Hi Guys:
I’ve gained a lot of good information from this Forum over the years.
And, I hope you can help me this time.
I recently picked up a Marx model #21 Santa Fe Tinplate Diesel double A set. And, like all Marx’s, after a little oil, they run like a “house a’ fire”. But, it has NO couplers on it at all. Dosen’t even have a provision for couplers!!! The lead unit has a solid pilot and the trailing unit only has a very small round hole drilled in the pilot.
Do I NOT have a real trailing unit? And, can anyone tell me how the couplers are attached, so that maybe I can alter it myself. (I’m not even sure if it should be a ‘hook and slot’, a stamped steal ‘butterfly’, or a plastic ‘butterfly’?)
At any rate, any help would be greatly appreciated, and, thanks much.
(On a side note: I am now running a Lionel 221 with a Marx scale tinplate freight set, and the proportions are just great. The 221 always seemed too small, even with Lionels smallest rolling stock, and never looked “right” to me. Sure does now!!)
Hi. I’m not really sure what you have there, but if my memory serves me correctly, the twin-A Marx S. F.s were joined back-to-back by a tab-hook and slot-hook arrangement. One of the units had no coupler on the front. The trailing unit usually had a tilt-scissor type of coupler to hook up a passenger or freight consist. Basically, you could only have one engine configuration. You obviously would know if you had a power and a dummy unit, or two powered or two dummy units, by the weight or wiring of each. If you have an original double-A, it appears that somebody has been diddling around with the couplers.
Check the classifieds in CTT. The Robert Grossman Co supplies most if not all Marx parts. He also has a catalog which is well worth the cost as it has many illustrations in it. Unless my memory is totally gone you do indeed need a tilt coupler (what you call a butterfly) and spring for hooking up to your consist. One of your front trucks, preferably on the non-powered unit should have 2 pressed steel tabs hanging down from the pressed steel truck. These tabs will have a small hole in each and that is what your coupler fits into. As pointed out already your units themselves hook together with tab and slot couplers.
Ken