Informational Video of Marx and Hafner/Wyandotte Windup Locomotives

[dsmith]

Here is an informational video that I made on Marx Whistling Mercury and Sparkling Commodore Vanderbilt Windup Locomotives as well as 2 Hafner/Wyandotte Windup Locomotives.

 

 

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[Train-O]

Dave,

As, usual you have great videos, great layouts and great trains.

I enjoyed your description of these wind-up locomotives, but what gets me is, how does those beauties stay on the track, when they run so fast?!

I remember, my brother and I each got a Marx wind-up set, which was our order from Santa Claus, for one Christmas, back in the late 1940's.

Watching your trains reminded me of back then, how happy we were with those sets.

Thank you,
Sincerely,

Ralph

[dsmith]

Ralph,

My earliest memory of toy trains is also of a Marx windup set when I was perhaps 5 years old in the early 1950's.  I do wonder how as a young child I was able to wind up the motor, since they take quite a bit of strength to wind them up.  I remember the whole circle of track sliding around on a tile floor as the train went around real fast.

I have the feeling that the windup mechanisms were never originally lubricated.  I keep the motors and rolling stock lubricated, so perhaps they run faster because of this.  The track that came with Hafner and Wyandotte trains was banked to help keep them from flying off in the curves, so it must have been a problem back then too.  My layout has Marx track and recently I added about a 1/4" shim to the outside of the ties to bank the track.  Still, if I wind up the newer Wyandotte loco all the way, with the poor speed governor, it will still fly off the track.  The  older Wyandotte and Marx locos have slightly better speed governors and will stay on the track even if fully wound.

[Train-O]

Thank you Dave,

I did NOT notice the shims under the outside edges of the tracks.
These, wind-ups are ingeniously designed and just like your electric trains and equipment, these wind-ups run and are beautiful.

Oh, yeah!  And good videos, too!!!

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving,

Ralph