Joined: 03/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 5,188 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
|
Update: Just found out that we now have a source of RTS couplers and other goodies in North America. Martin Hoffmann (http://www.marklin-eh.com/) now has them in stock. |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 18/06/2005(UTC) Posts: 669 Location: El Sobrante, California
|
Quote:Originally posted by almagik<br />I bought mine on ebay here, but now there aren't. http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eB...TRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1They work fine on my lighted coaches   An other good coupler is this original 2 poles by marklin mounted on the coaches of the train cod. 26511 /quote] SOLD SOLD! First off, thanks for the super great pics. Now my finance director is upset. She also saw the pics,and knows that I will be ordering these (RTS) couplers for the Rheingold, Amtrak, and Tee express( poor man') and AT& SF sets. Thanks so much Gene El Sobrante, CA on the left coast .
|
|
|
|
Joined: 02/07/2004(UTC) Posts: 1,448 Location: Italy
|
You are welcome  |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 03/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 5,188 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
|
Just found a problem with my RTS couplers. Easily solved, though. The contact "tail" that sticks past the NEM pocket contacts the wheels of my double decker cars in R1 curves. I just converted these cars and it is the first time I found this problem. I just shortened the tail (doesn't affect contact at all) and solved it. |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 13/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 2,616
|
|
Kind regards, Guus |
|
|
|
Joined: 03/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 5,188 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
|
Guus. Someone here (Martin maybe?)said that RTS was selling them to Marklin. I think Marklin substitutes their larger hoops for the small RTS ones, but the body is certainly the same. |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 03/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 5,188 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
|
Update: I shortened the tails too much..they don't make contact now. Have to rethink this.... Must leave for work now. I'll play with it next week. |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,464 Location: Scotland
|
Just bought 10 of these couplers. Somewhat surprised to find they have no wires attached and as far as I can see are only single pole so I will still require to have a contact on the coach wheels. I presume you solder a wire at the end of the contact strip.
David |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
|
|
|
Joined: 02/07/2004(UTC) Posts: 1,448 Location: Italy
|
Quote:[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:Originally posted by David Dewar <br />Just bought 10 of these couplers. Somewhat surprised to find they have no wires attached and as far as I can see are only single pole so I will still require to have a contact on the coach wheels. I presume you solder a wire at the end of the contact strip.
David
Hi David, if your coaches aren't ready for lights you must buy the: 7319 Current-Conducting Close Couplers. Retrofit kit for all modern 26.4 cm / 10-3/8*, and 27.0 cm / 10-5/8* long Märklin H0 cars with guide mechanisms. Contents: 10 special, rigid drawbars, can be inserted into standard coupler pockets. 20 contact elements for hookup to the 7330 lighting kit. Coupling jig for installing the drawbars. Complete installation instructions. Only one pickup shoe is required for each composition of lighted cars with the current-conducting close couplers. |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 25/11/2004(UTC) Posts: 1,106 Location: Guelph, Ontario
|
Hi all,
RTS also makes a contact strip for four axles Cars for Ground Pickup, Looks simple but works very well.
Martin
|
marklin-eh |
|
|
|
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,464 Location: Scotland
|
Sorry Alberto and Martin but you have lost me here. Having used Roco and Viessman conducting couplers I presumed that the RTS would be similar...at least with two poles. Alberto if you are talking about the Marklin old system I no of nobody who has used it with success. Martin are you saying I have bought the wrong type of RTS couplers. I normally take both power and ground from the loco and run it through the train thus not needing any contacts on the track. Is this not possible with the RTS I have. Thanks guys
David |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
|
|
|
Joined: 03/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 5,188 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
|
David: The RTS couplers do, in fact, only have one circuit. That is ok with me, I ground each coach indivdiually. They have a toung that interfaces with the car contacts ont he newer cars, in the same way the Marklin CC's do. No wires needed. The contact is good, no problems there. |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,464 Location: Scotland
|
Thanks Ron. I will ground each coach as you say and as they do uncouple there is a big advantage. The Viessman I think may be better but contact is not as good and it is necessary to fiddle with the wire on the couplings from time to time. I always light all my coaches and also stations which makes the layout look really good in the dark.
David |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
|
|
|
Joined: 03/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 5,188 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
|
I really liked the Viessmann couplers. I had aready equipped four trains with them when I found out about these. The Viessmann ones operate smoothly and have good conductivity. The only drawback was that they could not be coupled with standard Marklin ones. I have two S-Bahn trains equipped with Viessmann, and may just leave them since it unlikely that I will break those trains apart. I have laready converted my double decker to RTS from Viessmann, and have another one on my era III layout I need to change.
I have found the RTS to be a little stiff (hard to couple) at first but after a few operations they loosen up. |
|
|
|
|
Joined: 05/02/2006(UTC) Posts: 20 Location: , MI
|
I got mine from Hoffman's. I think RTS work great! I use them on my 28703 Swedish set and on my Rheingold 4228 set.
With the Rheingold set, RTS couplers do increase spacing between wagons from 2.8 to 7.8mm. The M current couplers that came with Rheingold set are shorter. The Swedish set fit perfectly with same car spacing.
These are huge convenience when removing or placing these car sets on layout. As someone mentioned previously, you do have to be a bit forceful with Marklin current conducting couplers. This always made me nervous about potentially damaging something. RTS are real easy to work with and electrical connection I find is actually better than stock M ones. |
Rydman ETE Member#824 ETEGL Member MEA Member |
|
|
|
Joined: 21/10/2004(UTC) Posts: 31,697 Location: United Kingdom
|
Hello, Welcome to the forum Rydman,What county do you live?  |
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. |
|
|
|
Joined: 12/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 2,528 Location: Groton, Connecticut
|
Welcome to the forum Rydman. Ira
P.S. Canadian? |
Building German Era I-II layout(Mk IIIc).  |
|
|
|
Joined: 25/09/2003(UTC) Posts: 2,786 Location: ,
|
Yes Rydman ! I have noticed that with Rheingold set RTS couplers are increasing space between coaches, it's true ! Just few millimeters... Strange isn't it? Because it's not the case with all others coaches ...on which, space between coaches remain the same whatever you use , Marklin conductive shaft or RTS couplers.. I never went into the subject in greater depth.. The only reason could be that original Marklin conductive socket for Rheingold cars is different from regular Marklin Nem socket ..may be ?
Welcome to the forum !
|
|
|
|
Joined: 05/02/2006(UTC) Posts: 20 Location: , MI
|
Steve, Huey, Jeehring,
Thanks for the welcome! Sorry my reply is so late. Busy. Don't wlaways have time to surf net. Hoffmann EH told me about this site so I thought I would check it out. I did and signed up. Just what I need another Forum to follow! LOL!
Anyway, I live in Michigan, not too far from the 'hood (Detroit) :)
Jeehring, The M current conducting couplers (CCC)on Rheingold car set are 5mm shorter than others I have (on Swedish car set for example). I imagine longer ones are probably more standard M CCC's and these are ones RTS are designed to replace. The RTS ones are so convenient, I'll live with the spacing increase. I will say, the Rheingold cars do look good when close coupled with stock M CCC's. |
Rydman ETE Member#824 ETEGL Member MEA Member |
|
|
|
Joined: 04/06/2002(UTC) Posts: 754 Location: Täby
|
Quote:[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:Originally posted by David Dewar <br />Sorry Alberto and Martin but you have lost me here. Having used Roco and Viessman conducting couplers I presumed that the RTS would be similar...at least with two poles. Alberto if you are talking about the Marklin old system I no of nobody who has used it with success. Martin are you saying I have bought the wrong type of RTS couplers. I normally take both power and ground from the loco and run it through the train thus not needing any contacts on the track. Is this not possible with the RTS I have. Thanks guys
David
If you want to control the lights digitally with a decoder it's a big disadvantage to have one-pole couplers. The lights will flicker if you ground them through the rails. But I can still see the couplers are useful to use power from the loco to feed the coaches without needing extra sliders. |
K-G / H0 and Z model train user |
|
|
|
Joined: 10/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 2,162 Location: Portugal
|
Quote:[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:Originally posted by kgsjoqvist If you want to control the lights digitally with a decoder it's a big disadvantage to have one-pole couplers. The lights will flicker if you ground them through the rails. But I can still see the couplers are useful to use power from the loco to feed the coaches without needing extra sliders.
Yes, but if one uses something like the Viessmann, LED based lighting strips, with rectifying and regulating circuits, there's no problem at all. Otherwise, if using Märklin's filament lamp sets, it's better to do a small inexpensive rectifying circuit with four diodes and a capacitor. Luis
|
|
|
|
Joined: 03/01/2003(UTC) Posts: 5,188 Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
|
I have not seen a problem with flickering if the grounding spring is making all four contacts with both axles of the grounded bogie. I had one of the cars I recently converted flickering, I took the spring out and flexed the arms downward. No flicker. |
|
|
|
|
Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.