a little family history

Wow, that is SO cool you have something with a family history!

Great story !!

It's a fine thing to know the background of a set, and especially to have one from within the family.  The Marx CV is a classic.

Maybe the bulb was the only one the train store had at the time.  The CV opening can accommodate a large bulb.

Nice post, Dave.

Dave,

  Nice looking locomotive!

Tom

That is such a touching story, I am sure your Uncle would be happy to know his train was bringing joy to others through you and your efforts to share the photos with us. Fantastic. The very best to you and your family.

Thanks for posting! That dimple bulb could be original. It makes Uncle Jim's CV even more special. Marx used whatever was handy. Lithographed freight cars were recycled, too. One car is on the inside; a new car, on the outside.

Auctioneer Ted Maurer once told me that he had sold so many Marx variations that he wondered whether Marx had ever manufactured two products that were exactly the same.

since it was bought during the war, I imagine they used whatever bulb may have been available. Not factory fresh, but it sure looks great to me, and a great reminder of my Uncle and Dad. 

just a note about your tender.  the (3551) type was not manufactured until the late 50's long after the CV was out of production.

here is a Marx Commodore Vanderbilt with one of the most common CV tenders with rivet detail...

though i believe the (3551) is a much better looking tender and fits in well with the older 6" cars, just thought you'd like to know what was likely originally in the set.

how about a photo of the whole train?

cheers...gary

quote:

since it was bought during the war, I imagine they used whatever bulb may have been available

The 394 beacon didn't come out until 1949. I don't know of anything that used a 461 dimple bulb before then. It probably didn't exist. So the bulb was probably replaced somewhere along the line.

thanks Gary. I don't have a "set", the engine was bought during WWll. there never was a Marx tender for it.Dad ran a Lionel coffin tender with it. I picked up the Marx  tender I'm running with the engine for my Uncle about 10 years ago. and the 6" cars in the pic I got off here a short while ago.

How about the Marx Beacon? I imagine it was Postwar.

I don't have a lot of knowledge or reference material on Marx. Only the 1978 edition of Greenberg's guide to Marx Trains.

I don't see anything in the book about accessories.

It would be interesting to know when American Flyer and Marx came out with their beacons. I suspect they were also Postwar.

very nice set, that's probably right in that the bulb was what the service station

had on hand at the time.

Lionel was infamous for doing this. Lionel service stations used to slap together sets with what ever stock they had on hand to move trains and create cash flow.

thanks for sharing, those stories are what makes this hobby worth being in!!!

I noticed my CV has gold nameplates, and a headlight visor. The one in Gary's pic has black nameplates, and a round headlight trim. would his be later production?

I knew those cars were going to a good home.  Did you get them all straight?

Gene Anstine

"more or less" (one of my Uncle Jim's favorite sayings....yeah they look pretty presentable now. I just need to order some parts, and stumble across a tank car end or fab one up. They look really good behind the CV.

 Thanks Gene, I had them in mind to run behind it when I saw your ad.

and a little more history...Dad and Mom married in '61, so I'm pretty sure Dad had passed the CV onto my Uncle a few years before that, I'll have to ask him. He hung onto 1684 and these three cars. So for the first time in 55+ years, they are back together. Once the will legalities are finalized, I'll have the rest of the trains back together.I know there are some more Prewar Lionel Dad had given my Uncle, and my uncle's 2020 that set me on the path to be a SPF.

Gary's looks like it has prewar drivers. My CV has the gold nameplates and headlight visor and it has postwar style drivers and pickup.

BTW, great thread!

actually according to Mr. Marxtin, Walt Hiteshew, the black nameplate Commodore Vanderbilt which was part of the red litho frame freight set was on sale as early as December 1937.  in production through three decades, there are a few dozen different versions of the Marx CV locomotive, both electric and clockwork.

cheers...gary