chronology of Marx couplers?

General over view, dates are approximate. Most all types had some minor variations through their life spans.

Joy Line, early type 1928-30, very thin enameled tin.
Joy Line, late type 1930-34, thicker tin, minor physical differences.
Marx, 1934-35, same as later type Joy Line.
Marx, 1936 to end of Marx, Tab & Slot riveted type, very few minor changes through the years.
Marx, 1938-41, One way auto coupler used on 8 wheel deluxe cars only. The male post was die cast, except stamped steel in 1941.
Marx, ???? -50, Sliding punched Tab & Slot for clockwork sets.
Marx, 1950-72, Sliding twisted Tab & Slot for clockwork sets.
Marx, 1941-53, Twist type metal auto coupler for 3/16 scale cars. From 1949 for a few years, some cars with taller type D trucks came with a short version of this coupler.
Marx, 1953 to end of Marx, Twist type Plastic auto couplers were used in tin 3/16 and plastic. These had an added slot that allowed Tab & Slot Couplers to be mixed with Auto Couplers
Marx, 1953 to end of production , then continued in Mexico, Plastic Dummy Knuckle Coupler.
Marx Trains, 1993 to end, Tab & Slot Coupler, nearly identical to the originals.
Marx Trains, 199? to end, Metal Twist Auto Coupler that was compatible to the originals, but incorporated the slot to allow connection with Tab & Slot units.

Steve

That's great info, thanks very much!

Ace
Your welcome, hope it is useful to others also.

Steve

You never know when some old info will be useful. I came upon some old Marx trains that I am considering keeping.  The only Marx set I have is my original M10000 red and silver that I had as a kid. now I have a Commodore Vanderbilt engine with a few cars and a NYC 999 engine with 5 cars.  The former has tab couplers and the latter has the slide couplers.   Just today I wanted to find out baout those couplers and presto!!!  here it is. Thanks. 

If your 999 tender has the twist coupler and want to make things more universal, go to http://www.trainpartsformarx.c...ingcart.htm#Couplers

and order part number 244 and swap out the rear coupler on the tender. This style twist coupler also has a slot in it and will accept cars with tab & slot couplers.

 

Steve

Thanks for that bit of info

thanks PaPa, it is!

I have a Marx 25000 train set and don't know the year. It has twist type auto couplers on two-axel trucks. I bought a 561A spotlight car 2 axel type with slotted couplers and I can't seem to get them to couple. Bringing up couplers makes me wonder the age of my 25000 set again!
Hope this helps stir up some answers about compatability and years made! Anybody have any good sites for picture examples of each?

I am not able to post pictures with my phone yet. It's a 999 engine in fair shape, motor probably needs work. A four axel tender in great shape. A T&P Gondola that some kid painted his initials on the bottom of but works fine! Then a NIACET tank car with all ladders and handrails, a slight cigarette burn to one side. Then some kid put a pencil mark number 5 on both sides (yard sale?) of a nicely taken care of Pacemaker NYC boxcar. Then a NYC 20102 caboose in great shape with ladders and stack. A crossing bell, gate, and yard spotlights that don't work yet. All in original box that is not taped or fixed in any way, with expected fading from storage through the years. I picked it up for 125 because I didn't want to see it fall into the wrong hands. It was my good friend's father's train set. No track by the way. I have other good stuff to, but that's what started it all!

It is real handy to take a Marx twist coupling coal tender and add a Lionel knuckle coupler on the other end of the truck.  This is easy to do if you get a Lionel knuckle coupling that is held on to the truck with four tabs that is easy to take off the Lionel truck and add to the Marx truck.

 

This allows one to use this coal tender to pull either Marx or Lionel coupler cars. 

 

An other way to do this is to pick out a Lionel car and swap out one truck with a Marx truck or vice versa.

 

Charlie

Charlie, the way I did that was add a Weaver #711 knuckle coupler to the Marx

truck...I showed that on here some few months ago with the Marx Mikado built

from a #1829 Hudson, with a Vanderbilt tender built from a 3/16 tank car. Revolve

the tender's rear truck and couple to Marx 3/16 tilt couplers or Lionel compatible

knuckles...