I have done some research on English Marx and without seeing a photo, I believe the cars were part of a red wind-up pasenger set manufactured in Swansea, but made for export. I have a red engine and tender that appear to be part of this set. If you still own the cars, can you post a photo for confirmation?
The Hornby model was designed in 1939 but was only put in production post WW II, probably about 1948.
The Marx model represents an earlier design of car. The Hornby model represents a car built after 1933 built to the designs of Sir William Stanier, indicated by the sliding ventilators represented at the top of the windows and the rounded corners to the windows. The doors at the end of the body in the Hornby model indicate a car with a side corridor and separate compartments. The Marx model has square cornered windows used on prototype cars in the period 1928 to 1932 designed by Sir Ernest Lemon and the windows at the ends of the car beyond the doors indicate the toilet location and mean that the car is a model of an open saloon car with a centre aisle.
I say this to indicate while the Hornby model was regarded as a scale model at the time and the Marx was basically a toy, the Marx model while shortened from the prototype, had realistic detailing. As to the scale, the prototype cars were only 12 feet 4 inches high over the roof, so even if made to 1:48 scale, they might appear to be 1:64 compared to USA prototypes.
M636C
mersenne6 M636C, That's a very interesting piece of information - thank you. I've printed your reply and added it to my Marx information folder.
M636C,
That's a very interesting piece of information - thank you. I've printed your reply and added it to my Marx information folder.
You are very welcome.
I have enjoyed your contributions to the American Flyer thread.
"...Marx started making trains in the Mid 1930's in Britian. They exported a plainer version of the cars shown in the earlier post to Canada. These cars are sheet metal with the lithographed colors of the British Railways - red, cream, and black. Windows are punched out, very plain looking. Four wheel trucks, no embossing and no journals. Cars bear the Marline seal. It sounds like these might be your cars."
The Canadian connection is intriguing (and I speak as a Canadian hobbyist). The description of the cars as being "very plain looking" hits the nail on the head. They look about 1/64 in size or smaller. Although the following picture is of a Hornby product and the shade of red is darker than that on our set, both seem to be based on a similar prototype, sans the differences in roof colour:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tS3TaNuLS4A/SYoVd9HEk8I/AAAAAAAAANU/puf34idApco/s400/LMS4183boxed.jpg
IDM1991 The cars we have are identical in shape to these, although the lithography is not nearly as detailed as these. The roof on each car is identical to our set, but the body is bright red in colour with cream/yellow trim around the windows and doors. The Marx logo on these is identical to our set. I doubt that these carriages are "rare," but I am curious as to whether or not our set might be a variation on these. Moreover, is it possible to date these cars (i.e. early postwar)?
The cars we have are identical in shape to these, although the lithography is not nearly as detailed as these. The roof on each car is identical to our set, but the body is bright red in colour with cream/yellow trim around the windows and doors. The Marx logo on these is identical to our set. I doubt that these carriages are "rare," but I am curious as to whether or not our set might be a variation on these. Moreover, is it possible to date these cars (i.e. early postwar)?
The train illustrated by mersenne 6 is in British Railways colours, and would date from maybe 1950, BR being formed on January 1 1948. The colours of light blue for the largest express locomotives only lasted a couple of years, being replaced by dark green, suggesting the early 1950s as the date.
The models illustrated are clearly based on locomotives and passenger cars of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The locomotive would appear to represent the Turbine powered Pacific LMS 6202, and the cars resemble First Class cars used on the LMS "Royal Scot" train from the early 1930s. In fact the prototype Turbine locomotive was rebuilt as a conventional loco painted green and never carried the blue scheme.
Prior to 1948, these cars would have been "Midland Red", similar to maroon, with yellow lining around the windows and at waist level. The locomotive would have been the same colours.
So your models would represent the period prior to 1948, and would be earlier production than those illustrated above. They may have been made before 1939 or in the period 1946 to about 1949.
Well, there are some possibilities here. Marx started making trains in the Mid 1930's in Britian. They exported a plainer version of the cars shown in the earlier post to Canada. These cars are sheet metal with the lithographed colors of the British Railways - red, cream, and black. Windows are punched out, very plain looking. Four wheel trucks, no embossing and no journals. Cars bear the Marline seal. It sounds like these might be your cars.
As near as I can tell from my references these cars and the ones pictured above were definitely made in the pre-war period and might have been made again in the early postwar period. If, indeed your cars are the Canadian exports then, according to one reference "these cars are sometimes found in the U.S.by fortunate collectors."
Picture posted as promised.
It shouldn't be paint it should be litho. Marx made trains in England and there are several different sets. There's the two car Pullman set with a blue tin litho steam engine and tender - both in the British outline, there's an articulated streamliner lithoed "LNER" and there is a freight set. Below is an example of the two car Pullman set.
We purchased a pair of Marx lithographed carriages/passanger cars at a flea market the other weekend. They are about nine inches in length and are decorated in bright red paint with the roof decorated in a light yellow, They feature two-axel wheelsets. Their distinctly European appearance led to minor research in a hobby shop where we we discovered a photograph of a similar set made in the United Kingdom.
Any information would be appreciated.
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