Marx Metal 1305 Type Girder Bridges

The only two variations I know of are ones you have pictured already. I can't recall if my Black PRR one has a decalled or rubber stamped name though.

I never cared for the blue bridges. I would guess that most bridges on toy train layouts go over water and a blue bridge would blend in too well. Yellow on the other hand:

This will be an interesting thread I hope.

J White

I think you have it covered Steve, at least from my experience.  That's how I have them inventoried also, with the exception of your type I.  By 'plain' do you mean no herald or lettering at all?  Did they come from the factory like that?  

I always thought it was funny they didn't make it in green, an otherwise popular bridge color.

How many heralds are there? I know of 6, am I missing any?

Great Northern

Rock Island

Illinois Central

New York Central

Pennsylvania

Wabash

And then the question is, did all the heralds come in all the colors?  I've never seen a blue Wabash.

Thanks. Now I know I have the silver one with the NYC herald. Bought not knowing who mad it. Well made.

Steve's Type I - plain silver.

I was mistaken. I have a silver one with two Rock Island stickers.

or some like this.... oh wait, you already got some!!!

ARNO

nice looking bridges, need to start collecting some of those.

Arno

On the Marx Facebook page, when you listed the bridges on e-bay, someone commented you must be selling one of every kind they made. With those I got from you, I have about 33 and am not even close yet.

Steve

I still don't see a blue Wabash.

Black and red Wabash is all I have, too.  But my "collection" of these is far less comprehensive than you guys'.  Good grief, Arno, that's a heap of bridges!

I have seen that silver one with no heralds and assumed it had been repainted.  It shows to go you never can tell.

So Steve, it looks like all this confirms your taxonomy: 5 logo types, of 6 different heralds, in 5 bridge colors.  That's theoretically 150 different bridges, but with the potential that not all possible variations were made.

Like Ives with their herald box cars, a brilliant marketing technique.  Collect the whole set!

All those bridges were the work of my dear friend, the late Dick MacNary. these were the ones he had stuffed up in the rafters of his basement workshop. Dick was one of the top Marx collector and contributed to many of the toy and train books. I'm sure Dick and John Fox had a bit of a competition with these bridges!

Now for another wrench.... one of the red bridges I had (which Steve has now) was made from much thinner metal. So does that make a Type VI?

ARNO

Like the legend says on some of the boxes:   "One of the many Marx toys...do you have all of them?"  I had a black NYC Marx girder bridge on my child hood layout.  I like

Marx trains, but have never collected Marx accessories.  I knew John Fox collected

a LOT of those little yellow six inch dump cars...did not know he collected bridges, too.

I have one of the silver ones that says L-I-O-N-E-L on the sides. That's probably one of the more rare Marx bridges.   LOL

Andy, the Lionel #314 is actually quite a different bridge:

The Lionel bridge has die-cast sides with a plate steel bottom riveted on.  The Marx bridges are all of pressed tinplate.  The Lionel 314 measures 4-1/2" wide by 10" long, while the Marx bridge is larger at 5-1/4" wide by 12" long.  The Marx 1305 is actually large enough to use with Standard Gauge if you wish.

david

I believe Junior Bridge girder bridges were made sturdier on the sides and less so on the roadbed.

I used them on my elevated loop to pass over streets. Like everything Marx mine are elegantly simple and colorful. One of these days I will look for the crank operated lift bridge..another classic. Great collections and photos in this thread.

Steve,

   This is one bridge I do not have and should pick up a couple to add to my layout, they are way cool, is there enough room to lay FasTrack thru them?

PCRR/Dave

PCRR Dave,

There's about a 1/2" clearance on each side when placing a piece of Fastrack on a Marx girder bridge. Here's a very quick shot of two pieces of Fastrack laid on top of the Marx track on my bridge:

Too lazy to take the existing track up, and haven't a clue where the other bridge is.

J White

Steve & J White,

    Thanks much that is exactly what I wanted to know, looks like I need to add a couple of these to my layout, will look around for some in great shape, for my Tin Plate Trains to run thru.

PCRR/Dave

I think they would be pretty easy to customize too, so perhaps if you found one in really bad shape instead of great shape there might end up being one lettered for the Pine Creek RR.

J White

J White,

   Now that sir is a great idea, thanks much.  I already have the decals to make that happen, in the correct size!  I actually have doubles in the Lionel type Girder bridge,

one black one gray, that span the roll out power station opening, on the Christmas layout.

PCRR/Dave

Just got my 39th version of these bridges. What I call a type IV in blue, NYC.

Also added my spread sheet I use to track them.

Steve

well no wonder I can't find one East of the Mississippi...they're all out in California!