Any Information on running Bing/Marklin Low voltage Locomotives?

Fred or Daniel should chime in here. Mr. Butler is also quite knowledgeable about early Euro tinplate. That battery is some kind of relic!

Thanks for that! If I come up cold here I will try to message them directly
My loco is going to arrive in two days (yay)
So I have about until then

Over here in the UK, lab type, switched mode bench top power supplies are popular, models commonly used have an output of 0 to 30 volts, 0 to 5 amps. It's what I use to run a wide variety of vintage locos, from a Bing 4 volt Midland Railway "Spinner" through to a Lionel 402E, via a wide variety of gauge O and 1. The thing to watch with a 4 volt motor, is whether the magnet is any good, most are not, and you will notice the motor is drawing an excessive amount of amps. A good one should need no more than 1.5 amps tops, usually less, a poor one will draw over 2 amps, and will rapidly cook the armature windings.

Cheers, Mark.

Will there be any way to re-magnetize it, or will I have to just replace the magnet altogether?

Jameco Electronics out of California has a nice selection of DC lab switchable mode power supplies. I use a Velleman 0-30 volt, 0-3 amp unit purchased from them for operating my LGB locos. Good service and excellent packing and shipping. Recommended!

Berkshire posted:

Will there be any way to re-magnetize it, or will I have to just replace the magnet altogether?

I know of one guy in the whole world, who can replace dud magnets in vintage locos. His name is Allister Hughes, and he is located here in the UK.  Most old magnets don't hold their magnetism very well, genuinely permanent magnets were a fringe benefit of WW2.

Cheers, Mark.

I run Vintage Marklin, Bassett-Lowke, and modern Darstead 20V DC with an MRC Control master transformer. 17VA total output. works great for that Application.

I agree: The MRC Controlmaster 20 is a truly excellent DC power supply with a nearly flatline output. I owned one during my second incursion into LGB, and it was a reliable performer.