@Don McErlean posted:@Bill Swatos thanks for the kind words on my pre-war caboose discussion. Patrick and Sitka - neat pictures as always, thanks for posting.
My contribution today stems from a day when Marx, always the business man, continued to explore how to bring electric trains to the most financially challenged component of his customer base. He hit upon the idea of designing a line of trains which he could sell without undermining his normal line. Note - Lionel did this with the "Winner" line trains pre war as did American Flyer with their "Hummer" line. So in about 1950-51 Marx brings forward his line of "Marlines" trains. Basic plastic freight cars and a 400 type plastic boiler steam locomotive. No railroad livery or names just a generic "Marlines" lettering. So here is a look at that line of trains.
Here is the T.E.T. view of the train, the "Marlines" red caboose.
Here is the whole train showing the tender, gondola, and caboose. Marx also did make a "Marlines" boxcar, which was a simple 4 wheel shell with non-opening doors - similar to the "lightweight" cars in the regular line. It came in red, yellow, and blue and I cannot find any of them!! But I keep looking.
Happy Tuesday everyone.
Don
Don, I meant to compliment you on your "Marlines" set last week. It's amazing you have this set in this condition. I believe these were molded in straight polystyrene and so were very brittle resulting in very few surviving in ANY condition, let alone fully intact like yours. Thanks for sharing the history AND photos of this unique set with us. I hope you find that boxcar. You can show it off on Boxcar Sunday!
