotterwagen

Locomotives - Lokomotiven

FM 800
SET 800

vielen dank Markus, thank you very much for the help. Maybe someday I can find all these items.

Type 6 Wide Precoupler

Typ 6 breite Vorentkupplung

Freight cars - Güterwagen

310/1 (4600) baggage car - Gepäckwagen
311/1 (4601) open goods car - Offener Güterwagen mit Bremserhaus
312/1 (4605) Swiss freight car - Gedeckter Güterwagen mit Bremserhaus
313/1 (4606) Niederbordwagen - low sided freight car
313/3 (4609) Planewagen - Tarped car with Märklin logo
315/1 (4610) ballast car - Schotterwagen

Locomotives - Lokomotiven


DA 800
FM 800
GN 800
TM 800
SET 800

That is a good idea Cookee. Photos say it better than words sometimes. I'll put some together since we will be home today and tomorrow.

Now I need to go on the roof and ensure the heater exhaust pipes are not frozen over. We are having -25F to -30F temps (-31 to -35 Celcius) tonight and I sure do not want any surprises during the night.

Hi,

Two pictures which were ready on my disk:






Regards

Markus

here is a close up pick of this style coupler. Märklin had only made this coupler for one year according to the information I see in Koll's Katalog. In my opinion it is one of the best couplers. It has been my favorite lately.

No but My coupling is exactly like you see in the above photos.
Dereck

Hi,

It is interesting that the three new 46XX-series wagons (4602, 4614 and 4616) for 1957 are shown with the wide coupler in the new-items catalogue but without that coupler in the 1957-D-catalogue. I have never seen examples with wide couplers of these wagons in reality.
As an example 4614:



Regards

Markus

A bit intrigued by this discussion I took a good look at these couplers yesterday, trying to figure out the "why" Märklin changed from the wide to the narrow version.
I believe the change occured for cost purposes and maybe also for robustness.

First of all, the narrow version requires less material.
Of course you'll say that the difference is marginal , and I agree!
But small savings on a very large number of parts become large savings : the couplers were probably the largest quantity line item component manufactured at Märklin! (And probably still are!)

(Trust the industrious Schwaben to save a Gröschen wherever it can be found! )

Not having seen the dies that cut and bend the little metal plate, I can't really say "how much" material was saved , but I'm sure it's substantial .
Having observed Märklin stamping and bending process I would say that the narrow version spares about 50% material.

Which also makes the part smaller in **volume** and surface .

That in turn has an impact on the subsequent operation: the chemical treatment that preps and finishes the part to its "blackened" (bruniert) look.
For that operation hundreds or even thousands of parts are put in a tray which goes then in the various chemical baths to be processed.
So if , for example you double the number of parts in a batch, you reduce by half the individual cost of the operation

All you have to do to understand my suspicion about "robustness", you will see that the coupling loop is attached to the stem by more material in the narrow version, as the cut to take on the narrow "vorentkuppler" is simply smaller.

I think I have (maybe) anecdotal evidence to support this claim: in my days of running a Märklin Service station I replaced hundreds of coupler on "well played" vehicles...and a majority of those had been broken *exactly* at that level.

Again, this is maybe all just an "educated speculation"...

Cheers

Jacques

Hello Cookee & Jacques,

Thanks for your input on his thread.

Cookee, after your photo and post I took a good look at some of my wagons with this type Kupplung (coupler).

It looks like there are to small tabs that are folded over to hold the wide precoupler in place. These tabs sit lower tan the other parts of the assembly and look lie the seat right in the bottom of the 1/2 loop. I tried to show it on a picture here.

To celebrate , I grabbed ein Bier, und had a parade mit alle Type 6 wide Couplers.......

I think that usually there's at least 4 wheels manufactured everytime 2 couplers are made

Per.

Cheers

Per.

Hi

I think probably, during a short period (of 1956) Märklin produced these couplings with "waves"
Here is a picture of Märklin german 1956 catalogue (page 29)
You see the exact same couplings

I agree though that the vast majority of wide precoupler are straight.
The only one I have on a SET800 is straight (unlike the picture above).
cheers

Jean

....

Well, I must admit Cookee is right and I was wrong!
I just looked at all the cars I have from that era, and they indeed all have the "wave" couplers!
I definitely stand corrected.
After so many years (...close to 7 decades!) of dealing with Märklin trains , this is proof that you never know it all!
To my defense, I never got these type of couplers as spares, because in my days of Märklin servicing only the straight ones were available.
Cheers
Jacques

Edited by moderator 09 February 2019 16:21:15(UTC)  | Reason: Fixed end-quote

Besten Dank rei800,

Great photos (tolles Fotos! )

I will update the list:


updated list

Typ 6 breite Vorentkupplung

Type 6 Wide Precoupler


Freight cars - Güterwagen

310/1 (4600) baggage car - Gepäckwagen
311/1 (4601) open goods car - Offener Güterwagen mit Bremserhaus
312/1 (4605) Swiss freight car - Gedeckter Güterwagen mit Bremserhaus
313/1 (4606) low sided freight car - Niederbordwagen
313/2 (4608) log carrier - Stammholzwagen
313/3 (4609) Planewagen - Tarped car with Märklin logo
315/1 (4610) ballast car - Schotterwagen
315/2 (4611) Crane car - Kranwagen
315/4 G (4613) Auto transport car - Autotransportwagen


Locomotives - Lokomotiven


DA 800 Dampflok BR 23 mit Tender - 2-6-2 Class 23 Steam engine with tender
FM 800 Dampflok BR 24 mit Tender - 2-6-0 Class 24 Steam engine with tender
GN 800 (3009) Baureihe 44 Dampflok - 2-10-0 Heavy goods steam locomotive
TM 800 Tenderlok - 0-6-0 Tender Locomotive
SET 800 (3011) E-Lok Baureihe E 44 - Electric Locomotive 0-4-4-0


also possibly found on:

4602 Open Goods Car - Offener Güterwagen
4614 Container Car - Behältertragwagen
4616 Low Sided Car with black pipe load - Niederbordwagen mit schwarzem Rohr

Seems like the 4613 with 4 Ford Taunuses I got for Christmas '63 (my start with Märklin) actually was a 1956 model...

Hello Rei,

I'm just reviewing this post. Interesting that they may have carried into 1957 also.

If you have those items handy, could you please add images of the date codes from the box flaps?

Kind regards

Steve

Edited by user 14 November 2021 09:14:49(UTC)  | Reason: added year to title

Nice Rich!

I just came upon a set of 4-5 of these cars with a TT800, all purchased together. (presumably in 56?) I had a glance at the thread and couldn't decode the answer to the mystery (although maybe because we don't know) - why the fast exit of the couplers?

Cheers all,
-JP