Any problems mixing Lionel 027 freight cars with K-Line or Marx freight cars?

@Mannyrock posted:

Just wondering if they use the same size couplers etc. and can easily join up.

Yes, pretty much any Lionel, K-Line, MTH, and/or Atlas coupler systems will work together. I have no knowledge of the Marx line.

Thanks,

Mannyrock

 

No problem with Kline, I'm not familiar with Marx

The couplers on the Marx trains I had as a kid are not compatible with Lionel. 

Marx had their own coupler, non-knuckle type, so those won't mate up. Marx molds that have made their way into other manufacturers' lines in modern times have "normal" toy train knuckle couplers though.

Marx uses a spade tilting coupler.  No problem if you make one car with a Marx coupling on one end and Lionel knuckle coupling on the other end.  Some times you can take a old Lionel coupling that has taps on both ends of the base and add it to a Marx coupling so the Marx truck will have a Marx on one and Lionel on the other.

PS An excellent place to use a truck with a Marx coupling on one end and a Lionel coupling on the other is on a coal tender.  This way you will not have to add the same possibly extra rail car with a Marx and Lionel coupling in every train you run.

I run mixed Marx and Lionel trains all the time

Charlie

Excellent answers.  Thanks!

Mannyrock

There is a Marx dummy knuckle couple, it's later. Mexican Marlines for sure, but I think it was in the US first.  You'll see the design on some bat. op toys today.

It doesn't couple reliably, but Ive melted and and extended the knuckle to work on the toys.  Not real pretty, but works.  The method needs more technique to be "easy". A few have melted beyond saving. But not too hard.

Kusan 60s plastic dummy couplers almost fit well, but also have a different pocket/knuckle shape. An o ring slipped over the knuckle to make the pocket tighter and Kusan/lionel work. (these may go back to Auburn/kmt too..?)

Scale City makes a non-scale but smaller and more prototypical looking dummy coupler that mates to Lionel Lobsterclaws very well. (low$too)

Swaping in Lionel trucks on scale Marx and American Flyer cars gives a decent size match if used with many of the Lionel 0-27 cars.  (you kinda want to swap on the scale passenger cars. Shoe drag for the lights along with blunt axles and many with just tinplate wheels, limits how many even a good puller can manage.  More than 3-4 cars and you'll want to upgrade the trucks even with a med-lrg Lionel PW pulling imo.

Thanks Adriatic.

You always go the distance!

Mannyrock

For my Marx #1829 "Hudson", bashed into a Mikado, l found its rear tender truck would accept a Weaver lobster claw on the inside, so simply turning the rear tender truck 180 degrees allows for whichever couplered car string l want to run, Marx tilt fork, or operating knuckle coupler.

@Mannyrock posted:

Thanks Adriatic.

You always go the distance!

Mannyrock

..and sometimes I keep going right off the edge too.     (I can be steered a little )

I had a postwar plate style Lionel- coupler hanging on it's slighted modded axle tabs, off Marx truck axles, for a tilt&lobster "Janus".  The extra drag on the axles was noticable and I swapped in a Lionel Fast angle truck for a transition car used to pull Marx behind Lobsters.  (a transition car has a different coupler on each end for cross brand runs)

And because they are a "thing" now, Menards couplers sometimes need some filing in the pocket and knuckle to slip over some Lionels at all. (but for the price per car, "where is my rattail file".)  Even if it fits at first, the coupled angle will bind early unless you trim.

The metal ones need some massaging too, but less and in different spots.

(they really aren't rated for 0-27 but this helps that bigger angle too. Steps in the way of swinging become an issue for some at that point)

All of Lionels lobsterclaws do not engage well with each other either.

There have been some slightly bigger and some slightly smaller over the decades. Most do though, so it's normally just a matter of changing car order around when it happens. 

The worst offenders are the early cast metal vs later larger plastic ones.

Cast metal Lionel dummies solidly mounted on a pilot are even smaller yet.  The Scale City dummy mentioned fits both, but they dont fit eachother.

Here a some pictures of Marx with Lionel couplings on same truck and same engine.

Marx coal tender and Marx truck with a Lionel coupling added.

Bottom view of Marx truck and coupling with Lionel coupling added.  Lionel coupling from older Lionel car with non fast angle wheels and coupling is just held on to the two axles with four bendable tabs, a real easy job.

Picture of small Marx coal tender with Marx coupling showing

Picture of Marx coal tender with Lionel coupling showing

Picture of Marx 1998 with cut down Lionel body, Marx coupling on front end

Marx 1998 with Lionel coupling on back end

Charlie

Fantastic Charlie. Thanks for sharing this great, but simple, idea