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Plastimarx was a Mexican wing of Lois Marx. When Marx retired and sold the company Quaker Oats in 1972, a few divisions including Plastimarx were not part of the sale. I don't know when Plastimarx ceased, but it was long after the demise of the Quaker Oats fiasco. Many of Marx toys and cheaper trains were produced in Mexico, mostly battery and clockwork, but some electric trains were made. A lot of the mexican train production is based on Hafner/Wyandot which Marx had bought. Most of the Plastimarx was 4 wheel plastic which I do not collect, so there is a ton more out there. Here are some photo's of my small collection of Plastimarx trains. What do you have? Share some pictures.

This set is based on the Marx 7" tin cars with the same road names as the American versions, but there is a Plastimarx logo on the ends. The loco is derived from the cast 999. In this case, the tender was missing, so I made on from a NKP tender.

Plastimarx 7 inch Freight Set

This loco is based on a Marx 591 and the tender is Hafner based.

Plastimarx 591

These freights are all Hafner based.

Plastimarx Freights

Probably the hardest to find. The engine is numbered 666, but is obviously a 999 casting. These passenger cars were not made as US Marx versions, anly Mexican that I am aware of.

Plastimarx NYC Passenger Set

This is a plastic boxed set. The cars are based on the US 4 wheel plastic and the loco is a plastic version of the 999. The molds did not take plastic well so the quality is quite poor.

Plastimarx plastic 999 set 1Plastimarx plastic 999 set 2Plastimarx plastic 999 set 3

This is a Mexican version of the common Marx tunnel.

1428 b1428 c1428 d1428 e1428 f

Attachments

Images (12)
  • Plastimarx 7 inch Freight Set
  • Plastimarx 591
  • Plastimarx Freights
  • Plastimarx NYC Passenger Set
  • Plastimarx plastic 999 set 1
  • Plastimarx plastic 999 set 2
  • Plastimarx plastic 999 set 3
  • 1428 b
  • 1428 c
  • 1428 d
  • 1428 e
  • 1428 f
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Very nice and interesting.  I am tracking down bits of Plastimarx history and I note that some employees of Plastimarx claim they WERE a subsidiary of Quaker Oats.  This makes sense because in the days before NAFTA (1994) Mexican production was indeed made in Mexico and Plastimarx manufactured Fisher Price toys.  Note that FP was also a subsidiary of Quaker Oats.  I can only offer 'internet' proof, so additional confirmation would be useful.  Quote from a 1996 News Article:

  http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgu...85-new-trade-office/

"My commitment is only from Arizona to Mexico, not the other way around,” said Barreiro, who has worked for Plastimarx, a subsidiary of Quaker Oats Co....

-Digging a bit more, we find that Diaz Barreiro was listed as a licensee of Marx at a plant in Mexico City from 1952 -1957.  According to the news report, 1958 (late 1957) would be the incorporation and registration of Plastimarx.  Around that time Plastimarx (with some Marx Ownership) began making toys for Fisher Price for pre-NAFTA sale in Mexico.  The Fisher Price transaction appears to be the catalyst for the formation of Plastimarx.  Louis Marx's ownership in Plastimarx  was sold to Quaker Oats, according to Barreiro.  Note that at the time, Quaker Oats owned Fisher Price, so the addition of Plastimarx was a good fit.  Quaker became disillusioned with the toy business, stopped making trains in 1974, closed Erie and Girard in 1975 and sold Marx to Dunbee-Combex-Marx in April 1976.  I assume the Plastmarx ownership interest went with the sale, because 1979 is the last year of registration and Dunbee-Combex-Marx  files for bankruptcy in early 1980, closing the last plant at Glendale.

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Images (2)
  • plastimarx-jugetes-logo-52-57: Diaz Barreiro operates as a licensee 1952 - 1957
  • plastimarx-logo: Diaz Barreiro operates Plastimarx 1957 - 1979

  Can someone grab an overhead shot of the plastic couplers? And maybe a close shot of wheels/axles?

   I have a couple of small plastic cars, with plastic wheels and couplers I have never been able to ID. I recognise my couplers as something older and cheaper but cant recall who made them. The wheel sets are nearly too narrow to be O. They barely stay on the track. I was really surprised the actually worked. Wide treads though so they do. 

  I cant post pictures right now, not enough charge to unplug  Boy I miss  real computers  I only bought into the phone bit because so many folk claimed it was nearly a godsend... Now I don't think they had enough experience to know the difference 

Chuck Gayle posted:

Jim, that observation car is more likely a US-made Marx prototype or preproduction sample... note the unpainted truck facades & windows and the Marx logo at the rear. Plastimarx had a different logo. Marx also made a coach. Both are considered quite rare.

Papa has a set with these NYC pass cars. Not sure if he said it was Quaker Oats or Plastimarx.

Jim O'C posted:
Chuck Gayle posted:

Jim, that observation car is more likely a US-made Marx prototype or preproduction sample... note the unpainted truck facades & windows and the Marx logo at the rear. Plastimarx had a different logo. Marx also made a coach. Both are considered quite rare.

Papa has a set with these NYC pass cars. Not sure if he said it was Quaker Oats or Plastimarx.

My set has tab couplers and is clearly Mexican Marx. That car has plastic couplers and clearly has a US Marx logo. I did not know it existed until a few days ago. Marx, you just never know.

Steve

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:
Jim O'C posted:
Chuck Gayle posted:

Jim, that observation car is more likely a US-made Marx prototype or preproduction sample... note the unpainted truck facades & windows and the Marx logo at the rear. Plastimarx had a different logo. Marx also made a coach. Both are considered quite rare.

Papa has a set with these NYC pass cars. Not sure if he said it was Quaker Oats or Plastimarx.

My set has tab couplers and is clearly Mexican Marx. That car has plastic couplers and clearly has a US Marx logo. I did not know it existed until a few days ago. Marx, you just never know.

Steve

looks similar to the 5107 set but with plastic couplers and unpainted windows.

5107 passenger set not mexico

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Images (1)
  • 5107 passenger set not mexico
Last edited by Jim O'C

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