Hi Guys.

Im a total newbie to trains. I dont even have a Marklin train track yet.....but will have one tomorrow :-)

I do own two Roco trains that have the 3 rail system, and one has a lokpilot decoder in it, and the other a loksound 2 in it. So both are for digital AC use.
Im going to buy the Marklin no 29000 digital starter set which has an oval track and the mobile station and power pack and connector box. That should get those running.


I also have some old analog DC train sets, and was reading up about how people converted them by installing a 3rd rail under the train, and wiring it up correctly to ESU decoder.

Then I thought......would it be possible to just modify the Marklin track instead ? . Cut the connection of the 2 train rails so they are isolated from each other, and then just connect the control box to each seperate track..and just not use the middle power rail at all. ..just lake a normal DC track is ?

Then I would not have to install a thrid rail under the train....... as it would just pick up on each side of the train as the wheels are isolated already . Of course I would install a lokpilot in the old analog train so it can work with the Marklin control box.


I would make 2 new sets of connectors to the track. One where the two tracks are connected as normal, and use the middle power rail for Marklin trains, and then a connecter that isolates the 2 tracks, and does not use the middle power track for my modded old trains. Then I could just switch between connectors if I wanted to use the 3 rail trains sets, and back to the other connector if I wanted to use the old 2 rail system again. Would have to lift off the marklin trains from the set so they do not short the track when the old trains are in use....

Will this work ?
Too crazy of an idea ?

Maybe someone else has done the same ?

If you have K Track, it is possible to separate the left and right rails electrically. The problem is that switch tracks, crossings and other sections are not isolated, so those tracks may be more complicated to use than regular track sections.

If you intend to have the DC trains on the track at the same time as the AC ones, the problem would be that the non-insulated axles on the AC ones would cause a short between the + and - rails of the DC.

It might be easier to have a mainline layout using 3 Rail AC and have a separate track representing a regional or local line that would be separate from the rest of the layout, but would converge at the station. This could easily be done by using Maerklin C Track for the AC and Trix C Track for the DC segment.

If the DC locomotives are electric (pantograph), the other possibility would be to power the DC locomotives from the catenary. This was, the + is on the catenary and the - is the tracks and this would not cause any shorts unless any of the AC units was set for catenary function and would create a bridge between the AC and DC equipment.

I hope that this is of use to you.

Regards

Mike C

Whatever for?

Yes, someone else has done this. They are called Trix (a Marklin company), who produce a 2 rail version of C track. Why ever would you butcher Marklin C track to do what Trix have already done!

Nice, it works great :-)

And the sound is very nice too. Sounds better in real life than the video