Marx 198 lovomotive.

here is a 198 with an electric motor...

it has a DC motor meant to run on battery power.  i believe this set was brought out by Marx to directly compete with a similar set made by Schilling (Canada).

i'm going to say offhand that the #198 shell looks like it will probably hold any standard form Marx motor which might include a double reduction (say from a #666 locomotive).  i know i have a black version, too, but i believe that one is a clockwork.

a fun little locomotive easy to recognize with MARLINES embossed below the running boards and yes, it's all plastic aside from a metal headlight bezel.

cheers...gary

I'll add just a couple of things about the neat little Marx #198 locomotives.  I'm more familiar with the windup versions, and since they are more plentiful - and cheaper - one of them might be your best bet for an electric conversion.

The 198 came in what I would call an early version and a late version.  The example that Gary posted (beautiful set, by the way) is the early version.  Marx reintroduced the 198 in the clockwork version in the early 60's.  This version came in black, and used either the sparking windup ratchet motor or the riser gear windup motor.  In order to clear the riser gear motor, this later version of the 198 has a hump cast into the shell between the two domes.  The late version is the most common, and can be found with the keyhole on the right (for the sparking ratchet motor) or on the left (for the riser gear motor).  One quirk of these windup versions is that the clearance in the body is tight, and the mainspring tends to put a lot of pressure on the body as it unwinds.  Consequently, it is common for the metal cab floor / rear motor mount to be loose or missing due to the plastic retaining studs getting broken off due to the pressure from the mainspring.  These can be repaired by either remelting the plastic studs, or - if there isn't enough length left on the studs - drilling a small hole in the center and using a small sheet metal screw to hold the floor in place.

Anyway, I would suspect the easiest and most economical thing to do would be to install a DR electric motor in the late version windup shell, assuming the brake lever slot and keyhole don't bother you too much.  Of course, they could always be filled in and the body painted.  The early electric version of the 198 seem to be much harder to find.

Hope that helps!

This topic is very interesting to me, as I too think the 198 is a real fun little loco.  I have two examples, a windup and one I converted to electric.  Both had the floor situation described by WindupGuy, and I always wondered why.

Pictured is the one fitted with a double reduction motor from, I think, a 597 type loco.  I added weight to it to equal a 1666, and it is quite a puller.  I also shortened the plastic headlight and installed the pilot from 597.  The holes (on the engineer's side) were covered over inside with duct tape to hold the putty, then filled as mentioned.  I was not able to get the finish quite perfect because of interference by molded details.

This Marx #198 is a new one to me. Marx certainly had a diversity of different items!

The issue with putting an electric motor in one of these is that it's likely to stall on typical Lionel switches. There are only four wheels grounding to the rails and four-wheel locos don't always have all fours square on the rails. Then you get onto plastic switch frogs or switch points and it tends to stall, especially if wheels and rails aren't all perfectly clean - even if there isn't an issue with the center-rail pickup spacing.

On one of my Marx 0-4-0 locos (#490 ?) I soldered a ground wire to the drawbar, and another wire from the tender drawbar to the tender axles (tender with faux trucks). That helps it get across switches because it has additional electrical connections to the running rails through the tender wheels.

Thanks, folks.  That settled my decision.

That little sunnagun just begs to be a switcher and looks like a simple bash to make it work.

Even if I can't get it to run it wll look great sitting on a siding.

Make sure you share some pictures of your project with us... I always like to see Marx projects!

double that. and for my Marx I have a loop with Marx switches, and Lionel 1024s and 1121s.

That's the way to do it.  Ever use the Marx 034 switches?

I'm not a fan of the O34 switches, or the comparable plastic O27 version.  Trains tend to derail at the frog on facing point moves.  The older Marx metal switches work great, but were only made in O27 diameter.

That's just about the cutest little thing Ive ever seen!!

no I haven't, using 608/609 and 1588/1589s