# Marx Reverse - unit pictorial



## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

This unit is intended to switch some signal bridge lights. Testing revealed an occasional sticking so this is the perfect opportunity for a teachable moment (my whole life is a teachable moment).

I started with this:









All off the 'clipped' leads were removed and the black wire on the right was desoldered at the copper bus bar.









I didn't actually find this clamp necessary, but this illustrates how you can limit movement if you're afraid of spreading the coil frame too far.









Here are the upper and lower assemblies separated with the solenoid armature.









The lower contact assembly halves separated.









Individual parts are cleaned with a scotchbrite pad (gently) as usual.
Particularly this sticking armature.









Opposite side of switch rocker.









Reassembled:









Complete:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It looks brand new.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

There was some minor electrical 'burn' on the contacts, and you can see the cut leads in the first photo but I thoroughly expected more 'crud' either on the solenoid armature or in the coil 'hole'.

Everything was lightly buffed with a scotch brite before the photos. My main purpose in posting was showing the ease of dis assembly and the innards. If I can do it anybody can.

Someone once wrote how much more efficient these units were than Lionel E-units, but my experience shows them sticking and being cantakerous far more often.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Nice pictorial, i never taken one apart! Marx stuff sometimes gets overshadowed by Lionel. I still like the simplicity of there stuff.


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## BWA (Jun 16, 2012)

I find, once properly serviced (read hosed down with brake/contact cleaner to get all the gummed up oil and or WD40 out of them), they all seem to work fairly reliably.

I have a mix of Lionel, Marx, American Flyer, and, they all seem to work about the same.

And, yes, definitely nice pics.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Cool.......teach. Good tutorial.:thumbsup:
I never fooled with one.
*T-Man *you should add this in your locked sticky O thread, in the E unit section?

I like the old vintage clamp, would that be classified as a type of scissor clamp?
I searched around and could not find anything that looked like it.
What year is it and who made it? I never saw one like that.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

big ed said:


> I like the old vintage clamp, would that be classified as a type of scissor clamp?
> I searched around and could not find anything that looked like it.
> What year is it and who made it? I never saw one like that.


Scissor clamp sounds reasonable, Can't remember where that particular clamp came from, but get yours here::smokin:

Heavy Duty Mighty Clamp, 2 Inch Capacity


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Thanks, I guess it would be a type of C clamp then.
Yours looks old. 50's early 60's?

I can't find any that looks like them in all my searches.
Does it have any markings on it?
Are they wood blocks down where it clamps or metal (the jaws)?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

I have added a graphic here to show the electrical connections in the reverse unit for those of you who are unfamiliar with it. Note that the connections will change when the center rocker moves to the left. There are only two positions.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hey Bob,

AWESOME pic / tutorial thread. I LOVE stuff like this. Nicely done ... a benefit to all Marx enthusiasts. (And even Lionel old-f*rts like me!)

I added a link to this thread to the O Information by Subject sticky thread.

TJ


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## jimtone (Nov 11, 2014)

Did all Marx train motors have the E-unit for dual direction or did some less expensive motors only have forward? I just pulled out 2 plastic shell Marx locamotives to clean and one is model #400 locamotive and the other is #490. These numbers are on the outer shell and the 400 goes forward and reverse while the 490 only travels forward??


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Tman did a post on the 490 here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=1198

Apparently it did not have a reverse function.


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## Dave Farquhar (Feb 20, 2013)

Some 490s could reverse and some couldn't. If I recall correctly, if the motor is held in with screws, it can reverse, and if it's held in with tabs and slots, it doesn't reverse. Neither variant is rare.

Even in the days before the 490, Marx would make non-reversing locomotives for low-end sets that sold for around $100 in today's dollars. They would omit the reverse unit and/or the headlight in order to meet the price point the retailer wanted.


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## jimtone (Nov 11, 2014)

*Marx 400 & 490*

I've been shopping on line and found that some of the 400s have the single gear drive assy. like the 490s but some 400s have the same drive as 666 & 1666 with double gears on the backside. I've also noticed that both models can come with an E-Unit even though my 490 doesn't have one. The E-Unit on my 400 has the light screw mount on the E-Unit like my 1666.


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## 4G-Man (Jan 2, 2014)

This is a good Thread; nice clear pictures.


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