OK weekend tinplater's here is my contribution for this weekend. While not nearly so rare as some pictured above, I find these little 6" Marx cars to be FUN to collect. Here is a pair of early ones and the Hiteshew CD lists them as quite scarce (S6 and S5). I agree with Hiteshew, it is difficult to call almost anything of Marx as "rare" as he made large production runs of most items. These two cars are more scarce really due to their short production runs rather than anything else.
The first is a red-frame 556 caboose from 1936-37. The dating comes from a combination of clues, mostly the red/cream frame, early frame type, eyelet rivet couplers, and the "squat / heavy lettering of the "556" in a black lithographed rectangle. The end has a raised panel litho door and 2 "porthole" windows each side of the door.
The bottom car is quite scarce (for Marx) and is listed as an S6. It only had one year of production 1938. It has a sliding door and white lettering and logo for the CNW and its famous streamliners, the "400". Early frame type, eyelet t/s couplers and a unique color scheme provide clues to the production date. According to Hiteshew this car came in 3 basic color schemes , yellow/white lettering, brown/white lettering, and this one, orange / white lettering. He lists the yellow variant as slightly more scarce with the orange in the middle. Why did Marx made such an elaborate litho scheme in 3 basic colors for only 1 year? I guess that will remain a mystery - at least to me for now.
Enjoy the weekend everyone
Don McErlean
