Marx Train pictures

@laming posted:

Dadgum! That's an example of the very set I asked for back during Christmas of '62!

I should'a bought that set before you snapped it up.

I noticed Item #393954956070 earlier tonight, Andre.  Take a look.

@palallin posted:

I noticed Item #393954956070 earlier tonight, Andre.  Take a look.

That's it.

Steve

Ok Marx H0 experts. The box said 9947, then changed to 9949. Only 9947 is in the set book, but 9949 is in the 1963 wish book. The set book says a 39035 orange bay window caboose. This number nor color is not listed in the price guides. Thoughts?

Steve

Marx H0 set 9959, 1960.

Steve

Marx H0 set 9966, 1960.

Steve

Steve:  In regards to the 9947 vs 9949 as I am sure you know, Marx along with Lionel in the era of the 60's as the toy train market was headed downhill was very "fast and loose" with the official contents of sets.  My thoughts are that Marx especially with a customer so valuable as Sears, simply substituted a different caboose than was the "official" set listing.  Now why?  Well it could be to make the Sears set different than a standard catalogued set, the fact that the original caboose listed was now out of inventory or was perhaps even never made, or the Sears agent just liked red cabooses vice orange.    Once that substitution was made they simply altered the number for their records but did not go to the expense of re-printing the box simply noted the change with a handwritten alteration.  Likely this would be done by the factory as the set was shipped to Sears.  OBTW I noted that not only was the 9949 completely re-written but someone with the same marker also attempted to simply change the "7" to  "9" on the box.

Great sets, I had no idea Marx had produced so many HO sets of such variations.  Thank you for posting.

Best Wishes

Don

@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

That's it.

Steve

Wow. IMHO you got it at a great price. Now I'm REALLY kickin' myself!! 

EDIT: Just noticed your set has what I would consider impossible to find rubber tracks on the dozers!!

Andre "Snoozer Loser" Ming

Steve "Papa"...

Check your email.

Displayed and ran some of my Marx H0 at todays TTOS meet.

Steve

My $5.00 purchase at Sunday’s TTOS meet. Needed some good cleaning and oil.

Steve

Steve:  What a Deal!! looks neat and really runs smooth now.

Don

First repaint to an old 999 Marx. Runs really well too!   

@Donnie Kennedy - That 999 really looks sharp.  I like the copper hand rails as well.  Those 999's are great engines and seem like with a little maintenance will run forever.

Best wishes, thanks for posting

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@Donnie Kennedy - That 999 really looks sharp.  I like the copper hand rails as well.  Those 999's are great engines and seem like with a little maintenance will run forever.

Best wishes, thanks for posting

Don

Thank you! I made the copper rails myself ,as well as the pins holding the rails. I keep going back and tweaking them. Just did the tender. I'll do some more tweaking

Subtle differences. Marx used Matchbox 18A dozers with the green treads on the H0 flatcar. The one on the left has drivers, although decapitated, and repro treads I just installed. The one on the right has no drivers and the treads are originals. Have 3 more to add repro treads on.

Steve

The Marx 3015 Montgomery Wards' set is one of the most impressive postwar trains sets.  Pictures from the Montgomery Wards Christmas catalog

I was fortunate enough to buy a Marx 3015 at York on Saturday afternoon as it was almost ready to be packed up.  At first I thought it as several Marx building sets in a beat up box.  Then I found out what it was and purchased it.  The person I purchased it from said he bought from a family who set it up at most for 2 Christmases.  All the boxes are there and the building are unassembled.

The switches are still in their boxes.  It is great to go to York and find things you haven't seen before.

Carl- WHAT A FANTASTIC SET!! This has to be one of the largest and most complete sets Marx ever produced.  What a find to discover it in the condition that you showed and with all the boxes...unbelievable   I looked it up in my reference book on Montgomery Wards Christmas catalogs ("The Toy Train Department" by Thomas Holland) and found it illustrated with the picture you included in your post, a sort of black, white, and grey illustration of the set's contents.  The advertisement has the notation..."Exclusive at Wards- our greatest value ever in an electric train set--over 170 pieces".  The price in 1952 was $36.95. Fantastic- thanks so much for posting.  I will tell you however that iaw my inflation calculator $37 in 1952 would equal $396.13 today ! So you can tell why that family that owned it took such good care of it...it was an expensive toy when they bought it in 1952.  Anyway thank you for posting, I seriously doubt I would have seen such a set otherwise.

Best Wishes

Don

For whatever the Marx logic was, the H0 GP-7’s were UP colors, but were marked for AT&ST. I decided to re-mark one of mine for UP.

Steve

At the Great Train Show a couple of weeks ago I found another H0 Marx powered Flyer Santa Fe diesel. Now have powered A-A’s to pull lots of Marx Santa Fe freights.

Steve

Next on the fixitlist. H0 Hudson time.

Steve

I'm not sure those will fit on the track tomorrow though...

Marx H0 set 9987. Has the searchlight car and electronic dump log car. It is missing the logs, but I have a set of repro’s

Well Marx fans, Steve Eastman has opened the door on Marx HO...I thought about maybe following suit and acquiring some HO but soon realized I would have no place to put it and my skills as a repair man are not nearly as good as Steve's so getting things running might be an issue... SO... I am going back to Marx O gauge.  Steve pointed out in his post of 4/8 the Marx "searchlight" car.  So I am going to add on to that with a couple of my O gauge searchlight cars.  These are all part of what collectors call the Marx "Deluxe" series of cars, although it is doubtful Marx ever classified them that way specifically although some Marx advertising did use the word "deluxe".  However these were the Marx top of the line freight cars, typically about 8 1/2 " long and 2" wide with a lot of operating parts.  They were available in Marx's best sets for such outlets as Sears and Wards and were also sold separately.  They were available from about 1955 through the mid-1960's although some made it all the way to the early 1970's when Quaker Oats took over the Marx train line.

First up is the Marx "B.K.X." 4581 depressed center flatcar with a searchlight on each end and a grey generator in the center.  This one has what Greenberg calls Type G trucks ( sheet metal stamped truck facade) and tilt automatic couplers.  Since Type G trucks are usually found on the earliest of the Deluxe cars, this car is likely from the 1952 -54 time period although dating via the trucks is not fully accurate as some Type G cars were available into the 1970's.

Next is what I think is the most elaborate of the searchlight cars.  The Marx #4583 "G.E.X." rotating searchlight car from 1955.  It was catalog # 05583 in the 1955 catalog.  It has the extra heavy deck and a generator on one end and a wire reel on the other.  The stem holding the searchlight is geared to a vertical drive shaft and which is then connected to a power take off gear from the truck axle so as to rotate as the car moves along the track.  The power that drives the rotation is all mechanical with the truck axle providing the rotating power via the gear train underneath.  This version has Type F trucks, with the plastic detailed truck facade and tilt automatic couplers.

A top view showing the relationship between the generator, searchlight housing, tool box and wire reel.

The generator end showing the detail cast into the generator engine.  Note this car also came with a black generator.

The tool box and simulated wire reel end.

Now, to all my more knowledgeable railroad folks out on the forum, I have no idea what "B.K.X." and "G.E.X." actually stand for and no where in my Marx references are those initials explained.  So if you have an idea please post it ...Thank you!

Best wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Well Marx fans, Steve Eastman has opened the door on Marx HO...I thought about maybe following suit and acquiring some HO but soon realized I would have no place to put it and my skills as a repair man are not nearly as good as Steve's so getting things running might be an issue... SO... I am going back to Marx O gauge.  Steve pointed out in his post of 4/8 the Marx "searchlight" car.  So I am going to add on to that with a couple of my O gauge searchlight cars.  These are all part of what collectors call the Marx "Deluxe" series of cars, although it is doubtful Marx ever classified them that way specifically although some Marx advertising did use the word "deluxe".  However these were the Marx top of the line freight cars, typically about 8 1/2 " long and 2" wide with a lot of operating parts.  They were available in Marx's best sets for such outlets as Sears and Wards and were also sold separately.  They were available from about 1955 through the mid-1960's although some made it all the way to the early 1970's when Quaker Oats took over the Marx train line.

First up is the Marx "B.K.X." 4581 depressed center flatcar with a searchlight on each end and a grey generator in the center.  This one has what Greenberg calls Type G trucks ( sheet metal stamped truck facade) and tilt automatic couplers.  Since Type G trucks are usually found on the earliest of the Deluxe cars, this car is likely from the 1952 -54 time period although dating via the trucks is not fully accurate as some Type G cars were available into the 1970's.

Next is what I think is the most elaborate of the searchlight cars.  The Marx #4583 "G.E.X." rotating searchlight car from 1955.  It was catalog # 05583 in the 1955 catalog.  It has the extra heavy deck and a generator on one end and a wire reel on the other.  The stem holding the searchlight is geared to a vertical drive shaft and which is then connected to a power take off gear from the truck axle so as to rotate as the car moves along the track.  The power that drives the rotation is all mechanical with the truck axle providing the rotating power via the gear train underneath.  This version has Type F trucks, with the plastic detailed truck facade and tilt automatic couplers.

A top view showing the relationship between the generator, searchlight housing, tool box and wire reel.

The generator end showing the detail cast into the generator engine.  Note this car also came with a black generator.

The tool box and simulated wire reel end.

Now, to all my more knowledgeable railroad folks out on the forum, I have no idea what "B.K.X." and "G.E.X." actually stand for and no where in my Marx references are those initials explained.  So if you have an idea please post it ...Thank you!

Best wishes

Don

Just forward that H0 to me and I’ll bring most of it back to life.

Steve

Steve...WHAT A DEAL!  Thanks for the comment.

Don

Don, I keep an eye out for floodlight cars. I need to find one for my tossed-salad work train, but I don't want one like the one I already have in my 999 set.  Both of the cars you have come up for sale but usually for more than I want to pay, especially the rotating one.  (Call me cheap, I don't care )  You found some spiffy examples!

palallin - Thanks for the compliment on the searchlight cars.  I checked what I paid for mine and both were just north of $40 (USD) including that infamous e-bay "shipping".  The Lionel ones are usually higher though and more complex.  Well keep hunting and good luck.

Best wishes

Don

Just picked these up.  Very nice and they appear unrun.

Lookin' good Soo Line - one GAEX down and one to go...

I would like to buy a Marx Side Smoker if anyone might have one to sell.

Thanks Dave

Soo Line : Those new cars are beauties. Great finds.

Don

Got this 1666 sound o power loco and tender! Cleaned up the tender and rewired the ground. Added the front flags because the tabs were broken that hold hand rail. Got the smoke unit working as well. Nice little piece of Marx history.

Donnie :  Thanks for the audio in your video.  As long as I have been collecting Marx while I had seen "sound o power" units I had actually never heard one.  Great find.

Don

Donnie, do you know who made those cool-looking piers you have holding up your elevated track?

@palallin posted:

Donnie, do you know who made those cool-looking piers you have holding up your elevated track?

Ah yes. Those are mth subway elevated tressel. 8 come in a box. They were very hard to find. Here's the part # 40-1148 O MTH RailKing Subway Trestle Bridge w/Steel Elevated Support-Silver. I found them a year ago at T K hobby outside of Columbus, Ohio.

"Sound of Power"... now that is surprisingly cool! Sounds pretty good!

Any of you know how Marx did that?

Andre

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Ah yes. Those are mth subway elevated tressel. 8 come in a box. They were very hard to find. Here's the part # 40-1148 O MTH RailKing Subway Trestle Bridge w/Steel Elevated Support-Silver. I found them a year ago at T K hobby outside of Columbus, Ohio.

Thank you!

@laming posted:

"Sound of Power"... now that is surprisingly cool! Sounds pretty good!

Any of you know how Marx did that?

Andre

Didn't they use a rolling wheel that was divided into sectors and some basic electronic geegaws to generate static that we interrupted by the gaps between the segments to make the chuff?  My memory may be betraying me, but I think I read something to that effect somewhere.

@laming posted:

"Sound of Power"... now that is surprisingly cool! Sounds pretty good!

Any of you know how Marx did that?

Andre

Simplicity, it has a white noise generator board. There is a wheel in the center with a gap. That gap controls the break in the sound.

Steve

This is my favorite Marx engine even if it does not look like one.  It has a Marx 1998 frame and motor with a 1 inch cut out of a junk Lionel SW 1 switcher diesel engine body.  We think the 1998 is by far the best running Marx engine and it wins the race through the oval and figure 8, with 027 track and Marx 1590 switches every time.  The engine painted for Bauxite and Northern Railroad, a private owned short line railroad from ALCOAs Bauxite, AR alumina/chemical plant to the railroads main line.  More than you wanted to know !

Charlie

Really simple design,but impressive for a unit from 1969( although that's new compared to my pre and postwar Lionel and Marx). I believe Marx was the first to offer electronic sound in an O guage train. I may in the future hunt down a diesel roar Marx engine someday.

At last week's chapter gathering, one of my fellow TCAers brought me a magazine article showing some 3D printed model cars and asked me if I could make up some replica Marx vehicles for him. I decided to start with this model, the prewar Marx "critter" tank for the 6" operating ramp car. I dug up some photos, made some educated guesses on dimensions and printed up some prototypes!

The originals had a stamped metal body and a turned wooden turret. My replicas are made of pure ABS plastic that's a bit thicker and perhaps a little lighter than the originals. The turret is a separate piece that pops into the hull the same way the originals would have, it even rotates once it's in place. I'm not sure if Marx ever put a different turret on the Critters; it seems a waste to have a revolving turret with no main gun sticking out.

I'm experimenting with different wheels and axles. I don't have any suitable axle stock so I've been using the next best thing, escutcheon pins and clippings of rubber tubing. The red 3D printed wheels fit better and are easy to make but the black fiber washer ones look better. I think some black printed wheels are in order for these the next time I switch the filament reel on my printer.

I read an article that suggested these came in several different colors including red and olive drab. I have some extra red filament on hand so I'm going to make up a couple more for myself. Definitely have to make some OD ones too, I think they'll look really sharp in that. These little vehicles are fun to work with, I've got to design some more!

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Really simple design,but impressive for a unit from 1969( although that's new compared to my pre and postwar Lionel and Marx). I believe Marx was the first to offer electronic sound in an O guage train. I may in the future hunt down a diesel roar Marx engine someday.

The Marx Sound of Power was a year before the Lionel Mighty Sound of Steam. Both worked on white noise generators.

Steve

@Trainguy Ken posted:

At last week's chapter gathering, one of my fellow TCAers brought me a magazine article showing some 3D printed model cars and asked me if I could make up some replica Marx vehicles for him. I decided to start with this model, the prewar Marx "critter" tank for the 6" operating ramp car. I dug up some photos, made some educated guesses on dimensions and printed up some prototypes!

The originals had a stamped metal body and a turned wooden turret. My replicas are made of pure ABS plastic that's a bit thicker and perhaps a little lighter than the originals. The turret is a separate piece that pops into the hull the same way the originals would have, it even rotates once it's in place. I'm not sure if Marx ever put a different turret on the Critters; it seems a waste to have a revolving turret with no main gun sticking out.

I'm experimenting with different wheels and axles. I don't have any suitable axle stock so I've been using the next best thing, escutcheon pins and clippings of rubber tubing. The red 3D printed wheels fit better and are easy to make but the black fiber washer ones look better. I think some black printed wheels are in order for these the next time I switch the filament reel on my printer.

I read an article that suggested these came in several different colors including red and olive drab. I have some extra red filament on hand so I'm going to make up a couple more for myself. Definitely have to make some OD ones too, I think they'll look really sharp in that. These little vehicles are fun to work with, I've got to design some more!

I have an old resin repro. Don’t know who made it.

Steve

A Marx set a freind gave me.

@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

I have an old resin repro. Don’t know who made it.

Steve

I read something about resin Critters in my research. Couldn't find any details but the one photo I saw showed an OD hull with a red turret.

@taycotrains posted:

A Marx set a freind gave me.

That's a really nice Marx M10000 set. I think it's an early one-- looks like it has a manual reverse and the hard to find illuminated rear section. That "Official Union Pacific" box is pretty awesome!

I have one of these sets too but mine is in tough shape, is missing a car and barely runs. I pulled it off the shelf to take a picture for you. I just remembered that I wanted to rebuild the motor and see if I could get it running any better. Sounds like I have a new project for today!

@taycotrains:  Nice set and what a super gift.

Don

Bob T:

LOVE your little M1000 set!

All:

Thanks for the input about the "Sound Of Power"!

Also:

To me, this is one of the funnest threads here at OGR.

Andre

Andre,

Here is a close up of the contact wheel on the tender. Notice the break on the wheel that simulates the chuffing. This thread is very enjoyable. I caught the Marx bug a few months ago, and am enjoying it!

@Don McErlean posted:

.... I thought I might post one of mine.  Its nearly complete although it lacks the cardboard "village" that came with it...an item I am sure I am unlikely to ever find.  Nonetheless, here is Marx set 4353 from their 1965 catalog.  The set does still have the "telephone poles" that were originally part of the content.

Note that the figure 8 cross over is packed under the trains.  This matches the layout pictured on the cover.  Even after 57 years, the 490 loco runs fine!

Glad this thread is back

Don

That's the set my brother and I got for Christmas...I guess it must have been in 1965... 🙂 ...cool beans.

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer /Mark in Oregon :  Great story and it makes the set so much more "real" to know that one like it really brought joy to some folks.  Many of us were thrilled with that first Marx (or Lionel or American Flyer) set that was under the tree.  Its an experience we never forget.  Thanks for posting.

Best Wishes

Don

And finally here’s another Marx set that was given to me. I believe it dates back to 1938.

Bob: WOW!! That military set is one of the most sought after Marx pieces. I was especially intrigued by the tag - wondering if t was perhaps a factory sample or from the Marx archives in Erie. What a find!!!

Best wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

I was especially intrigued by the tag - wondering if t was perhaps a factory sample or from the Marx archives in Erie.

Don

The story goes this way…the set belonged to my friends much older cousin who gave him the set sometime in the early 50s…his father owned a small hotel in Baltimore and a lot of salesmen stayed there and he supposedly got it from a novelty salesman that would be a regular guest there.

BT

Bob:  Just for fun, I tried looking up your set in Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains, Vol III sets and found one very close to yours.  I could not find the 5950 from the tag number but did find the 5951 set which seems almost identical to yours in content.  This is very common with Marx who made endless varieties of set contents, often changing them just to suit an individual buyer.  This is reinforced by what I think I see on that tag which is a reference to "your number" meaning that this set was configured for a specific customer.

Just for fun the set 5950 contains:

Locomotive 500 CP-type 2-4-2 olive drab

Tender 500 CP-type "Army Supply Train" olive

Flatcar olive with a Tank

Flatcar olive with a field gun

Flatcar olive with a siege gun (5/8" dia bore)  Note the siege gun can fire the shells contained in the ordinance gondola.

Flatcar olive with a machine gun

Flatcar olive with a canopy truck

Gondola ordinance olive with shells

Searchlight Car

Coach Radio Car with Antenna

Observation Car official car

18 pieces of 0-27 track

Type IS-15 transformer

Cars are six-inch four wheel metal cars with olive frames and tab / slot couplers

This looks exactly like the set you have.  Congratulations, this is perhaps one of the most sought after collector's sets that were ever made by Marx.  You also have a great back story which makes it even more interesting.

Best wishes and enjoy your wonderful gift

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Bob:  Just for fun, I tried looking up your set in Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains, Vol III sets and found one very close to yours.  I could not find the 5950 from the tag number but did find the 5951 set which seems almost identical to yours in content.  This is very common with Marx who made endless varieties of set contents, often changing them just to suit an individual buyer.  This is reinforced by what I think I see on that tag which is a reference to "your number" meaning that this set was configured for a specific customer.

Just for fun the set 5950 contains:

Locomotive 500 CP-type 2-4-2 olive drab

Tender 500 CP-type "Army Supply Train" olive

Flatcar olive with a Tank

Flatcar olive with a field gun

Flatcar olive with a siege gun (5/8" dia bore)  Note the siege gun can fire the shells contained in the ordinance gondola.

Flatcar olive with a machine gun

Flatcar olive with a canopy truck

Gondola ordinance olive with shells

Searchlight Car

Coach Radio Car with Antenna

Observation Car official car

18 pieces of 0-27 track

Type IS-15 transformer

Cars are six-inch four wheel metal cars with olive frames and tab / slot couplers

This looks exactly like the set you have.  Congratulations, this is perhaps one of the most sought after collector's sets that were ever made by Marx.  You also have a great back story which makes it even more interesting.

Best wishes and enjoy your wonderful gift

Don

Don

Thank you for this great information !

I really appreciate you going through the trouble finding this info out !

Thanks again Bob

Marx H0 New Haven Switcher set 17470, 1962.

Steve

OK Marx fans, I can't participate in the HO area so I will focus on my 0 gauge.  Yesterday via post I got a very anticipated package in the mail, a MoPac Cattle car from Marx, the # 54099 from 1956 and this is the operating version at least in the terminology used by Mr. Marx which was a long way from how it was done with Lionel and American Flyer but also far less expensive.

Here is a side view of the car, not very different from the non-operating version.

The ID end of the car along with the car number.

The RR logo end of the car, Missouri Pacific (MoPac) plus car data and built dates

OK here is the cool part.  You roll up to the ramp and a track trip moves a mechanical lever under the door to the car.  The door slides open and .... what should appear??  A COW ready to load onto the ramp.  Here he is, ready to off load.  I suspect if he knew what was coming next he might be more reluctant to get off but that's the way it goes.

Well I admit to being easily entertained, but I think this is cool.  Yes it was just one COW unlike the cattle cars of Lionel and Flyer but If you ever messed with their loading ramps, car passages, vibrator, alignment of ramps. and the cost (especially in the day) you might appreciate the non-electrical, nearly fail safe Marx mechanism and his one cow

Best wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Well I admit to being easily entertained, but I think this is cool.  Yes it was just one COW unlike the cattle cars of Lionel and Flyer but If you ever messed with their loading ramps, car passages, vibrator, alignment of ramps. and the cost (especially in the day) you might appreciate the non-electrical, nearly fail safe Marx mechanism and his one cow

Best wishes

Don

That's a really cool car there! I didn't know that Marx had their own operating cattle car, although I'm sure they had something of everything. I really like operating accessories, especially ones with clever mechanical features.

Here's a Marx accessory that I've got to set up on my Marx layout sometime this summer. It's a prewar dumping mechanism for Marx's operating dump cars. No UCS section required, just a regular pushbutton with AC power. The Masonite "claws" on the dump mechanism are tied to a solenoid so they swing out and tip the car's bin to the other side.

Beautiful car, Don!

There was a set that was sold with that MoPac stock car:  a ramp with fences and a track trip.  A very nice example (C-8 or better, w/box) recent sold you-know-where for the better part of a Benjamin.  Definitely on my wish list!

Marx also made a 5595 Dairy Car. Has a blue man with a crate on his shoulder that pops out.

In H0, there is a New Haven boxcar with the man that pos out.

Steve

Trainguy Ken :  Neat unloader, I have seen such a thing at auction but wondered how it worked.  Really looks neat.  Thanks for your comment on the cattle car, I admit I think its neat!

Palallin :  Thank you for your comment.  I knew about the ramp and fences, I saw just the ramp recently on evil bay but they wanted quite a bit more for that than I paid for the car!  So the ramp will have to wait.  I suspect that cow does not mind (LOL)!

Steve :  I did not know about the 5595 Dairy car.  However I do have the #249319 Marlines box car which has a man pop out as if unloading.  Same mechanism as the cow but with a "blue" man.

Thanks a lot fellows, I was really thrilled to find the car with a functioning mechanism AND still having the COW!  The cow is free standing so can be removed from the car thus is easily lost over the years.  Candidly as a design engineer (during my working days) I am always impressed with how Marx kept to his philosophy of "low price / high volume" and found ingenious ways of providing similar action to the expensive trains but at a fraction of the price and normally with much higher reliability.

Best wishes

Don

It’s alive. Marx F7 designed to run on a 4.5 V battery box, on and off only. I’m using a Bachmann transformer being careful not to give too much power. I added 3 extra boxcars and am very surprised how easily it pulls them.

Steve

@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

It’s alive. Marx F7 designed to run on a 4.5 V battery box, on and off only. I’m using a Bachmann transformer being careful not to give too much power. I added 3 extra boxcars and am very surprised how easily it pulls them.

Steve

Gotta say you got one nice collection, A retired USAF joe I got to know gave me a couple items.

@Sitka :  Neat 10005. The Silver and Blue #791 articulated streamliner can date as early as 1940 if it has the large die cast wheels.  Small rear die cast wheels and front stamped steel wheels date from 1952-1958.  The signs in their original box is just amazing.  How anything can stay so complete for as long as it has is really something.  I found the # 1282 " Right - O- Way" 12 sign set in the 1954 Marx catalog but it could have been earlier than that as they made other 12 piece sign sets with different numbers, perhaps your set has a number on the box and you might post it.   I have many of the signs, come to me as individual items over the years, and I use them on my layout.  Seeing the entire array, in the original box, is quite unique.

@Steve "Papa" Eastman :  Neat HO set.  I am sure you know but its interesting that Marx made the 0 gauge plastic NYC E 7 A unit in the same black and white color scheme 3 times '53-'55, '59-'69, '71-'74.  You would think that with all that production, 0 scale NYC E7's would be common but in my experience they are not.

Best Wishes

Don

Don just came in from cutting trees from the past storm here is a couple more Marx and no numbers on the box Thank You for the info God Speed Mark

Sitka:  Nice assembly of Marx trains.  Like many of Marx trains its sometimes hard to tell when they were made.  For instance the two tenders are both Type 51 and were made for many years both before and after the war.  The caboose was also available over a long period.  The CRI&P gondola however was pre-war only.  The CV again is hard to date without a closer look.  If the side plates on the motor are black, then it is most likely post war...if they are plated, shinny, then it could be either post or prewar as the switch to black took place sometime after the war.

Sorry we don't have a set number on the signs, but we can go with the fact that the catalog listed the sign set as "Right - O -Way"  with 12 pieces in the '54 catalog.

Great Stuff...really neat, I hope you have fun running them

Don

Picked this item 5 minutes into the York show in the blue hall. I never seen this accessory before today.

Its a HO lighted sanding tower !

Paid 5 dollars for it.

(please excuse the truck camper pics there ain’t much room in here)

@taycotrains posted:

Picked this item 5 minutes into the York show in the blue hall. I never seen this accessory before today.

Its a HO lighted sanding tower !

Paid 5 dollars for it.

(please excuse the truck camper pics there ain’t much room in here)

One of a couple of boxed H0 accessories I don’t have.

Steve

Wow, that's very cool...👍

Mark in Oregon

VERY cool on the sand tower!! And only 5 measly bucks!

'Ya done good!

Andre

@taycotrains posted:

Picked this item 5 minutes into the York show in the blue hall. I never seen this accessory before today.

Its a HO lighted sanding tower !

Paid 5 dollars for it.

(please excuse the truck camper pics there ain’t much room in here)

Wow!  That would look good on a highly detailed HO railroad.

Rusty

Some more Marx added to the fleet. A nice 333, 1998 switcher I brought back from the dead, found a horn and added a light to the cab! Bought some freight cars,caboose, and work caboose!

Donnie: Nice trains.  IMHO the 333 was the finest steamer that Marx made, top notch.  Did you get the special die cast tender with her?  If not, they sometimes come up on e-bay and are worth the investment, that tender was designed especially for the 333 and is unique to that engine.  Marx never made another like it.  The string of cars you showed is neat, the "yellow" Santa Fe stock car is unusual and scarce (its hard to use "rare" with Marx he made so many of everything) and has a collector value about 5 or 6X that of the brown one.  There is also a red one which is sort of in the middle in value but in my experience even harder to find. The work caboose's were always listed as "deluxe" cars and Marx made what is basically the same car for several railroads besides SF (WP for example), he also made some with a searchlight.   The 1998 is a great engine, good on ya for bringing her back.   I hope you enjoy your Marx trains, they are a great value and should bring you lots of pleasure.

Don

Have a bridge with box and a 666 2-4-2 that smokes, someday my grandson can add to his PW Lionel collection when he is done chasing leg and Hockey.

Donnie,

Nice to see that you run a tinplate car train and a traditional plug-car freight train on the same layout.

I thought that I was the only one!

Mannyrock

Thought I’d share pictures of the innards of two types of Marx H0 999’s. One has rubber band drive, the other has a spring worm. Both are powered by 4.5V battery boxes.

Steve

@Don McErlean posted:

Donnie: Nice trains.  IMHO the 333 was the finest steamer that Marx made, top notch.  Did you get the special die cast tender with her?  If not, they sometimes come up on e-bay and are worth the investment, that tender was designed especially for the 333 and is unique to that engine.  Marx never made another like it.  The string of cars you showed is neat, the "yellow" Santa Fe stock car is unusual and scarce (its hard to use "rare" with Marx he made so many of everything) and has a collector value about 5 or 6X that of the brown one.  There is also a red one which is sort of in the middle in value but in my experience even harder to find. The work caboose's were always listed as "deluxe" cars and Marx made what is basically the same car for several railroads besides SF (WP for example), he also made some with a searchlight.   The 1998 is a great engine, good on ya for bringing her back.   I hope you enjoy your Marx trains, they are a great value and should bring you lots of pleasure.

Don

I was curious when those box cars were made. Solid plastic with no opening doors,but I like them. The yellow and brown are at sf. The red one is Baltimore and Ohio. I think they look great! I haven't found the diecast tender,but have been keeping an eye out for it! I do enjoy Marx. The only one I havent liked is the Santa Fe aa 1095. Trying to sell those. Just not a fan.

@Mannyrock posted:

Donnie,

Nice to see that you run a tinplate car train and a traditional plug-car freight train on the same layout.

I thought that I was the only one!

Mannyrock

Well, don't tell anyone, but sometimes I'll even run my Lionel tinplate with my Marx as well. I kinda like watching my 333 Marx run with my Lionel 224e passenger set.

Only a fraction of the 333 locomotives made came with the diecast tender. The majority of the 333 line came with a plastic 3/16" coal tender that was usually lettered for Southern Pacific, even though the SP ran mostly oil tenders. Some 333 locos came with the wedge tender with scale trucks and tilt couplers.

There are WAY more 333 locos out there than there are diecast tenders.

This is a nice little Whistling station; I think it's Marx #2890.  I only say that from info I got looking at some pictures on google.  Too bad it's HO scale, it was in a donation box.  Still need to get a couple D batteries to test the whistle.

Does anyone know what the thing is behind the lady ?  It looks like a rubber grommet with brass nut/hole in middle

@boomer0622 posted:

This is a nice little Whistling station; I think it's Marx #2890.  I only say that from info I got looking at some pictures on google.  Too bad it's HO scale, it was in a donation box.  Still need to get a couple D batteries to test the whistle.

Does anyone know what the thing is behind the lady ?  It looks like a rubber grommet with brass nut/hole in middle

2890 had a red plastic awning in the front. Yours without the awning is 2898 or 2899. No difference between the two, just a number change. Also these were sold in O gauge sets.

Steve

Thanks Steve, Is it from the 50's?  Any idea what the thing on the back is ?

@boomer0622 posted:

Thanks Steve, Is it from the 50's?  Any idea what the thing on the back is ?

The book doesn’t give a date, but 50’s would be logical. They came with plastic sets. It may be for oiling the motor shaft but I’d remove it from the base and take a look.

Steve

Got in a bunch of Marx H0 sets I will be sharing as I go through them. The first two sets I looked at are from the same time frame and have the same #20 steam switcher, but a big difference in the graphics. Fun stuff.

Steve

Looks like I'd have to bend a lot of tabs to get to it.  Not sure I want to take a chance on breaking them off.

@boomer0622 posted:

Looks like I'd have to bend a lot of tabs to get to it.  Not sure I want to take a chance on breaking them off.

Do it carefully but only use 4 tabs when you reassemble it. I’ve done it a few times on the similar H0 Wheaton Station.

Steve

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

Found these transformers in a box under the layout in the club house.

British Marx H0 Battery set with rubber band drive. eBay pictures but I did buy it.

Steve

@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

Not all Marx. My H0 Mantua Pacific needed a minor repair so on it’s test run, I thought I’d pull a string of Virginian hoppers. A mixture of Marx and Marx derived hoppers.

Steve

Getting my Marx flats loaded and in running order. Most of the reels are Marx knockoffs by Model Power and the small dozers are Matchbox 18A’s which is what Marx used. The large dozer is just one I had.

Steve

Found this 1829 on the bay for a reasonable price. I think it's because it looked like it was stored in a dirt pile for like forty years. Took her apart,cleaned and shined the shell. Cleaned up and lubed the motor. Replaced the headlight socket and cleaned up the weight and the motor frame so it would have a ground again. Had a headlight lens from a 333 I saved parts from and it fit perfectly.  Runs very well! Now if I could just find the tender and caboose for it.....

Donnie Kennedy :  What a great job.  The "1829" along with the "333" were Marx's only 6 coupled engines.  The 333, a 4-6-2 (Pacific type) and the other the 1829 4-6-4 (Hudson type).  You can run just about any tender that looks good, Marx made a number of 8 wheel tenders and although the 2731 was most often paired with the 1829 the 1951 type is much more common (even if slightly smaller) and I think it would still look good.  An additional advantage is that Marx made the 1951 in many, many road names plus "Allstate" so you can pick your RR or in fact have several.  I keep multiple tenders around and just match a tender with a caboose and your off with a new RR.   Your engine really looks good, great work.

Don

That is the beauty with these. I've been mixing and matching my rolling stock. Right now then1829 is pulling a UP slope back and rolling stock, while my 333 is pulling a Santa Fe tender and lighted passenger cars. Not going to stress about finding the matching tender. Just blessed to have the ability to purchase,fix, and enjoy my hobby!

Got a chance to run some of my Marx rubber band drive H0 sets at todays TTOS meet. Fun to run these very low end sets along side my high end MTH.

Steve

Marx H0 set 16450, 1960.

Steve

Gerald Winski asked how long a H0 loco will run with the battery shack so I gave it a shot. I only ran the engine plus the batteries are 10000ma rechargeables. First video is when I started, the following video clips are at one hour increments.

Steve

WOW Steve based on your experiment, some 6-7 hrs as the engine alone, likely at least 1/2 that pulling a trian.  Amazing!

Don

Just arrived from across the pond. Somewhat rare British Marx H0 battery powered rubber band drive passenger set.

Steve

Thought if anyone was interested I'd do a side by side of the Marx 333 and 1829.

@Donnie Kennedy - that is really quite a comparison, the "family lineage" of the 1829 from the 333 is certainly apparent even down to the drive linkage.  I have a 333 but do not have (yet) an 1829 so clearly this has to go on the "list"  Thanks for showing.

Don

Green Giant Premium mail order set made by Marx. A cheap o that used 3 D batteries in a little house. I do have the mailing box with the Green Giant tape on it.

Steve

Blue Tuesday. Marx blues are all over the spectrum.

Well Steve has been showing us a wide variety of Marx HO sets, all of which he has returned to operation.  I admire both his skill and patience.  However, I thought I would return to O gauge Marx this afternoon with what I think is a fun car.  It is what Mr. Marx called an "operating car" although it is nowhere near as complex as those offered by either Lionel or American Flyer.  It is pure Marx, simple, inexpensive, and containing no complex mechanisms. This is the # 249319 Marx Marlines operating box car.  It dates from about 1955.

Here is our train delivering the car for "unloading".  Note the type #1951 "Allstate" tender and the # 490 loco.

Here is an overall view of the car and the "blue man" with the box on his shoulder handling the unloading efforts.  

Here is a close up of that unloader, moving out from the car onto (not present) the unloading platform.  That poor fellow, he has to ride in that boxcar (like "Charlie on the MTA") forever and can't ever put that heavy box down.  He is activated by a mechanical trip or lever on the side that opens the door and springs the man out.  Just one trip and one box is all you get with Marx !!

Best wishes to all, hope you are having a pleasant week.

Don

Marx H0 made in Hong Kong, not sure of the date, but 60’s is my guess. I needed the shims from under the table legs so it was struggling coming up hill.

Steve

Steve - I wouldn't apologize for that Marx HO slowing down a bit on the "uphill" portions of your oval.  After all its likely how we all feel at the beginning of the week as we move uphill towards the weekend.   Thanks for posting, I am awaiting delivery (should be today) for my first Marx HO piece...a New Haven switcher and I thank you for all the postings on Marx HO.  I am not likely to start a new collection but at $5.99 I couldn't pass it up (and it runs!).

Best Wishes

Don

Well Steve Eastman has been showing us some really great operating Marx HO pieces.  So despite my "promise" not to get involved in collecting another gauge, I saw this piece of Marx HO and could not pass it up since it was going at auction at $5.99 .   This is the Marx Type 6910 "Industrial Switcher" locomotive.  Marx put this out first near the beginning of his move into HO gauge, in 1958.  In '58 it was offered as a Western Pacific, in '62 a Rock Island, and in 1963 the #1621 New Haven.  It re-emerged in 1972 as an unmarked industrial engine.  For its time, it was a reasonably quality engine using a a gear drive (fiber gears).  I have another non-Marx switcher of the same size from my own HO period (1957-62) and it used a rubber band drive with the rubber bands functioning as drive belts to rubber cylindrical drum axles that drove the wheels, not nearly as robust.  OBTW this little fellow still works.

Front view, only fault on this engine is the front coupler is broken.  Easy replacement, standard HO (hook and horn) coupler.

Rear view, there is some detail inside the cab as well, hard to see in this picture.

Top view, good detail in the plastic casting.

  Well there is my (current) Marx HO "collection".  Best wishes

Don

A few more Marx H0 switchers.

Steve

It followed me home from todays Train N Coffee meet. Correct box but no inserts, track or transformer but got two extra long domes. These are a lot less warped than normal. The set with  green diesels is much harder to find than the gray diesels, but not nearly as desirable.

Steve

Steve - great looking set.  I have a WP (green) A B A and the cars but no box (oh well).  Here is my A B A just for something to add to the post.

Great find Steve.  Curious though, in your post you mentioned that you thought the green diesels were harder to find than the grey although not as desirable.  I agree, the grey are more desirable but at least from my perspective they are also much harder to find and far more expensive if you do find one.  Well great find in any case

Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Steve - great looking set.  I have a WP (green) A B A and the cars but no box (oh well).  Here is my A B A just for something to add to the post.

Great find Steve.  Curious though, in your post you mentioned that you thought the green diesels were harder to find than the grey although not as desirable.  I agree, the grey are more desirable but at least from my perspective they are also much harder to find and far more expensive if you do find one.  Well great find in any case

Best Wishes

Don

The green diesels are easier to find, but not in a passenger set. The green were usually in freight sets, the gray in passenger sets.

Steve

Steve - GOT IT....I had not thought of the differences in set usage in fact I did not know that...THANK YOU for the information.  Great to know.

Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean, that’s a beautiful Marx set of F units, very colorful, so cool. I do not have any Marx trains at this time, but will see if there will be any at the next train show in Nashville, July 2022, TCA, LCCA National Conventions.. Happy Railroading Everyone

Getting ready to sell my 999 collection. Thought I’d share an odd ball. Brass plated with reversible coupler.

Steve

Marx H0 set 9961, 1960.

Steve

Hi Marx fans. Today I have a slight repeat of my post on 5/31 when I posted the RED with white lettering Marx " Marlines" operating box car.  Well it turns out that this car also came in WHITE, with red lettering.  In both cases the car has a mechanism that upon encountering a trip, opens the door and out comes a man holding a box on his shoulder.  The white color, although it seems a little bit more scarce than the red in the Marlines box car livery, this same basic car also came in the same white  body color but with the livery of Pacific Fruit Express (red lettering)  and Farm Master Brand Dairy Products (red lettering)  but are listed with different numbers as refrigerator cars not box cars (although the casting is about the same).  So like much of Marx, its confusing!!   .  Note even perhaps more confusing, ALL of these cars came 2 ways - both with the operating man / door and without it.

Well before I get so confused I forget to insert the pictures, here is the WHITE, Marx # 2349319 Marlines operating box car.  The red car dates from 1955 and this white car from 1959.

Here is the non operating side.

Here is the operating side with the blue man and box exiting the car.  The mechanism is purely mechanical using a lever that intersects a trip on the loading platform. This mechanism only controls the door on one side and the man only exits out that one door. As I mentioned in my post of the red car, Mr. Marx loved simple, inexpensive, and mechanical mechanisms--- no fancy vibrating belts or electric solenoids etc to push out boxes---nope with Mr. Marx you get simple and reliable BUT you get one man, one exit, and one box...that is all 

Well best wishes everyone, hope you have a great weekend upcoming.

Don

Well Marx fans, I guess I am going to follow myself in this thread.  I encountered an interesting variation of the "scale" NYC crane car which places it in the category of more scarce than normal.  This is the Marx # 3550 "scale" NYC crane car but with the red cab / boom vice grey.  The cab / boom are similar if not identical to the plastic freight car # 5590 and its variants but it is mounted on a scale black caboose base and has scale (Type B) trucks.  This example has plastic tilt couplers, dating it from 1953 or later.

Best Wishes

Don

I picked up 2 Marx-Tronic switcher sets last year. It is quite a piece of engineering. It required a lot of tweaking and adjusting. The 2 locomotives had battery damage and 1 needed a new reverse switch. There are 2 different versions of the loco. On one the hood slides off to gain battery access, on the other you have to remove the body from the frame by removing  2 screws and nuts. I made this little layout by adding some spare plastic track. I have no way to take a video, but if you look on Youtube there are some videos showing how it works.

@milnyc :  What a really neat layout!  It looks terrific,  super job.  I had seen these sets before but have never seen one operate.

Best wishe

Don

Well, finally found a 2731 Santa Fe tender for my 1829. Probably overpaid, but oh well. Didn't get into the hobby to save money. Also found this neat Santa Fe 1977 caboose. I like the color scheme on this one. Sadly the chimney stack is snapped off like most.

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Sadly the chimney stack is snapped off like most.

Many/all of the later cabooses were made that way - just little stubs like yours. Probably because the earlier chimneys got snapped off by the kids, or by the way the caboose was shipped in the train set box.

Have you looked closely to see it is is actually broken off? You should be able to tell if the surface is rough or smooth.

The mold for the 1829 tender was used by K-Line for their repops of the Marx 333 (the combination did not look right in my opinion).  There are lots of the K-Line versions around.

Donnie:  Good find, the 2731 by Marx was made for the 1829 locomotive.  It was longer and wider than the 951 and with larger 4 wheel trucks with the plastic side frame overlay.  I will admit, as made by Marx, it did not seem to have that hand rail around the back section, at least my pictures of it don't show it.  That could be a later add by an owner or as said by RoyBoy an add on included by KLINE.  Nonetheless it makes a handsome pair for sure.

I also agree with RoyBoy that later in production many of the caboose stacks were tuncated in the casting process.   In reviewing my pictures in Greenberg's Marx Vol II reference, a substantial % of those shown do not have the full stack. If the surface on top is smooth and even, its likely that the caboose never had a full stack but even that isn't absolute.  Again, its a great caboose and super color so run it and enjoy it.

Let me say again, that 1829 and its 2731 tender are a handsome pair, run'm and enjoy'm

Don

You know it did look smooth. So it may have just came that way? Either way, I really like the color scheme on this. I have a yellow and black UP caboose too that I think looks neat. Not really a big fan of the K-line versions. Had some and wasn't impressed. Marx have just turned out to be very reliable and nice to bring back from the dead when needed. I've had modern era model trains, but I've sold off all but one MTH gg1 and passenger cars my daughter wants some day. Other than that, my attention and awe have been dedicated to pre and post war trains. Love the detail and quality in 60-90 year old units. Just my 2 scents.

The crew on this Marx 4000 windup pauses to watch that angler pull in the big one.  There are tales of a monster Bass in Seashell Lake.

This Southern Pacific 6000 rounds the bend at the Reindeer Flight School in time to see some practicing.

@boomer0622- WONDERFUL pictures, great imagination and artistry.  Thanks for sharing. Here is my "Seaboard" - also a wind up.  I found the matching "Bogota" passenger car sometime after the engine and caboose.

Best Wishes and thanks for posting your Marx trains

Don

Thanks Don, I occasionally look for that passenger car and also look for the matching dummy A unit.

This is a video of it on my double helix.  I was really surprised at its power

@boomer0622 posted:

Thanks Don, I occasionally look for that passenger car and also look for the matching dummy A unit.

This is a video of it on my double helix.  I was really surprised at its power

I love running my ABA with about 8 cars.

Steve

@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Marx H0 set 9987. Has the searchlight car and electronic dump log car. It is missing the logs, but I have a set of repro’s

Almost the same set configuration as the O gauge set .

Marx H0 set 63452. I love finding them with all the internal boxes in decent shape.

Steve

Marx H0 set 60870. Small set being as the loco only has one truck drive.

Steve. Cool HO. Interesting sets

Best wishes

Don