Let's see some complete vintage sets!

I believe your #526 Marx mechanical set would be from the early 1970's.  Not sure of the exact year that Marx began using that box, but I know it was used in 1972.  It was at the very end of 6" tin car production for Marx - their last mechanical sets switched to 4 wheel plastic cars with a similar #401 windup loco. 

WindupGuy posted:

I believe your #526 Marx mechanical set would be from the early 1970's.  Not sure of the exact year that Marx began using that box, but I know it was used in 1972.  It was at the very end of 6" tin car production for Marx - their last mechanical sets switched to 4 wheel plastic cars with a similar #401 windup loco. 

Would not have guessed '70s. Thank you for the insight!

This page from the 1972 Sears Christmas catalog shows the Marx #526 Mechanical set.  I got this set for Christmas in 1972, and it has the same box as yours.

I do like the Hafner mechanical trains... Especially that box art!

 

Not exactly a complete set... but a set nonetheless!

Here is a Marx 528 set (I don't know what the difference is with a 526 set) and a Gilbert American Flyer NYC Hudson set:

More and all kinds of vintage train-sets here: http://sncf231e.nl/presentation-of-boxed-train-sets/

Regards

Fred

Here's 2 of mine. The Sears set was my brothers who received it Christmas 1960. He passed away in Feb. 1961.

The other set is a Marx Battery operated set which I never ran when I got it in the 50s. Has original oval and 4 pieces of straight track also.

1954 set headed by 2065 steamer and coffin style caboose:

Some of you know the number for this set. I think it starts with WS.

Dad saved the trains, but no boxes or paperwork. Arnold

Here's  mine from about 1963 still proudly displayed in my office

Only one I have.

The Lionel set should be 1952.  The Marx set, I have no idea.

Bill DeBrooke posted:

The Lionel set should be 1952.  The Marx set, I have no idea.

Auto coupler sets were only made for a couple of years, so it’s going to be in the 1938-41 range.

Steve

Some of my O and HO...

My father's set.  I think the tanker was an add on item. 

More Lionel postwar please, and THANKS!  ☺

Cool thread idea!  I have nothing to contribute so I'll be lurking! 

My originals are all incomplete. I could assemble 3-5 I don't have a list A really miss the postwar sets by year site. Anyone know what happened or who owned it etc.? It vanished after the new postwar sets site showed and the new one is incomplete and hard to use compared to the list by year site. Gone about a year, two tops, but some months it was gone as well. My device doesn't work on the wayback machine archive or I'd do a file assembly in word or PDF.

I posted these images in another thread back in July and ADRIATIC gave me some information about it.  

This item and the story is about as vintage as I can get. 

I found this in the attic rafters of my grandmother's home in Baltimore when helping to clean it sometime in 1979.  My Aunt told me it was to be a Christmas present for my father and it was forgotten about or hidden too well.  

sncf231e posted:

Here is a Marx 528 set (I don't know what the difference is with a 526 set) and a Gilbert American Flyer NYC Hudson set:

Fred

Fred, that #528 Marx Mechanical set is interesting.  The only difference I can spot between your #528 set and my #526 set is that you locomotive has the cover over the bottom of the motor.  For most of the years of production of the 401 mechanical, the motor was open on the bottom.  I know for a fact that the #526 set sold up to 1972 didn't have the cover on the bottom of the locomotive.  The later #530 sets (with 4 wheel plastic cars and plastic track) include a 401 locomotive that has the motor cover, but is made of a gray colored plastic instead of the black plastic typically seen in the earlier 401's.  

I have quite a few 401's - I believe I have all the variations - and I do have one that appears to be completely original with a black plastic body and motor cover.  I've always left it as-is, and now I'm glad that I did.  I'll be on the lookout for a #528 set for my collection - thanks for sharing the video.

Here is a #530 set from my collection, circa 1975ish.  Note that the cover shows the set with a 401, tender, yellow SCL gondola and red Santa Fe caboose - that is how most of them came.  However, a few have surfaced like this one that include the green Erie flatcar instead.  Marx has a lot of fun variations to collect!

My all-time favorite - I didn't receive it in 1953 like I had originally wished for. But, finally fulfilled that wish many years later.

Jim