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Question Relex to Close couplers - Can I change old Marklin cars with Relex couplers to the newer close couplers?
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Offline Zeeboo04  
#1 Posted : 08 February 2025 22:21:12(UTC)
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Zeeboo04


Joined: 24/07/2022(UTC)
Posts: 25
Location: New York, Saratoga Springs
I apologize if this question has been asked a million times already. I did a search and couldn't really find a clear answer. My brother and I inherited a bunch of old Marklin trains and most of the freight cars have Relex couplers attatched to the wheelbase. For the last couple of years I've been building a digital layout with more modern cars and engines. I would love to incorporate my dads cars with it but I can not figure out the coupler dilemma. The old cars have Relex and the new trains are all close couplers and they will not connect with the old Relex. Is there a way to switch out the Relex couplers that are attatched to the wheelbase and update them to close couplers?

Best
Peter
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Offline kimballthurlow  
#2 Posted : 09 February 2025 04:02:40(UTC)
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kimballthurlow

Australia   
Joined: 18/03/2007(UTC)
Posts: 6,762
Location: Brisbane, Australia
HO Scale - Märklin (ep II-III and VI, C Track, digital) - 2 rail HO (Queensland Australia, UK, USA) - 3 rail OO (English Hornby Dublo) - old clockwork O gauge - Live Steam 90mm (3.1/2 inch) gauge.
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Offline cintrans  
#3 Posted : 09 February 2025 20:25:31(UTC)
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cintrans

Aruba   
Joined: 11/07/2018(UTC)
Posts: 217
Location: Aruba (general), Oranjestad
Peter

What I do is use an intermediate car that has NEM coupler holders.
One side fitted with the close coupler, the other side with a relex coupler.
As explained in the referred to link, latching the loop of the short coupler over (and below the loop) of the relex coupler works fine also.

Another option, depending on how old the cars are, is to use E272910 (from kit 7205) couplers that are fitted to the boogie

Regards
Jean-Pierre
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Offline mike c  
#4 Posted : 09 February 2025 21:17:48(UTC)
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mike c

Canada   
Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC)
Posts: 8,216
Location: Montreal, QC
I don't know what close couplers you are using. Maerklin's 7203 can couple with regular hook and loop couplers, but the old ones were a little oversized and often higher than the more recent models.
One option is to replace the close coupling with a 7206 hook and loop coupling. I think they have changed the part number to 72060 since.

One other possibility is to retrofit the old coach/cars with close coupling mechanisms. Roco has a conversion kit (40344) or you can look at Symoba, as shown by Memoba (Vienna):
https://www.memoba.at/search.html?s=symoba

I have some older rolling stock with the classic couplers. I normally run those separately from modern cars/coaches
You also have to be cautious when operating the older models with metal couplings that are connected to the chassis as this can cause a short if it comes in contact with newer models with current conducting couplers (live)

Regards

Mike C
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Offline Gregor  
#5 Posted : 10 February 2025 11:04:25(UTC)
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Gregor

Netherlands   
Joined: 17/04/2003(UTC)
Posts: 997
Location: Netherlands
Hi,

www.schnug-modellbahn.de shows a wealth of information and examples. You can also order the couplings there.

Best regards,
Gregor
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Offline bph  
#6 Posted : 10 February 2025 12:16:35(UTC)
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bph

Norway   
Joined: 04/08/2018(UTC)
Posts: 1,143
Marklin has a series of articles also, but in German only:
https://www.maerklin.de/de/maerklin-magazin/downloads/themen-specials-und-serien
scroll down to the bottom of the page and: "Alte Modelle - kurz gekup"
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Offline Zeeboo04  
#7 Posted : 10 February 2025 15:56:55(UTC)
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Zeeboo04


Joined: 24/07/2022(UTC)
Posts: 25
Location: New York, Saratoga Springs
Thanks everyone for all the info. I have some homework to do now. Im sort of shocked Marklin doesnt have a solution for diehards to keep their old collectable stock updated. Something like, create a universal replaceable bogie set that has updated NEM pockets. I realize there are so many different types of cars and wheel sets but for a company that is notorious for making certain cars and trains only for a limited run...you want to make sure that limited run will be updateable and last a lifetime.
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Offline hxmiesa  
#8 Posted : 11 February 2025 13:28:34(UTC)
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hxmiesa

Spain   
Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC)
Posts: 3,587
Location: Spain
Maybe we need some photos of your old couplers, because I run 50+ year old materiel whose couplers connect perfectly with Märklin close couplers?!
Best regards
Henrik Hoexbroe ("The Dane In Spain")
http://hoexbroe.tripod.com
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Offline Zeeboo04  
#9 Posted : 18 February 2025 20:11:16(UTC)
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Zeeboo04


Joined: 24/07/2022(UTC)
Posts: 25
Location: New York, Saratoga Springs
Originally Posted by: hxmiesa Go to Quoted Post
Maybe we need some photos of your old couplers, because I run 50+ year old materiel whose couplers connect perfectly with Märklin close couplers?!


This is one example with picts. Some of the older cars I have are even more unaligned with the new close couplers then the one in theses pictures. 20250212_151706.jpg20250212_151610.jpg20250212_151710.jpg
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Offline hxmiesa  
#10 Posted : 20 February 2025 21:26:04(UTC)
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hxmiesa

Spain   
Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC)
Posts: 3,587
Location: Spain
Originally Posted by: Zeeboo04 Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: hxmiesa Go to Quoted Post
Maybe we need some photos of your old couplers, because I run 50+ year old materiel whose couplers connect perfectly with Märklin close couplers?!

This is one example with picts. Some of the older cars I have are even more unaligned with the new close couplers then the one in theses pictures.

Okay, I see what you mean.
I would dare to say that, THAT is a non-problem...
True that there can be small allignment problems. Especially I have found that close-couplers tend to hang a little, thus being lower than the old Relex couplers. As you can´t really adjust the close-couplers and their holders (among other reasons because they are mostly made of plastic...) what you CAN do is adjust (carefully) the old metal couplers.
It might be the case that whay you are looking for is doing switching games and smooth automatic re-coupling. Good luck with that :-)
But if you are looking for a more pragmatic use, then I can assure you that all my trains runs very well with a total mix of Relex and newer short-couplings; The main concern for me being that waggons dont uncouple accidentally anywhere.

Best regards
Henrik Hoexbroe ("The Dane In Spain")
http://hoexbroe.tripod.com
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