@Don McErlean posted:Donnie Kennedy : The plastic cars with non-operating doors but two 8 wheel trucks are often labeled "medium" cars or just "plastic 8 wheel cars" to distinguish them from "deluxe" 8 wheel cars which have additional features, like opening doors. They were made from the middle 1950's until the very end of Marx in the 1970's. By the end, they were often considered the top line available and sold in the best sets.
Based on the information I have, since you asked when they were made, here are the dates.
Green GN box - 1961-1975
B&0 Box (red) - This car was made from 1958-1973 and the red was first, followed by a blue and finally an orange. The livery and printing are all the same, just the difference in the body color. There are overlaps in dates as always with Marx
Santa Fe stock car (brown) and Santa Fe stock car (yellow) - The brown was made first beginning around 1955 and is the most common. The yellow is a later version, much less common, and dates likely from the mid 60's to 70's (I don't have definitive data). The brown version continued to be made from 1955 for a considerable period while the yellow version was also made with "scale" trucks as was the orange version of the B&O boxcar and offered in the scale line of cars (O gauge but closer to S scale) this line started before the war but was halted in 1942 and was most prolific in about 1948. It did not continue much into 1950's.
Anyway that's the best information I have...great cars and great fun trains.
Best Wishes
Don
Thank you for the great information! I m really enjoying the history and the running my Marx! Recently redid the smoke unit on my 666 and that thing smokes awesome with Mega steam! Very fun and therapeutic to work on these
