In the last few years I have become a Marx fan. The yellow and brown M10005 is a former clockwork repowered with a 490 steam engine motor (the clockwork winding mechanism was broken). I made a tab/slot adapter to run it as a mixed train. The green and cream one is a small wheel motor.
Hello again Marx train fans and others...just trying to keep this thread going. Please don't hesitate to post any new pictures or pictures of your layout.
Today i have something that is humble in its value but I think is interesting as I acquired it in nearly perfect condition despite dating from (about) 1962 or almost 60 years ago. It is Marx Electric Set # 7822. My research dates it to the mid 1960's with the most definite date being that this exact train appeared in the 1962 Sears catalog. It also partially appeared in the 1961 Montgomery Wards Catalog as pictured here but with the addition of a 4 wheel box car and gondola...total price in '61 $9.95 !
Here you go...
Here is the box cover, fairly generic and as can be seen far from perfect.
Here is the end of the box cover, clearly showing the Set # 7822. The consist that was inside exactly matched the description of Set # 7822 (B) per the Greenberg reference, "Marx Trains, Vol III, Sets". Note that the configuration of #7822 (A) was same except engine and caboose are WP vice NYC.
Here is the inside of the box, again matching the contents of the set per the reference except my set came to me with a few more pieces of 0-27 track, likely added later in life. Transformer is correct number, set also came with a lock-on and a 2 coiled pieces of wire one red and one green as hook up wire. The flat car is packed under the Hopper, a trick Marx likely used so that they could employ a smaller (or perhaps already available) box to lower cost.
Here is the total consist. Engine, LV Hopper, Flat with Fences, and Caboose. Note (also as listed in the reference) the engine has tab/slot couplers and the cars all have plastic knuckle couplers. Tab fits into the curve of the knuckle to make for a firm connection.
Here are the maroon / yellow Erie flatcar and the red/white NYC caboose. Note...the flatcar did NOT come with any load except for the fences shown on the sides. I will tell you that these fences are one of the things I found really cool about this particular set. They are very hard to come by, usually lost over the life of the set, and very fragile. To still be in the box after 60 years is really neat!
Here is the Yellow / Black LV hopper
Here is the classic Marx NYC #588 4 wheel diesel . The black / white lettering version as shown here was actually the first version of this locomotive Marx produced and it was available as early as 1958. It has a 2- position reverse and a clear headlight lens and headlight. So although the engine could date as early as '58, I suspect the set dates from '62 due to its appearance in the Sears catalog in that year.
Oh yea...since I tend to operate my trains you will be pleased to know that like so many Marx locomotives, this one worked perfectly. A little lube oil on the gear train and off she went, headlight and reverse mechanism worked perfectly.
Happy Thursday
Don
Here is something you don't see posted much. The Marx 1610 lighted switches. The light wasn't too great the way they came from the factory due to the light being attached to track power. I took the switch apart and desoldered the wire to the light. Then I cut a small hole in the side of the switch and ran the wire out to accessory power. I run them off of the accessory posts on a Marx 1249 transformer, which runs at 13 volts. I relamped them with led lamps from Town and Country Hobbies. I believe the ones I used were the LED 1447WW.
OK Marx Train Fans...I am going to label this post..."Hair Brained Idea!" You know that I like to operate my trains and since I have Lionel, American Flyer (O gauge) and Marx, I am always thinking about how can I couple motive power from mfr "A" onto cars from mfr "B". So today, when I was trying to post something to the Switcher Saturday post, I got out a Lionel #8300 2-4-0 and its ATSF slope back tender in gold letters, this combo dates back to the earliest days of the MPC era of Lionel, 1973-75, In looking at the combo I realized that the ATSF tender was really in bad shape. SO...I started to think about this situation and realized that unlike Lionel, MARX used a lot of slope back tenders especially with their 400/490 engines. So I dug out one of my extras, (even had 8 wheel metal trucks vice the Lionel plastic frame trucks) and here is what happened.
Here is the Lionel $8300 (1973-75) with its original tender. You can probably see that the tender is leaning down forward and that's because its forward (plastic) truck is broken in half. Also, the frame of the tender is plastic and the shell is broken such that it no longer can hold onto the frame. All - in - all in bad shape but its 45 years old and so I keep if for collector interest.
Now look at this. I find my 8 wheel Marx slope back tender. It has sheet metal trucks and a metal frame. It is almost identical to the Lionel tender as far as the shape of the plastic upper shell casting is concerned (which is another fact that might be discussed). I put it behind the engine and the tab/slot coupler on the tender matched perfectly with the #8300 drawbar. Not only that, but this Marx tender has a tilt ("pickle fork" ) coupler on the train side. So now I have "new" motive power for my Marx cars and my #8300 can perform some new jobs.
Yes...I know its a NYC tender instead of ATSF but who cares! The loco was generic anyway and carries no RR markings so it could be any RR. Besides being from the NJ metropolitan area, I have more NYC stuff than SF stuff anyway 
Crazy idea but it actually worked (yes i was as surprised as you are- LOL)
Don
Hello Marx fans...trying to keep our thread active. So if you have some interesting Marx, please post! Thanks !!
Well Monday is my birthday, (76) and my wife bought me a really neat present. It's not a set, but its a group of some rather unusual (I don't like to use the term "rare" with Marx) plastic freights. I will post some more pictures of the cars later, but for now, here is one of my "bucket list" Marx locomotives. The BLACK and WHITE, A.T. & S.F. Alco S-3 switcher. Marx carried it as a "Type 1998 Switcher" which is a neat engineering configuration of what appears to be an 8 wheel 2-truck switcher but in fact uses only the standard Marx 4 wheel motor driving the middle two wheels. The other two wheel sets are just for looks....and this color variation was only made for one year .... 1962 so its almost 59 years old. This was obviously someone's shelf stock as the single copper contract place under the motor is hardly scratched and the brushes look new. Of course, like most Marx, a little oil here and there and "off she goes" around my little layout.
Here she is...2 position reverse, 2 tilt automatic couplers, die cast base, cast handrails front and rear, cast on horn and stack.
Here is a rear view showing the cast in detail of the cab doors and windows plus the back up light (non-functional). This picture also shows the top of my super secret, proprietary, magic, "make it run" fluid...also known as 3 :1 oil 
Anyway I was pretty stoked at this gift and I am enjoying putting all the consist back on the tracks.
Don
Don - Thanks for keeping this Marx thread alive and here's wishing you a happy birthday. Enjoy that great looking Santa Fe switcher, great birthday gift.
Here is an older video of two Marx passenger trains running on my small bedroom/office layout.
Here's some early "claw" style Marx cars with CV. I think they may be called "one way coupler" also.
Don McErlean , Hello to my friend in Texas, a belated Happy Birthday wish, and to help keep the Marx thread alive, I’m showing a picture of the new home of my only Marx diesel set, also a Main Street lamppost, and a Question, is this water tower a Marx water tower? I love seeing all of the beautiful Marx layouts, trains, lighted switches, and cool steamers and diesels, so neat. Happy Railroading Everyone 
Tower looks like Marx but obviously 'specially decorated. Interesting!
Lespinlarry. Thank you my friend for the Birthday wishes. Great home for that super neat NH E-7 set. The tower looks Marx although I agree with pallin that it’s had some custom touches. The primary identifier to me are the “feet” which appear clearly Marx. The lamp post with street sign is definitely Marx and a neat addition to your collection. Best wishes for a great weekend.
Don
Hey Don McErlean, please forgive me for misspelling your name, Wow, I forgot to proof read my story. Thank you for the clarification, the water tower was re-created for my layout because I worked for a Honda and Ford dealer. My question came up because of the black water tower above my post. Palallin has the pictures and I thought there was a lot of similarities... Wow, just wondering. I wonder if K-Line made this water tower? Happy Railroading Everyone
@leapinlarry posted:Hey Don McErlean, please forgive me for misspelling your name, Wow, I forgot to proof read my story. Thank you for the clarification, the water tower was re-created for my layout because I worked for a Honda and Ford dealer. My question came up because of the black water tower above my post. Palallin has the pictures and I thought there was a lot of similarities... Wow, just wondering. I wonder if K-Line made this water tower? Happy Railroading Everyone
It’s a Marx 065 water tower or the one from K-Line using the Marx tooling
Steve
I should throw some of my collections Marx items 
A tad harder to come across here in Australia but nevertheless some has found its way to me
I am a little in love with the Canadian Pacifics so we can start with them
One I just got from a fellow collector in Melbourne
Along with a lonely auto-reversing drive unti
And previously a complete Pre-War CP set found in FNQ( Far North Queensland, over 2000 Kilometres from me )
A battery loco from the 50's ( still running like a top! )
The Trusty black CV !
Clockwork M10000 (with battery light )
Even a boxed set made it down under !
The Rat Rod Clockwork
British Marx Set
British Marx clockwork
British Marx "to do " box ...
British Marx Silver Link ... new wheel pair and axle just sourced this week , so she WILL run again!
And in "Accoutremonts" there is also something Marx to fly above them all
1930's Marx Zeppelin ( in box ..ooh...ahhh! )
And some cars to play with ( clockwork too of course ! )
Borrowed pic below .. my tracks in the box and I am too lazy
Fatman: As usual, you have understated your find!! The mechanical set you pictured, as best I can place it, is Set Number 540 (at least it was in the US). It dates from the late 1930's and was catalogued in W.T.Grants, "Timely Table" in that time period and the catalogue price was 1$ (US). The truly interesting thing about your set is that only SOME of these sets were supplied with the cars like yours on silver frames, which makes your consist truly special.
Great find Fatman
Don
Fatman: what great finds! Seems to me that Marx is the most universal when it comes to American toy manufacturers. From what I can tell Lionel and Ives are nearly impossible to find in other countries, am I correct?
P.S., Don McErlean, happy belated birthday! Sorry I couldn’t say happy birthday earlier, I have been quite the busy bee recently so I haven’t had much time to post or Anything of the sort.
Trainfam
TrainFam : Thank you for the birthday greeting.
Regards
Don
@Don McErlean Happy Belated Birthday too
I wasnt actually aware til now that Marx boxed set was "Spesh" ... I actually fell into the "Oh its just a ...." trap and didn't go on to do due diligence as to its origins or pedigree , more fool me it seems 
I just snapped it up because it looked in amazing condition ( apart from the crumpled box ) and has obviously seen very little playtime .. Thank you for your wonderful research !
@TrainFam Thanks! In answering your question though I first have to qualify it with the fact I am not a dyed in the wool model train fanatic and as such am not "in the know" or privvy to all the facts , but as a simple collector of (mainly) clockwork trains I find that anything U.S.A. pre-war is pretty much non-existant apart from scattered examples or items imported much later by individuals and onsold ( hence no great bargains at a garage sale lol) But having said that I have come across some Ives, and early Lionel and Marx , but compared to say British brands who actually had a structured importer base , USA stuff is thin on the ground I would say that the bulk of existing stuff here that has not been imported later was probably gifts/momentos from US Servicemen and women who visited or served or were repatriated to Australia in WWII times
There may have been specialist stores who imported some stuff, but I am not aware of it so it would have been in much lesser amounts than in the US . Most big chains in that time would have looked more to England or the struggling German tin toy industry for stock ( cheaper)
We also suffer a bit in that up until recent times we have been a small(ish) population in a huge landmass, so the % of families with the resources to purchase "stuff" wasn't really large until say after the 50's which probably made it very un-economical to import toys etc from Europe or America before then . The Europe demographic changed a lot after either World War , as Australia saw lots of immigration in the prospering years after them , so some families would have come here, and no doubt each child had a favourite toy that made the journey as well , So we have a smattering of 1920ish and 1950ish period toys
Of course from the 50's on , Australias prosperity was a beacon for all sorts of manufacturers to export to here ... but in a ridiculous manner , these are the things I am least interested in LOL the decades of plastic
rslaser - Great idea on adapting the streamliner coupler system to a tab/slot. I am always looking for ways to "mix up" my trains using different mfrs or different train lines. Definitely a keeper! Thanks for posting.
Don
Hi Marx Train fans...a little update from me. You may remember that back on 10/25 I posted my "new" ATSF 1998 black and white switcher that I had gotten as a present for my birthday...and I mentioned that it came with a group of somewhat unusual cars (I just can't say "rare" with Marx). At that time I said I would post the cars later and so here they are.
Here is the full consist. Not an official set, just a group of somewhat hard to find cars .
Perhaps the most common is the B&M "Deluxe" boxcar from 1955. Deluxe in Marx meant, sliding doors and a somewhat heavier cast body plus metal frame and 8 wheel trucks.
Here is really the "crown jewel" in the group. A quite difficult to find, red/ red rails ACL flatcar complete with its original "square log" load. Note the center restraining elastic, that is also original on this car and is not just an elastic band, but a piece of elastic wire that has a custom clip on each end of the elastic piece that clips over the lower sil on the car to maintain the load. From 1961
For Hopper fans, this is the brown Virginian deluxe hopper with white lettering and heralds. It also hails from 1955 although it did make a short comeback in 74. The difference between 55 and 74 is unknown and likely slight.
Making up the rear is the AT&SF Work Caboose with the "long tool boxes" This car also came with a searchlight and in fact the casting on this car does contain the holes for the light wire. Marx made them both ways (likely with some price difference) and this car shows no evidence that it ever had the searchlight. This is also confirmed by the configuration of the trucks that show no evidence of ever having a power pick up. This car was made in 1962.
Well Marx followers, there you have my latest acquisition. Best wishes to everyone for a great weekend.
Don
@rslaser posted:Here is a video of my Marx M10005 to tab/slot adapter. Anyway, for whoever would want to do something
like this - ha!
Marx made a M10005 freight set with the green/cream loco. It had the T&S coupler.
Steve
Hi Marx Fans...well just to send you a picture of my latest acquisition (another picture was posted in "Front End Friday"). It is a Marx 588 type 4 wheel switcher in the NYC grey/black livery. This was made with tab/slot couplers only one year 1962. The same livery with plastic knuckle couplers made a one year come back in 1964. This livery is somewhat hard to find although as I have said before, its hard with Marx to ever say "rare". It has a headlight lens but originally had no light. This one did come with a motor with a light but I expect that is an " owner modification" at some point in its 60 year life!
Well folks, lets keep posting those Marx items to keep this threat alive.
Best regards, have a great weekend
Don
Hello fellow Marx fans.
Earlier in this thread I posted some information on the Marx Truck/Freight Terminal. I was cruising around the internet this evening and found that the latest addition of Playset Magazine, #114, has a good article with lots of color pictures of the Freight Terminal and accessories that came with it. I just ordered a brand new copy on the "bay". Price was $10 plus $2.80 shipping. On the bay search for "Playset magazine #114". You can also order from the Playset Magazine website at http://www.playsetmagazine.com...ssues/issue_114.html.
Looks like a good read, and just thought others might be interested.
Stay Safe and keep sharing those pictures of your Marx trains.
Dean
Marx Chrome nose red Mercury with lighted passenger cars.
This one might be my favorite Marx block signal, I cannot remember the number of the signal but I love the chrome look:
Trainfam
Hi everyone,
here are some more pictures of Marx. The pictures below are all of Marx plastic freight cars with knuckle couplers and dummy trucks. First up is a Marx number 21913 Lehigh Valley hopper in black with orange lettering:
next is a Marx number 174479 pacemaker boxcar in green:
A Marx green Lehigh Valley number 21913 hopper:
finally is a Marx Bessiemer number 1988 caboose:
Trainfam
Those that know me know my collection is 90% tinplate with lots of Std Gauge, but Marx plastic is where I started. Most is gone now, but I do keep a fair selection.
Steve
A little piece from Eastman’s Workbench. Left over front ends from two SP diesels turned into a mini GG1. Powered by a RMT BEEP chassis.
Steve
I'm going to run these babies on the modular layout today......
I will post some pix later.....
Peter
Oooo! Oooo! Peter! You got a cool little Monon set!
I know those little Marx FM's are twinkie and totally "wrong" in regards to being anywhere near "scale"... but they're so darn cool!
Andre
@Putnam Division posted:I'm going to run these babies on the modular layout today......
I will post some pix later.....
Peter
Putnam Division / Peter: Very nice assortment of trains you’ve got their. Looking forward to seeing those pictures!
Steve “papa” Eastman: lovely looking engine. Quite an interesting conversion.
Here is my picture for now: A Marx postwar 588 New York Central in maroon with yellow lettering:
Trainfam
Wow Marx fans, after nearly a month Thanks to Steve Eastman / Putnam Division/ laming/ and Train Fam for bringing this thread back to life. I hope we can sustain it. Putnam Division, great Monon tinplate diesels and 7" cars. Steve, a creation that Mr. Marx would be proud of....! Train Fam I really like the 588 diesels from Marx. Based on the GE 70 ton switcher, these guys normally run like the devil, are colorful, and just plain fun. Here is one from my collection. The MoPac version along with the matching MoPac caboose from '75-'76 .
Best wishes for a Happy New Year everyone
Don
Hey... happened to think: I have a pic of my little 25225 set doing the honors around the little Christmas Layout I set up on the hearth of the fireplace! I'll post it here!
Andre
Gotta love getting a box of brand new 50+ year old track. Box has a zip code so the oldest it could be is 57.
Steve
A very clean 999 With its tender.
Trainfam
A Marx 5590 crane car.
Trainfam
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