Joined: 18/04/2016(UTC) Posts: 2
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I have a layout that uses DC 2-rail, mainly track from Peco or Hornby. I have a mix of rolling stock, including HO stock from Lima, Jouef, Piko, Electrotren and Kleinbahn, as well as UK outline stock from Hornby, Bachmann and Lima. (I like to alternate between OO and HO!) I recently added some Marklin tankers (trucks) for the first time - 4561 (SECA) and the more recent Kesselwagen-set Mineralole 94023 (Jet/Calpam/BayWa). All the tankers are variants of the basic 4440 model (Aral) that's been sold for many years. All four trucks have AC wheels, so I would need to replace them with insulating wheels to prevent short-circuiting on DC 2 rail track.
eHattons (and other suppliers) have Bachmann wheelsets available for trucks that look like they would solve the problem: Bachmann_Branchline_36_034 Brass_turned_wagon_disc_wheels_on_10_metal_axles 12mm diameter and Bachmann_Branchline_36_017 14.1mm Metal_disc_brake_wagon_wheels_on_10_metal_axles
When I measure the wheels on the Marklin tankers I get a diameter of about 13mm. Instinct says that I should therefore go for the smaller (12mm) diameter ones - can anyone tell me if they would work OK?
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,463 Location: DE-NW
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Hi! Welcome to the forum.
There are so many different shapes of wheels and axles - the easy way to avoid experiments would be buying the appropriate DC wheel sets from Märklin. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
 1 user liked this useful post by H0
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Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC) Posts: 8,243 Location: Montreal, QC
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The older versions of this car had a metal chassis. It was important on those models that the axles be either isolated on both sides or correctly installed if using axles that are isolated on one side only. The newer versions of this and many other models have plastic chassis, making it easier to operate with any DC wheel sets. The correct diameter for these cars should be 11mm. (The diameter is measured on the surface that contacts the rail). The correct wheel set is part 700580 http://www.conrad-electr...heelset?ref=searchDetailRegards Mike C
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 4 users liked this useful post by mike c
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Joined: 18/04/2016(UTC) Posts: 2
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Thanks Mike. Your diagram has been helpful, as it wasn't clear whether it was the rolling surface or outside flange distance that I should measure. I'll check the chassis, too: the three truck set is ceratinly plastic, but I'm not so sure about the other one, which dates, I think, from the late 1990s.
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Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,730 Location: Toronto
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I am not sure if this helps you, but for future purchases you can buy some Marklin wagons and have the dealer exchange the AC wheels at no charge. That is a good deal and I just took advantage of it over the weekend. (In other cases, however, you need to buy the DC set and can be quite expensive, as in over CAD$16 per wagon if it needs four sets of wheels, as many do.) |
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 2 users liked this useful post by baggio
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Joined: 03/02/2016(UTC) Posts: 490
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Buy the Märklin wheelsets for DC. I think they call them "HAMO Wheel sets". The product number is usually printed on the box of the wagon or coach. Using wheelsets from other manufacturers, will cause frustration as almost no one uses the exact same dimensions. I found this article, that explains the dimensions on some of the more common wheel sets: http://railway.zone/post...eelsets-and-measurements
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 2 users liked this useful post by MaerklinLife
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Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,509 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: MaerklinLife  Buy the Märklin wheelsets for DC. I think they call them "HAMO Wheel sets". These days they are more commonly Trix wheelsets. The part numbers of the corresponding Trix wheelsets are normally given in the catalogues, but those items will not be listed in a current catalog.
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,463 Location: DE-NW
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4440 is listed in the product database and Mike already quoted the Trix wheelset number given there. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
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Joined: 06/10/2009(UTC) Posts: 819 Location: RAK
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Hi Friends I just made a new purchase from a reputed German dealer and they have always changed AC wheels to DC wheels at no cost for my orders of marklin wagons in the past, however it seems now they are charging for the wheels. Has anything changed? |
George
Given enough time, tasks manage themselves. |
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Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,730 Location: Toronto
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Hi, George:
I would not call it a "new" development. If you look at my post no. 5 above, you will see my experience on point about two years ago.
As a result, it's almost the luck of the draw whether you have to pay for DC wheels. What you may want to do for future purchases is ask if there is an extra charge for the DC wheels. If there is, then they will tell you what the charge is.
If there is a charge, then get them to send you the Marklin wheel sets since you may want to put them back at some future time in case your layout were to require the wagons to have Marklin wheels.
Another option may be to buy Trix wagons - I anticipate Marklin has duplicates in their two-rail line - or buy wagons from another manufacturer, such as Roco or Piko, provided the hooks are compatible (they are NOT always compatible).
Hope this helps.
Silvano
P.S. I have always liked to have DC wheel sets whenever possible so I can use some very nice Marklin wagons on my DC layout. |
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Joined: 03/02/2016(UTC) Posts: 490
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The dealer gets the wheelsets exchanged for free by Märklin. The dealer can choose to charge you for it, or they can deliver great service and exchange the wheelsets for the same price = free.
As pointed out: Ask before you buy, and choose another dealer if they don't exchange them.
Unfortunately, more and more dealers now charge.
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,463 Location: DE-NW
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AFAIK dealers get the wheelsets for free. It is OK if they charge customers for the extra time and for the extra labour.
In an ideal world the web shop would have an option "I need different wheelsets" and the shop would show you the extra costs (if any). |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
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Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,730 Location: Toronto
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Mike here at the Marklin store looked up some sort of list where Marklin does exchange the wheels for free to determine if the wagons I was interested in qualified.
Not all wagons have this free exchange. Nothing to do with the dealer himself. |
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,463 Location: DE-NW
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The product database does not list DC wheelsets for all items. No wheelsets listed e.g. for 46548. To convert those tank cars for DC operation you can still buy DC wheelsets from Tillig, I presume.
Will dealers get wheelsets for free if the spare part number for the wheelsets is listed in the database? |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
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Joined: 03/02/2016(UTC) Posts: 490
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Originally Posted by: H0  AFAIK dealers get the wheelsets for free. It is OK if they charge customers for the extra time and for the extra labour. Yeah, but most times that is not what happens. What happens is that the dealer charges you the cost of the wheelset. I think that is wrong, especially because they are free. Given the price of a wheelset, that is not an insignificant part of the total price you end up paying. It takes 5 minutes or less to change the wheelsets of a wagon. If a dealer wants to charge money for that trivial amount of time, fine by me. I will order mu stuff somewhere else. Luckily there are still a lot of dealers that do this for free. For the club's DC layout we don't buy Märklin wagons if the wheels are not echanged for free. It is also in Märklins own interest to clean up this mess.
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 2 users liked this useful post by MaerklinLife
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