Marx Monday! 9/16/2024

A blend of Marx and Lionel: 

And, of course, Norma has to get into the act: 

A closeup of the postwar Pullman, adapted for drawbar by using a tender coupling:

Mitch

Great collection. Marx made some very attractive trains.

@Scotie posted:

Great collection. Marx made some very attractive trains.

Thanks! I have had a Marx train to play with since I was born! (It was my older brother's but that counts!)

@RustyJ posted:

Wow! I had no idea Marx made so many steam engine models and variations thereof!

My favorite Marx steam engine would have to be a 333 smoker. Perfect size for their 3/16" 8-wheel cars.

Andre

Marx Western Pacific E units modified with Lionel coupler, pulling Lionel passenger cars.

Marx 21 F unit pulling 800 series Lionel prewar cars (originals and modern).  Tinplate diesel pulling a tinplate train.

I have always liked Marx, but fitting it into the Hi-Rail world is not easy.

But: one K-Marx 4-6-2 chassis, 2 666 boilers, 1 compressor, 1 Marx tender with Lionel coupler hung on rear Marx truck, hacksaw (literally) and epoxy. Runs very well, thanks to the K-Line gearing.

I always liked the gnarly looks of the 666; they are actually fairly husky and wide locos considering their source. I may yet replace the pilot with a better-looking piece. One day, one day.

Marx 21 dummy diesel modified to have a prewar Lionel latch coupler.   You need filler pieces to raise the coupler to the proper height.

Marx 21 dummy diesel with Lionel knuckle coupler.

M10005, back from the engine rebuild and zippier than ever!

Fun trains

@Sitka posted:

Fun trains

Love those Marx Streamliners!

@Steve Tyler posted:

M10005, back from the engine rebuild and zippier than ever!

I may have to break down and get me a Streamliner one day!

@RustyJ - Hey in your Marx E-7 picture, your forgot the UP   Great collection by the way Rusty, thanks for posting.

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@RustyJ - Hey in your Marx E-7 picture, your forgot the UP   Great collection by the way Rusty, thanks for posting.

Don

Thanks Don! I never had the UP or Allstate engines but I did have the yellow and silver Western Pacific 3-engine set. I sold it, the money kept calling me! lol!

Replacement of my 1939 Christmas present, acquired on e-bay several years ago. My mom donated the original to a wwII scrap metal drive, as I had received my Lionel set for Christmas, 1941.

I am a bit late for Monday (or perhaps just proactive for next Monday)...

https://youtu.be/L73GB84IG78?si=Zvw3T8luSX5DL4X9

@OddIsHeRU posted:

Replacement of my 1939 Christmas present, acquired on e-bay several years ago. My mom donated the original to a wwII scrap metal drive, as I had received my Lionel set for Christmas, 1941.

Richard, your vintage figure-8 track reminded me of the Marx Twin Train set, which offered two trains operating on a single figure-8 track, with a relay built into a signal and using isolated sections to control the trains at the crossover. I couldn't source one to experiment with, so I ended up creating a more modern version that still used all electromechanical components (no electronics) for control, shown below on my test layout:

I later transferred the system to the embedded figure-8 loop on my main layout, though I seldom go to the trouble of adding the second consist, opting to just run a single train for ease of operation. That, BTW, was not possible on the original Marx set, since it relied on the second train entering the sensing section to trigger the 'release' the first, which was halted in the stop section until released. By contrast, my version's stop section is depowered *only* when the second train is in the sensing section, as in this test configuration which approximates the embedded figure-8 loop on the main layout:

[BTW2, I had to use two small phased transformers to put enough power into the track to run both trains at the same time, which helps explain the sometimes exotic throttle work!]

@RustyJ posted:

I may have to break down and get me a Streamliner one day!

Not a bad idea -- there's enough of them out there that they come up fairly regularly on auction sites, at IMHO reasonable prices, and like all Marx motors, the one in the M10005 is pretty durable and easily repairable if in need of a refurb, as mine was. To my eye, it really evokes an era in railroading that was looking forward to the speed and sleekness of modern bullet trains, yet zips along nicely on just about any conventionally-powered 3-rail track. I'm not big-time into tintype, but this is one of my go-to favorites at the moment.

Steve,

How were you able to keep the Marx engines from reversing each time they stopped?  I've seen videos that show how to defeat their reversing units by wiring a jumper around them,

Is that what you needed to do in order to make this work?    Thanks!

I've kept Marx engines from reversing by adding an SPST switch between the E unit coil and the 3rd rail pickup.  This lets me turn off the E unit, locking the engine in one direction.

@027 Bob posted:

How were you able to keep the Marx engines from reversing each time they stopped?  I've seen videos that show how to defeat their reversing units by wiring a jumper around them,

Is that what you needed to do in order to make this work?    Thanks!

No surgery needed -- I came up with an electrical trick that allows me to use any garden variety engine, including ones with either two-position (Marx) or three-position (Lionel) e-units. Basically, I used fairly low resistance power resistors to trickle a low voltage into the stop section, enough to prevent the e-unit from cycling but not enough to allow the engine to creep forward. I used the same trick to create a trolley stop-and-delay setup:

@Steve Tyler posted:

No surgery needed -- I came up with an electrical trick that allows me to use any garden variety engine, including ones with either two-position (Marx) or three-position (Lionel) e-units. Basically, I used fairly low resistance power resistors to trickle a low voltage into the stop section, enough to prevent the e-unit from cycling but not enough to allow the engine to creep forward. I used the same trick to create a trolley stop-and-delay setup:

Nice. Very creative.

@John's Trains posted:

Nice. Very creative.

Well, thanks, maybe . . . creatively adaptive perhaps.

I'm not sure if I heard of the specific use somewhere, but Lionel (and I'm sure others) had suggested essentially the same method to impose a sort of "block control" speed limitation in selective locations, imposing a *very* low-value power resistor between the transformer and an isolated track section in order to automatically slow any consist entering the section (for instance, one with a sharp curve) without having to alter the throttle setting. Raising the resistor value to reduce the trickle voltage enough to stop the engine but not trip the e-unit was a simple application of Ohm's Law , and a bit of fiddlin' . . .

My favorite Marx engine.  New Haven 2002 A/B and caboose.

@GH - New Haven E-7 is very handsome indeed.  Thanks for posting.

From the tinplate world, here is a favorite of mine.  The KCS FM AB unit and tinplate caboose.

Best Wishes

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

From the tinplate world, here is a favorite of mine.  The KCS FM AB unit and tinplate caboose.

Best Wishes

Don

When I see a pic of the Marx KCS FM's, they ALWAYS cause me to perk up and take notice!

The simplicity of the model is SO well muted by the intricate lithography on those great looking little engines!

Iconic little engines, they are!

Andre

@laming - Thank you for your comment Andre, glad you liked the little FM from Marx.  I do agree, Mr. Marx loved lithography and his company really pushed the state of the art in that area with some really great designs.  Thanks again.

Don