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Reply to "Marx o gauge William Crooks"

Originally Posted by matt b:

My favorite Marx engine, maybe even most favorite of all.   Here are three pix,   the first pic is the best one I have found, the second pic shows a second issue next to the first issue.  No wire hand rails, shorter smoke stack and no metal whistle or trim on top of the boiler.  The third pic shows one that I am rebuilding by replacing the cab, adding the hand rails and eventually giving it a coat of red paint.  

 

The cabs are pretty brittle and it is hard to find a nice engine with an unbroken cab.   The stanchions the hand rails set on are also delicate and usually one or more or broken.  

 

These engines and sets do show up on Ebay and there have been a few  in the last year that were pretty good.  More common is an engine with something busted and parts missing.    Start watching Ebay you will see all examples.  They are not only known as "William Crookes", but also as "Tales of Wells Fargo".   Marx released a complete playset with tin western town, cowboy and indian figures, including Jim Hardie and the Wm Crookes train.   The complete playset is really rare and expensive.  It is more common to find bits and pieces.

The Sears Pioneer Express and the Marx # 15640 Rocky Mountain Express used a third style Crooks engine, much like the all black unit you have pictured but without the front 4-wheel trucks. Interestingly, most of the #15630 Rocky Mountain Express sets I have seen had the Crooks engine with the front truck.

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  • sears pioneer express set
  • 15640 rocky mt express set
  • 15630 rocky mt set

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800-980-OGRR (6477)
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