Hi gang! I wasn't sure if I should have put this in the electronics area and went with general discussion for the exposure; hope you all don't mind. Anyway, from time to time I see loco's on E-bay I'm interested in from Marklin, Fleischman or Liliput but am not sure if they would run on a standard US DC layout. I know in Europe power is 220v rather than 110v and their HO stuff is AC.
What say all of you? Thanks in advance for the knowledgeable inputs!
Happy RR'ing!
Duane
Duane,
If it's meant for AC you can't run it on DC and vice versa. You would need to replace the motor to do that.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Marklin is AC and does not run on your DC layout. A conversion is a major task and cannot be recommended, as you will not only have to replace the motor, but also insulate the frame and the wheels. Look for Trix instead - Trix is Marklin´s DC brand. Fleischmann and Liliput (owned by Bachmann) is DC and you should be fine running it on your layout, providing it is not the old stuff with pizza cutter flanges and your rail is code 100.
Most of Europe is on 220V AC, but that does not matter at all. It´s the track power which counts, and that is 12 - 16V DC for Fleischmann and Liliput, as well as Trix.
Marklin HO is AC and uses a 3 rail system. The 3rd rail is a set of studs in the center of each tie. To use a Marklin HO locomotive on 2 rail DC requires rewiring and insulating/changing the drivers, pilot wheels, and trailing wheels along with the tender wheel sets. If the motor is not universal that will need changed also.
Other locomotives like Fleichman are not a problem. They run on DC 12 volts. The 220v vs 110v problem is handled by the power pack. I have a Fleischmann 220v power pack that works great here, but the output is 0-7v instead of 0-14v. You can buy a converter to change 110v to 220v, but it's usually not cheaper than just buying a 110v power pack.
Do be aware that older models may require code 100 track. I'm not sure about the current models.
Enjoy
Paul
Tom, Ulrich and Paul, thank you all so much. These are the things I suspected regarding Marklin; I wasn't sure on the other two. I will look at Trix.
So, if I understand correctly, Fleischman and Liliput will be fine- put it on the rails and run it? I do have code 100 track with a Troller Momentum 2.5 power pack, never using the momentum anyway, but IIRC it is 0-16vdc.
Older models with pizza-cutters were mentioned to avoid. Is this because they are poor runners or merely because of the flanges? I have old Rivarossi's and don't mind the PC's if that's it.
Thanks a bunch, and as always, happy RR'ing!
The only problem with over sized flanges (pizza cutters) is you'll need code 100 track. Otherwise they run fine. I have an old Rivarossi with them and it runs fine on code 100. On smaller rail you may get the flanges bumping on the spikes or ties. The larger flanges help keep it from derailing on tight curves.
James Sanchez