Does K-Line still use the old Marx molds/tooling?

[Anonymous]

Looks like their S gauge cars and some O gauge are the old Marx. Also some of the accessories like the bubbling water tower.

pax[C):-)]

[Anonymous]

some of the box cars in the starter sets thet have no springs are marx recasts.

[brianel027]

Well actually Jerry, the cars in the current sets such as the NYC and the PRR steamer sets are from the old Kusan dies. These cars include the 6464 type box cars, the 10 inch gondola, the 10 inch depressed center flat and the center cupola caboose, among others. The K-Line Alco also has it's heritage in the Kusan tooling. Of course, K-Line has done some updating - and may have even had to redo the dies.

Joe, I guess you don't get the chance to see recent K-Line catalogs. The "S" gauge line of K-Line cars are from the old Marx dies. These cars were previously the standard issues in earlier K-Line train sets. They are also the basis of the new Coke Cars (which are available in the other more scale dimensions) and the nod to the old postwar Lionel shorty box cars under the "Keystone Classics" banner.

The no-longer made K-Line S-2 has it's heritage in the Marx line, as well as the K-Line standard train set steamer - which K-Line did quite a bit of work too. Many of the earlier K-Line accessories as well as the K-Lineville buildings also are from the Marx tooling.

For the 027 layout guys, those "S" gauge cars are the nicest paint jobs K-Line has ever done on these smaller types of cars. I wi***hey'd make some with regular 0-gauge trucks. But I take the "S" gauge trucks off and replace them with 0 guage ones.

I also take the time to mention this because up until K-Line started releasing the more scale-sized offerings, many have said that K-Line was junk. I have a relative who has said that for years. NOW, the earlier stuff may not have been for serious scale operators. But it served a purpose and the product was what it was. K-Line certainly had some problems with inconsistencies in quality – especially with the couplers. BUT that doesn't make it junk. The comment may have also been a slam against the old Marx line.

Again, I give the original Marx trains a lot of credit. The stuff was simple, for the most part well made – certainly affordable, and had great distribution. It was for sale everywhere. Some of the Marx items were very clever in their simplicity. And Marx made it possible for nearly any kid to have a train set. AND that train set was probably compatible with Lionel, or could easily be made to be. Certainly track wasn't an issue as it is today. Sure, there were some real cheap Marx sets (battery powered, windups etc.). But Marx Trains sure deserve their place in the history books, and deserve our respect for what they were.

[KeithL]

K-Line has certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of old tooling from other manufacturers. I think they've been producing the MP-15, which, if I recall correctly, is from Kusan tooling, since 1988. They've been making their starter set steamer, which, as Brian said, is from Marx tooling, since 1991 or 1992. They've been making the Alco, from Kusan tooling, for goodness-knows how long. And look how much they gotten out of all the old Marx accessories and structures. And on and on... It was nice to have K-Line keeping these things around--and improving them--but it's also nice to see K-Line adding some new tooling to the hobby in recent years.

Keith

[Anonymous]

<<I think they've been producing the MP-15, which, if I recall correctly, is from Kusan tooling, since 1988. >>

Actually, I believe the MP-15 is original K-Line tooling.

Other Marx molds that K-Line has used or is using include the small three-dome tank car (made with both O and S trucks), the small depressed flat car (made briefly in the late 80s in O and now made in S), the small bay window caboose (made with both O and S trucks), and the no-longer-made small Budd RDC cars. Also the small ribbed hopper, a beautifully proportioned car; in this case, K-Line has improved the detail on the car over that found on the Marx molds.

Take a look inside the small K-Line boxcars some time and see the nice reinforcement that Marx designed into these molds.

Richard Bjorkman

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by KeithL

They've been making their starter set steamer, which, as Brian said, is from Marx tooling, since 1991 or 1992.
Keith

isn't that the die for the old marx 333?[%-)]

[KeithL]

Richard,

I stand corrected about K-Line's MP-15. As a matter of fact, there was a short piece about this engine in the November 2002 CTT, which notes that it was K-Line's first locomotive in 1986.

Jerry,

I believe you're right that K-Line's starter set steamer derives from Marx's 333. It has quite a long bloodline.

Keith

[Dr. John]

K-Line's Alco S-2 was an updated version of the Marx S-2. K-Line upgraded the trucks, motors and handrails. The K-Line S-2 has been out of production for a few years but are not hard to find.