Marx Tinplate Trains - A Guide by Collectors

[mersenne6]

Marx Factory R&D Models

  Back when I was visiting collections and taking pictures of trains I visited a collector who had a couple of the Marx factory prototypes.  This car is a factory hand painted sample with a lady standing on the rear platform waving with a handkerchief in her hand.  Her arm is coupled via a wire to an eccentric on the axle of the rear wheel.  As the wheels turn her arm moves up and down. 

 

  Based on Matzke's first edition of Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains it would appear that Marx made at least two versions of this R&D concept.

  From pp. 44 "Bye-Bye Observation: This has to be the cutest model of all. A woman's figure lithograhed on metal (the car above, including the woman is hand painted), with a moving (articulated) arm, holds a tiny handkerchief in her hand which she waves from the observation platform. The arm is activated by a link to the U-shaped rear car axle to produce reciprocating movement in the link. The model is made from a standard six-inch red lithographed observation car with black and white detail mounted on a red and white frame, model year 1938."

  Given that the above car is larger and completely hand painted it might be that the car described in the Matzke book was the next step in an attempt to move the car to production.

[overlandflyer]

mersenne6

...  Given that the above car is larger and completely hand painted it might be that the car described in the Matzke book was the next step in an attempt to move the car to production.

this is a very interesting car as it seems to be the frame described in the newer Greenberg/ Matzke Vol I, page 40...

"... A group of passenger cars exhibited swivel trucks fastened to the car frame, similar to the six-inch, eight-wheel cars.  Instead of two axles and four wheels per truck, each simulated truck had only two wheels and one axle...."

these cars were said to have been made to compete with the Unique Arts trains of 1949, so if this was an animated car, it was developed long after the red lithographed frames were out of production.

by the tie spacing of the track piece in the photo, i'm making this car out to be 9" (!) long.  quite a monster compared to most Marx, but this is what the 7" freight cars that were finally decided on were all about.  in that head to head battle with U.A., size is what mattered most.

would have been a great animated car, though.

cheers...gary

[mersenne6]

Marx Factory R&D Models

 

  The second car I photographed was this hand painted UP boxcar.  It is the same car that is pictured on page 45 of the first edition Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains.  The text, at least in the first edition, is incorrect with respect to the the construction of this car.  The text indicates there were two versions of this car (which there were) and that both were made of wood with one of the cars sporting hook and slot couplers (this one) and one sporting automatic couplers.  The error is in the description of the construction.  This car is all metal whereas the car with automatic couplers was made of wood. 

  The car is hand painted on both sides and the hand lettering is such that the sides are a very close match to one another with respect to lettering size, style and location on the car body.

 

 

 

 

[overlandflyer]

mersenne6

... The text, at least in the first edition, is incorrect with respect to the the construction of this car.  The text indicates there were two versions of this car (which there were) and that both were made of wood with one of the cars sporting hook and slot couplers (this one) and one sporting automatic couplers.  The error is in the description of the construction.  This car is all metal whereas the car with automatic couplers was made of wood. ...

it seems like Greenberg corrected this in the 1989 ed. (Vol I) picturing both UP boxcars and stating one was made of wood and the other (the one you shown above) as all metal construction with tab&slot couplers.  in the book, the wood version is shown with prewar one way automatic couplers.

[tjl0824]

mersenne6

Marx Factory R&D Models

   The second car I photographed was this hand painted UP boxcar.  It is the same car that is pictured on page 45 of the first edition Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains.

This couldn't get anymore ironic. I just read that book for the first time the other day, and was amazed at the amount of R&D prototypes pictured. I have been doing a lot of research to find more about some of them, but it would appear that the information is right in front of me! I must ask, do you own one of the three GG1 prototypes? I would love to know why they never put it into production. My other favorite is the 7 inch Marlines gondola with the cow on the side. I could imagine what they intended to put in that car. Milk cans? Tin cows?.....

I can't wait to see more!

Trevor

[overlandflyer]

one of the first uses of the Marx Canadian Pacific type locomotive was in the role of heading up an actual CP passenger train offered as both a clockwork 4-wheel and an electric 8-wheel version.

 

#5895W Canadian Pacific Passenger Set (electric)

 

four wheel clockwork sets were headed up by the same CP 3000 locomotive that was shown in an earlier posting in this string and was essentially the same livery as the electric version which usually showed up as a 2-4-2 versus the 0-4-0 windup version.

 

#3000 CP locomotive w/ 8wh tender

 

with the standard single reduction motor, larger sets came with a weighted locomotive to help with traction.

 

8-wheel (elect) and 4-wheel (clockwork) CP tenders

 

for a prewar tender, the CP types had a bit more shape than the ultra-plain CV tenders.

but probably the most unusual feature of these sets was the number of different cars available.  unlike their more common three car consists, the CP passenger sets had eight different car names/ numbers.

 

#246 Montreal & #247 Toronto

 

#248 Quebec & #249 Ottawa

 

#250 Winnipeg & #251 Vancouver

 

#252 Calgary & #253 Hamilton

shown here as a mixture of both 4-wheel and 8-wheel frames, clockwork sets typically topped out at 4 cars, though, larger electric sets included up to all 8 cars.  smaller sets contained a random assortment of car names/ numbers so especially with the 4-wheel types, it often takes finding multiple sets to track down all the car numbers.

the 8-wheel versions were only available with tab & slot couplers never being offered with one way auto couplers.  4-wheel versions also had a fixed tab & slot coupler likely due to the clockwork drive being a reversing motor which does not function well with sliding tab & slot couplers.  no lighted versions of these cars were ever made, either.  and though Marx collectors would have liked to have seen an open vestibule observation car, let's face it, ...this was the Canadian Pacific and the majority of the year it's cold at those latitudes.  even most northern US roads favored closed-in Solarium type tail-end cars.

from a collector standpoint, large, boxed and well matched sets generally command a premium price.  as a seller with a single C7 condition car, you hope that there are two or more Marx fanatics out there who need that final number to fill in their collection.

fun stuff, eh?

...gary

[mersenne6]

 

   Trevor, I'm sorry to disappoint but the two cars pictured are the only two R&D prototypes I ever had the chance to photograph.  These cars, like most of the "trains" I have are nothing more than photographs.  Way back, before the Greenberg books, I started putting together a photo reference library for myself with the main focus on pre-war American Flyer (hence the large number of posts over on Northwoods Flyer's Pre-War American Flyer thread).  If there were non-Flyer items in a collection that caught my eye I would ask for permission to photograph those items as well.  These two happened to be in a large general collection of pre-war everything-made-for-the-American-market which I visited almost 15 years ago.

  When the Greenberg books started coming out I quit taking pictures since I assumed there would be periodic updates of the references - that was a bad assumption.  Within the last year or two I've gone back to taking pictures but I haven't seen anymore Marx R&D items.

  Besides the Greenberg book the only other pictures of Marx R&D models that I'm aware of were some pictures of the Martin and Osterund collections which were briefly featured in the October 1993 TCA Quarterly both as an inside article and as the wrap-around color cover. 

[tjl0824]

I posted a link to this video on the Yahoo group, but I figured I'd share it here too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_xlTbApYII

This goes to show that a whimsical toy-like layout can be set up in any amount of space. This is on my basement floor, and is pure Marx (even the track). It also demonstrates the usefulness of 3 and 5 tie track and they can be mixed to make track plans not possible with Lionel's track.

Trevor

[overlandflyer]

hokey smoke, Bullwinkle!  a whole month without a Marx posting!
...got to do something about that!

after Marx got rid of the inherited Girard Toy Company stock, the first truly Marx trains started to appear in 1935 with simple single color w/ black detail/lettering lithography and sitting on 4 wheel black frames with silver (though in most lighting appearing as white) details.  except for the #552 gondola, all cars had sliding mounted "Joy Line" couplers.

there were only about a dozen of these early car types and few are considered rare, but due to their short life of not more than a few years of sales and considering they were the first and oldest, to find them in better conditions can be a challenge.  here are some trains i've managed to piece together.

Silver Litho Frame Passenger Train - ca 1935

many of these first cars had body styles and graphics that would persist, but the numbering system in this first round of 6" tin cars was a bit different than the standard numbers that would follow in later years.  among those was the first three-car passenger set which included the #245 Bogota, #246 Montclair and #201 Observation cars.  only available in red livery, the cars featured open windows and though the coaches were unlighted, the observation car came in a lighted drumhead version with center rail pickup.

to complete my passenger train, the early, green #1935 Mail Car adds a nice contrast to the consist.  (and i'm very suspicious that the red and green livery mix was no accident!)  other less seen variations of this car had red door guides and/or plain doors which are sought after by some collectors, but for me, the more common version is the best looking.

#91453 Colorato & Souther Reefer; (551) NYC Tender w/ rivet detail

in this first year only the Commodore Vanderbilt locomotive was available to head both electric and clockwork trains, and since these have already been covered, we'll start at the tender in its most basic CV (551) shape.  pictured is the more common black rivet-lithographed livery.  probably the rarest of the silver litho frame cars is the all silver NYC tender which was usually paired with the equally rare silver CV locomotive.

the early yellow #91453 C&S reefer is another example of a car where the graphics changed little, but had its color upgraded and renumbered as #555 in later years of production.

Silver Litho Frame Work Train

so far my small work train consists of the #1678 NP hopper, #552 C.R.I.&P. gondola and (550) NYC wrecker (which received an original replacement cable and hook shortly after this photo).  again, all three cars would go on to be regular production '550 series' 6" cars in later years.  both the hopper and gondola would be upgraded with multi-color details with all versions of the NP hopper graphic changing to #554. 

for the picture, i slightly lowered the track clips that are unique to the wrecker frame.  when rescuing a train on an adjacent track, these clips can serve to steady the car when the boom arm is pivoted off center.

i know i have a pretty nice #553 Santa Fe 'Middle States Oil' tank car somewhere, but so far that car has eluded my current inventory search.

#694 NYC caboose w/ silver litho frame (portal window version on right)

bringing up the rear, the NYC caboose design perfectly complimented the apparently slumming Commodore Vanderbilt locos assigned to Marx freight service.  changed to #556 with added white detail in later years, this early version had a variation w/o front and rear facing portal windows.

these first years of prewar production saw quite a few frame designs and variations until the solid black, square frame design became a standard for 4-wheel, 6" tin, but the litho versions certainly do add another increment of charm to the Marx line.

cheers...gary

[tjl0824]

I cannot believe it, but this is the 100th post so far. I would have never thought that so much information would have been added here, but I've been proven wrong. I'd like to thank Gary and James for sharing so much knowledge and so many pieces out of their collection. I think this is just a start a though, and there is so much more out there to be learned.

Keep postin'!

Trevor

[mersenne6]

Since we're talking about the first Marx cars and sets from 1935 I thought you might like to have a picture of the clockwork set from that year.

 

[AF53]

Ok, time to add my !

This is a set given to me when I was 2 or 3 years old on Christmas 1959 or 1960 (can't remember)!

It's the "Tales of Wells Fargo" set. The set box is in poor shape but you can still read the price, $14.88.

Here is the Locomotive.

The Tender's lettering is not visible in the picture but it reads " Tales of Wells Fargo". Too much handling when I played with it I guess. Little did I know......

Passenger Car #1.

Passenger Car #3 (they never made a car #2 for some reason).

The set still runs great and there are a few litho buildings included. Sad to say I don't have the "rare" Jim Hardy figure.

[overlandflyer]

mersenne6

Since we're talking about the first Marx cars and sets from 1935 I thought you might like to have a picture of the clockwork set from that year.

pretty set & don't ever mind seeing a rare CV type such as the green clockwork.  no catalogs existed this early and most if not all Marx trains were sold as sets, with passenger trains solely based on the number of cars.  it's hard to pick up from your picture, but n-coach sets did not necessarily have equal number of Bogota and Montclair cars, but could contain any mixed assortment.  a Marx practice that was carried on to later passenger set types (eg, M10005 sets).

also of note for 1935, the early Joy Line track (with a very high rail profile) was replaced by the Marx low profile O27 track.  with a new 90° crossover also offered, sets would either be offered as a basic oval or as a figure-8 configuration..

[overlandflyer]

AF53

...

The Tender's lettering is not visible in the picture but it reads " Tales of Wells Fargo". Too much handling when I played with it I guess. Little did I know......

Passenger Car #1.

Passenger Car #3 (they never made a car #2 for some reason).

The set still runs great and there are a few litho buildings included. Sad to say I don't have the "rare" Jim Hardy figure.

1st Div. St Paul & Pacific RR #1, the William Crooks

this is one Marx got remarkably close for a toy model (at least to the original version since this locomotive went through a few different rebuilds in its lifetime).  it's hard to pickup the numbers from this picture, but the Wm. Crooks is actually pulling a two car consist of Baggage car #1 and Coach #3 with window and door patterns very close to the models.

this tender type is often found with very weak lettering that was easily worn off with handling.  Robert Grossman Co. does make a replacement transfer for both the '1st Div. St. P&P RR' or the 'Tales of Wells Fargo' lettered tenders.  as an oddball one-off model from Marx, for cataloging purposes, the Baggage and Coach are usually listed under the 7" category.

being a cross-collectable as also a Marx playset, i've seen complete and boxed versions of your "Tales of Wells Fargo" set go for some major bucks.

[JamesP]

Mersenne6, that is a wonderful set!  Thanks for posting it.  Gary, I really like your early cars - all of those are on my "Marx Wish List" as I only have a tender and a couple of Joy Line passenger cars for my swing-pegs to pull around.  Ray, I enjoyed seeing your Wells Fargo set too.  Great stuff!

I've been pretty lax about posting (here or anywhere) since it is Live Steam season right now, but as soon as the weather turns colder and I have the steamers winterized, I'll get more active on the computer again.  Glad to see some activity on the Marx thread!

 - James

[mersenne6]

Gary, the set has two Montclair's, two Bogota's and an observation.  Below is the freight set from the same period.  The hopper car is interesting in that it was a bit of a rush job at the factory - it doesn't have a bin.

 

[overlandflyer]

ah, the rare 'open bottom' hopper!  and thanks for the #553 SF tank car pic.  the only silver frame cars left to be pictured are the dual spotlight car and the #547 mail/baggage.

i wasn't as lucky in coach distribution with the blue Merc set i have which came with two Montclairs, but they're so well matched it would be next to impossible to find a similar Bogota coach.  the most lopsided set i ever saw was a large boxed M10005 with 5 x Los Angeles coaches + the Squaw Bonnet obsv.  ...perfectly legitimate, though.

[mersenne6]

....and if the "open bottom" hopper isn't odd enough, how about an upside down one?

 

[overlandflyer]

with over 100 replies and into the 8th page, before this goes any further, i thought i'd take a shot at an index.  it will be a work in progress but i tested a small segment and it seems to work ok.  the nice part is that the links are referenced to the message # and not its position in the responses, so any editing shouldn't effect the links.

every response isn't indexed and if there are following comments adjacent to the link, simply scrolling down a bit should include everything.  an index can probably be a little overwhelmingly useless if it gets too long or detailed.

Marx is naturally implied on all entries unless otherwise noted.

cheers...gary

============

Channel Track: (also see Disney)
various Marx channel track trains
Ranger Steel Products - passenger train

Christmas Displays:
2011 - David Smith layout

Commodore Vanderbilt: (CV)
http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/p/207544/2272237.aspx#2272237
http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/p/207544/2272973.aspx#2272973

http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/p/207544/2271291.aspx#2271291
http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/p/207544/2271640.aspx#2271640

video
custom CV

Mercury (also see Misc):
http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/p/207544/2283658.aspx#2283658
Red (batt) & Blue (c/w) Merc sets

Disney:
Mickey Mouse Meteor - 7" train
Channel Track

The Joy Line:
The Joy Line

Military:
Prewar Locomotives, 4 & 8 wheel 6" tin
2572 ramp car

Erie-built FM:
Seaboard
Monon / Kansas City Southern
Monon & KCS 7" cabooses

6" tin:
mono color boxcars: B&LE, B&O, SSW, C&NW
NYC Pacemaker boxcars

Canadian Pacific Passenger (8wh)

Flats w/ vehicles (562) and airplane (572A) + Automatic couplers

Prewar Silver Lithographed Frames
Prewar Red Lithographed Frames

Cabooses

3/16" Scale:
Freight Cars

Other Steam Locomotives:
#994 & #898 comparison

Sets:
#526 - #401 clockwork locomotive set

#550 - CP clockwork locomotive freight set

#29154 - Lehigh Valley diesel freight set

#7650 - M10005 freight set

#10500 - Nickle Plate Road 7" tin clockwork freight set - 1
#10500 - Nickle Plate Road 7" tin clockwork freight set - 2

#25224 - #999 3/16" scale freight set (typ)

#54762 - Tales of Wells Fargo
#56844 - #1829 Hudson set

unkn - green CV passenger set - silver litho frame cars
unkn - early CV freight set - silver litho frame cars

unkn - Canadian Pacific 6" tin passenger train

Misc:
wheel governor c/w motor
whistling c/w (Mercury) & DC motors

box top graphics (M10000; M10005, Cape Canaveral)

Right-O-Way railroad signs

small folding layout

Truck Types

Couplers:
http://cs.trains.com/ctt/f/95/p/207544/2286229.aspx#2286229

R&D models:
D&H observation car
UP boxcar

[AF53]

Great idea on the index Gary, !

As for the Tales of Wells Fargo set number I believe this might help.

Notice the price marked on the box!

[overlandflyer]

Tales of Wells Fargo - 54762, check!

after playing around with font sizes and having a big issue with wysiwy(don't)g editors, i think i finally got a good, readable post for the index.  i'll still play a little with the links to get most of the http text replaced by something more literal.  interesting find in that clicking on the date of any post/reply will create a direct link and since it's message and not position relative, any post-editing will not effect the link.

it was actually a bit of a selfish task.  trying to find one of my own replies yesterday, i had to look at 4 out of the 8 pages before i found it!

onward and upward.

cheers...gary

[wallyworld]

A small layout in my home office I built to be reserved for clockworks.

watch?v=DWsdhw2ra4&list=UU8zBJbKPYLt2RvdNu ZujQ&index=3&feature=plcp

[overlandflyer]

wallyworld

A small layout in my home office I built to be reserved for clockworks.

very neat!  how about a few stills?  i'd like to see your custom finish on those switches (i like the green base, don't know about the white detail... :).  i have a feeling there will be at least one other fan interested in your turntable, also.

nice mix... Hafner & Flyer joining Marx, ...a tinplate trifecta!

cheers...gary

[wallyworld]

Hi Overland

Thanks. The turntable and bumper posts are made by Hornby, a U.K contemporary of O gauge  Marx and can be had for a very reasonable price in various color schemes. The Marx switches were of course converted from three rail into two rail, as I wanted the layout to be as compact as I could make it. I have Hornby switches but the radius was just a bit too large without making the table less portable as it has removable legs and can be stored easily. The top is 1/4 " ply with acrylic  painted "grass" and "ballast" What I like most about this is that it was both inexpensive and fun to bring about. The paint for the switches was applied in prewar colors after stripping them clean. Ties painted brown. The green is known as "apple green." The stanchions are painted a concrete color . I just got my camera back from the wife..Ill try to post some later. I just don't want to sidetrack the subject too much. The train stop in front of the station is a Hornby track section ( wide ties) as the double semaphore. The turntable was repainted with whats called fleckstone, a textured paint. Hope this answers your questions.

[David Barker]

My first electric train was a Marx given to me by my Uncle Joe Baber when he returned from WWIII.  I(n 1952 my father switched me to American Flyer where I stayed until 1998 when I moved.

 

I now collect marx and enjoy it very much! 

[overlandflyer]

David Barker

My first electric train was a Marx given to me by my Uncle Joe Baber when he returned from WWIII.  ...

I now collect marx and enjoy it very much! 

welcome back to good ol' Marx, David.

can you recall what that first train you had was?

if so, do you still have it or have you recreated it?

...picture?

 

cheers...gary

[overlandflyer]

"That doesn't look like the Marx set I had."...

one nice part about collecting Marx are the number of different niches in which one can specialize.  compared to the 300+ page Lionel price guide, the Marx version takes only 1/4 of that many pages to cover at least half a dozen different categories with even more divisions within those.

one of the most distinctive Marx types is surely the 3/16" scale line.  with the late 30's push for more realism in model trains and the release of the Gilbert Flyer Tru-Scale in 1938, Marx must have felt the pressure to produce a low-cost train based on actual prototype equipment.  there is evidence that the development of these cars started ~1940.  the choice of 3/16" scale kept the car width close to the 6" tin line which i've got to imagine was also a tooling consideration.  dimensionally (to everything but gauge) and graphically, these cars were quite accurate and prototype examples have often been cited.

having already touched on truck and coupler types, pictures here will display a variety of B (scale) and D (high) trucks as well as both metal and plastic couplers.  along with the one prewar year, scale sets were produced until the late 1950's when Marx shifted the term "scale" to their new HO line.

probably the most recognizable motive power of Marx scale sets was the #999 steam loco, but a variety of locomotives, both diesel and steam, can be found in legitimate sets.  hopefully some sets will appear in replies, but for now i'll try to cover the major freight car types.

starting at the head-end, the versatile wedge tender took on a few forms for this task.

(951) NYC wedge tender, in its most common form on B trucks...

 

 it also appeared on D trucks along with a working spotlight version for work train use.

 

the B vs D truck difference can best be shown at the head-end of the tenders.  though the car-side couplers were set at the same height, the D trucks more easily mated with the later #666 steam sets where the locomotive coupler was set higher than the #999 and other older types.

 

 late versions of the wedge tender often sported a more realistic looking plastic coal load

 

two of the more common boxcars are the NYC Pacemaker and the GAEX liveries.

#174580 NYC boxcar; w/ rivet detail on D-trucks

 

the NYC boxcar came with or without rivet details and riding on either B or D trucks with all versions being fairly easy to locate.  but unlike the 6" tin NYC Pacemaker and other roadnames available in 16 different numbers, no 3/16" scale cars were produced with multiple numbers.

 

#1950 GAEX "DF" & "Gaex-DF" boxcars  both on D-trucks

 

the GAEX boxcar was also litho'ed in two versions (note the yellow stripe).  also found on both B and D trucks in all four combinations, the "Gaex-DF" version on B trucks and the "DF" version on D trucks are much more common than "Gaex-DF" version on D trucks and the "DF" version on B trucks.

 

the lesser seen, though not exceptionally hard to find boxcars...

#70311 Pennsylvania

 

#3200 NYNH&H

 

#9100 UP "The Challenger"

 

with these three only found on B-trucks, that's all there were, folks.  track down all 5 of these paint schemes and you generally have all the boxcar types in Marx 3/16" scale.  try that with Lionel 6464 types on the same budget!

 

scale tank cars came lettered for three different companies...

#256 NIAX tank cars in both silver and black details

 

i'll have to check this, but i believe the silver detail NIAX tank car was only the prewar (1942) version while the more commonly seen black frame/detail version appeared after 1946.  one of the most commonly seen Marx tank cars, try stumping a Marx collector by asking them what this tank car was built to transport.  Glacial Acetic Acid?  even though i've figured that one out (along with the appropriately printed 'heater pipes' indication), i'm still trying to find a reference for "Milton Wt"(??).

 

#652 Shell & #2532 Cities Service tank cars on D trucks

 

the Shell and CS tank cars added a little contrast to the mostly subdued scale colors.

 

to haul contained, open loads, 3/16" scale included a number of gondolas along with one hopper.

#71499 Nickle Plate Road & #254000 B&O gondolas

 

the B&O gondola is probably the most commonly seen livery and the only gondola that can be found on high D-trucks.

 

#17899 Texas & Pacific gondolas

 

the two subtle versions of the T&P gondola.  no, not the color difference, though this is a good example of Marx gray with and without a lacquer-type over coat that often changed the color over time; also very evident in the gray Mercury streamline car sets.  but back to the subjects above, note in one lettered version, "Texas & Pacific" is written under the "T&P" logo while the other version does not.

 

#347000 PA gondola & #13079 Lehigh & New England hopper

 

the LNE hopper, with operating hatches was certainly one of the more complex scale cars.  and though only available in the one roadname, there are a few slight variations which involve the end bracing that some collectors seek.

 

#44572 C&O high sided gondolas (with & without rivet detail)

 

rounding out these load carrying work cars, the C&O gondola was another car that can be found with or without rivet detail and the only high-sided gondola version. 

 

three flat cars continued the eastern dominance of roadnames.

#2700 NKP,  #33773 B&M,  #80410 C&O staked flat cars - all shown here on D-trucks

 

available with pipe (heavy paper tubes) or timber loads, all three scale flat cars are prized by collectors especially with original loads.  a plain natural log load has also been identified as a genuine Marx production version.  reproduction loads are available for most Marx cars from Robert Grossman Co.

 

#2700 NKP flat w/o stakes

 

the NYC&StL version also came as a non-staked flat, here shown with a pair of Marx Speedway coupes (though no original load ever came with this car).  while all three staked flat cars can be found with either B or D trucks, i have yet to see the non-staked NKP flat on D-trucks.

 

(3591A) searchlight car & (3550) NYC wrecker

 

two of the more difficult to find non-revenue freight cars are the searchlight and NYC wrecker in red.  more common versions of the wrecker appear in gray and black with versions also found on D-trucks, and an extremely rare dual searchlight version of the #3591A is known to exist.

 

#53941 Pennsylvania & #13549 AT&SF stock cars

 

the two 3/16" scale stock cars are certainly on different sides of the track when it comes to rarity and value.  being one of the last to be produced, the Santa Fe stock car can often be found practically new in the box whereas the PA stock car is one of the hardest regular production scale cars to locate.

 

#20102 NYC & #92812 cabooses

 

while no scale Reading tender was ever made (that is unless you have friend who is good at painting and applying decals :), either Reading or NYC cabooses were the two choices available to round out a scale freight set.

 

Marx collectors will probably notice a glaring omission to this scale freight car group.  a while ago i constructed a display of refrigerator cars for a local museum group, and when it came time to remove it, the Marx Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) reefer found its way to a quite hidden location i have yet to stumble upon.  so for now, this is the best i can do...

40' wood reefers as scale display

 

as a side note, if you're ever looking to do a nice scale display, the basic 40' reefer is a car i managed to find in almost every scale between #1 and Z (yes, even TT!).

 

it might be worthwhile to note that Marx made a number of detailed plastic cars with the same fork couplers and scale trucks which fit in very well with the tinplate 3/16" scale cars, but those are usually characterized as Marx deluxe plastic.

 

i will leave the scale passenger cars for another time, though being mostly a freight train collector, i have only the most common NYC and Santa Fe roadnames and liveries in 3/16" scale.  it would be nice to see the less common Western Pacific or NYC silver/ blue letter sets if anyone has those.

 

cheers...gary

 

 

more Marx? ...Index of replies HERE.

[tjl0824]

overlandflyer

 Marx collectors will probably notice a glaring omission to this scale freight car group.  a while ago i constructed a display of refrigerator cars for a local museum group, and when it came time to remove it, the Marx Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) reefer found its way to a quite hidden location i have yet to stumble upon.  so for now, this is the best i can do...

I have you covered Gary

Easily one of my favorite scale cars. Although I don't have any of the 3/16 scale passenger cars, I have about 80% of the freight cars.

Now how about all the locomotives that were sold with 3/16 scale cars? I know of quite a few but there probably are others I didn't know came 3/16 sets.

Trevor

[overlandflyer]

after scanning a few other forums within this train network, i've got to wonder if some people here think there is a limitation of 550 pixel width for images posted.  i often click on a photo, which is in fact limited to 550 pix width while viewing the inline posts, hoping to see a larger version only to see the same 550 pixel width image again.

i remember seeing a "maximum width = 550 pixel" notation in the old forum system that is no longer evident in the new forum, but even at that time, i was referencing larger format photos with no problem.  i'm sure with most flat screen monitors not pushing retirement age, 700-800 up to 1000-1200 pix wide images are not going to be a problem even if a little scrolling is called for.  without going to extremes, i like a picture have enough resolution to address the key features its intended to show..

so please consider the reading glass crowd next time you post(?)

i really don't think any limit on size (practically) is a forum requirement.

...and i see enough small, blurry pictures on eBay.

cheers...gary

 

 

afterthought... speaking of photos, in making up the index i noticed only ONE Christmas (holiday, etc, ...whatever excuse you use to set up trains toward the end of the calendar year) display submitted so far.  and with the end of the world due soon, this may be your last chance, so how 'bout some Marx themed round-the-tree layout photos or videos in the coming months?

[Northwoods Flyer]

Thank you for all of the information posted to this thread by so many different contributors.  I have enjoyed reading each of the posts. I can appreciate the research, work and time put into producing each entry.  I have learned a great deal by reading this thread.  I know very little about Marx, but I can tell you I will recognize a number of things when I see them now.  I have also been tempted to dabble in collecting some pieces of Marx.  Well to be honest I've been temtped to the point of buying some items.

This is a group of equipment that I bought.  Did I actually buy a recognizable set?

 

 

 

 

 

The #999 engine runs well and has lots of pulling power.  Part of the reason that I bought it is because I really like the Pacemaker color scheme.   I don't have much Marx but I'm happy to make a contribution to your effort.  Please keep up the great work.

 

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer