Marx Train pictures

@milnyc :  What a really neat layout!  It looks terrific,  super job.  I had seen these sets before but have never seen one operate.

Best wishe

Don

Well, finally found a 2731 Santa Fe tender for my 1829. Probably overpaid, but oh well. Didn't get into the hobby to save money. Also found this neat Santa Fe 1977 caboose. I like the color scheme on this one. Sadly the chimney stack is snapped off like most.

@Donnie Kennedy posted:

Sadly the chimney stack is snapped off like most.

Many/all of the later cabooses were made that way - just little stubs like yours. Probably because the earlier chimneys got snapped off by the kids, or by the way the caboose was shipped in the train set box.

Have you looked closely to see it is is actually broken off? You should be able to tell if the surface is rough or smooth.

The mold for the 1829 tender was used by K-Line for their repops of the Marx 333 (the combination did not look right in my opinion).  There are lots of the K-Line versions around.

Donnie:  Good find, the 2731 by Marx was made for the 1829 locomotive.  It was longer and wider than the 951 and with larger 4 wheel trucks with the plastic side frame overlay.  I will admit, as made by Marx, it did not seem to have that hand rail around the back section, at least my pictures of it don't show it.  That could be a later add by an owner or as said by RoyBoy an add on included by KLINE.  Nonetheless it makes a handsome pair for sure.

I also agree with RoyBoy that later in production many of the caboose stacks were tuncated in the casting process.   In reviewing my pictures in Greenberg's Marx Vol II reference, a substantial % of those shown do not have the full stack. If the surface on top is smooth and even, its likely that the caboose never had a full stack but even that isn't absolute.  Again, its a great caboose and super color so run it and enjoy it.

Let me say again, that 1829 and its 2731 tender are a handsome pair, run'm and enjoy'm

Don

You know it did look smooth. So it may have just came that way? Either way, I really like the color scheme on this. I have a yellow and black UP caboose too that I think looks neat. Not really a big fan of the K-line versions. Had some and wasn't impressed. Marx have just turned out to be very reliable and nice to bring back from the dead when needed. I've had modern era model trains, but I've sold off all but one MTH gg1 and passenger cars my daughter wants some day. Other than that, my attention and awe have been dedicated to pre and post war trains. Love the detail and quality in 60-90 year old units. Just my 2 scents.

The crew on this Marx 4000 windup pauses to watch that angler pull in the big one.  There are tales of a monster Bass in Seashell Lake.

This Southern Pacific 6000 rounds the bend at the Reindeer Flight School in time to see some practicing.

@boomer0622- WONDERFUL pictures, great imagination and artistry.  Thanks for sharing. Here is my "Seaboard" - also a wind up.  I found the matching "Bogota" passenger car sometime after the engine and caboose.

Best Wishes and thanks for posting your Marx trains

Don

Thanks Don, I occasionally look for that passenger car and also look for the matching dummy A unit.

This is a video of it on my double helix.  I was really surprised at its power

@boomer0622 posted:

Thanks Don, I occasionally look for that passenger car and also look for the matching dummy A unit.

This is a video of it on my double helix.  I was really surprised at its power

I love running my ABA with about 8 cars.

Steve

@Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Marx H0 set 9987. Has the searchlight car and electronic dump log car. It is missing the logs, but I have a set of repro’s

Almost the same set configuration as the O gauge set .

Marx H0 set 63452. I love finding them with all the internal boxes in decent shape.

Steve

Marx H0 set 60870. Small set being as the loco only has one truck drive.

Steve. Cool HO. Interesting sets

Best wishes

Don

First is a print of Bob Daley’s painting “Here Comes The 333”. Second is the original that I finally got up on the wall.

Steve

My collection of Marx boxed H0 sets.

Steve

Two years at the new house and only now is the Carpet Central finally back up... Who'd have thought? Well, anyway, I'm going through boxes and thoroughly cataloging all my trains. First to run on the carpet layout is my 333 that I found at a train show in the 90s and had never had a chance to run. Here it is with a few other Marx cars...

Excellent choice to lead the new adventure!

Sort of interested in a 333... hit eBay.

I don't think so.

Marx is getting more expensive by the month.

Andre

Steve that is quite an HO collection for sure.  Takes up a lot less space than the O gauge sets !!  EricF - way to go! Get started and the 333 is a great choice.  I am intrigued by the white boiler stripe however, not seen that on a 333 before. 

Here is a Marx locomotive at the other end of the spectrum from the super detailed 333...the humble 591 came as both clockwork (this one) or electric.  No side rods, no hand rails, no headlight, no cab number or name (although other versions of this engine did have some of those items) .  Black sheet metal boiler with a plastic boiler front.  An actual 0-4-0 but with a "simulated" front truck (outline of wheel in stamping).  Made from 1950-58 much the same era as Eric's 333 (1949-1958) .  This one in tribute to Marx's robust design, still operates reasonably well.

Best wishes everyone.

Don

A nice Marx box of accessories.  All the accessories are in like new condition.  36 items instead of 30 advertised on the label.

Does anyone have additional information on this set?

Carl

Canadian Pacific  2366

The plastic Canadian cars are hard to find. 

Interested in getting a few more if anyone has any.  This is the only one I have and that took a while!

@carl552 posted:

A nice Marx box of accessories.  All the accessories are in like new condition.  36 items instead of 30 advertised on the label.

Does anyone have additional information on this set?

Carl

Gotta love free stuff.

Steve

Found in Marx Allstate set from Sears.

How many variations of metal trailer and truck cab ??

Picked a open spoke pilot 999 at garage sale. My favorite engine.

Nice 999 find! That is the one I still need!

Bob

@CP BOB posted:

Nice 999 find! That is the one I still need!

Bob

I can help you with that Bob.

Steve

Put in my pile! lol

Bob

@CP BOB posted:

Put in my pile! lol

Bob

I have to look. It may be part of a set.

Couple questions:

* What is the OEM rear coupler on the KCS/Monon/Seaboard FM? Is it compatible with the scissors couplers?

* Same question concerning the OEM tender a 333 was delivered with: Compatible with the scissors couplers of the 3/16 8-wheel litho cars?

I think the 333 would really look good at the head end of a string of 3/16 8-wheel cars.

An observation:

Looking again at 333's on the Bay, for gits n' shiggles I did some price checking compared to Lionel PW 2055's. Would you believe they're going for about the same price? That was quite a shock. In fact, you can find 2055's engine/tenders cheaper than a 333 sets.

One restored 333 listing was for the smoker engine only (no tender), and the starting bid was $159.95. To me, that's some pretty serious coin for a Marx 333.

Interesting, the used toy train market.

Andre

@laming  - Here is what my reference material says about your coupler question and tender question.

#54 KCS  :  1955-1960(powered A) tab and slot / 1956-58 (dummy A)  plastic knuckle

#54 KCS B unit : 1957-1960 2 four wheel trucks - tilt automatic coupler ("pickle fork") / 1959-1960 4 wheel tab / slot at one end and plastic knuckle at the other

#81 Monon :  1955-1956 (Powered A) tab/slot  1955-1956 (Dummy A) tab/slot

#81 Monon B unit: 1958-1959 2 four wheel trucks - tilt automatic couplers / 1958-1959 four wheel - tab/slot at one end and plastic knuckle at the other

#4000 Seaboard : 1955-1962 (Powered A) tab / slot  1955-1962 (Dummy A) tab/slot  Note true of clockwork A unit as well.

#4000 Seaboard B unit: tab/slot couplers on both ends.  (Note IAW my reference material and backed up by a recent article in CTT, the Seaboard B unit is the most scarce of any of the Marx FM series, I have never even seen one).

By the way, in typical Marx fashion to make things work together,the plastic knuckle coupler can accommodate the "tab" from the tab/slot coupler and hook up.  Likewise, many of the plastic pickle fork couplers have a slot in the top to accommodate the tab from tab/slot couplers. So the type coupler in many cases is not as important as it might seem.

The Marx 333 would look good pulling those 3/16" scale cars I would agree, however, Marx did not market it that way very much.  In all of the sets with 3/16" scale cars, some 54 sets in all, Marx only offered 3 with the 333 locomotive.  The 999 was the engine, designed in 1941 for 42 production, that was selected most often for sets having the 3/16 scale cars.  In fact most references state that its a wide spread belief that Marx designed the 999 just for the 3/16 scale car series.

The "official" tender for the 333 (although they were sold as separate units) was the #3991 from 1949-1954.  This die cast tender (only die cast tender Marx made) came with scale wheels to match the 3/16" scale cars.  It is marked, "New York Central" in white.  However the #1951N plastic tender from 1952 looks much the same, is only slightly smaller , but also comes with 3/16 scale trucks.  It is marked "Southern Pacific Lines" in white.

Hope this information helps.  OBTW, I happen to think the 333 is the finest steam locomotive Marx ever produced, so in my opinion, it would look good pulling anything!!

Best wishes

Don

Thank you Don for your detailed explanation.

Double checking: So my metal (for lack of better term) "scissors" couplers will mate with pretty much any of the above?

Here's a pic of a coupler on one of my cars:

While I'm asking questions: What is the typical (correct?) nomenclature for the above coupler?

Yes, I agree: The 333 is absolutely the best looking Marx steam engine in my eyes, too. Should I ever decide to try for one, it would have to be a smoker. ($$$  )

Like I've said, I would really like to have two "big ticket" items:

* KCS FM set (A-A or better yet, A-B-A)

* 333 smoker and a tender to go with it.

Nice examples of the above will eventually pass through eBay.  (Sigh.) It's just a matter of being willing to spend the loot.

Andre

Tilt coupler is the name of the coupler.  The one way pincher and post as found on 6 inch 8 wheel cars, I have also heard of this referred to as a scissors coupler.

Anyway you will need a plastic tilt coupler to have the slot in it.  The later 3/16s cars came with the plastic couplers.

As to compatibility. it would look strange, but with no changing or adapting of any original components, you could have a train of 3/16 metal fork cars, deluxe plastic fork cars, 7 inch tab and slot, 6 inch plastic knuckle.  Plus any other of the myriad of different cars with multiple types of factory couplers.

The only non compatible coupler I know of is the one way pincher and post and possibly the early Joy Line round hole tab and slot (don't have any to verify). That is if you put them in the correct order.

While the tilt couplers get called scissor couplers by some, there is an actual spring loaded one way scissor coupler that came on earlier 6 inch cars from about 1938 to 1942.  Marx quit using them because they were expensive to make compared to other types.

The key item laming is coupler height. This is set by the trucks. So if a car has scale trucks the coupler height would work with either metal or plastic fork couplers. If those couplers have a slot then they will work with tab/ slot as well

Don

Last month I bought a 4 pc lot boxed H0 cars. I had looked at the auction a few times. Other than boxes, nothing I didn’t already have……until I looked again just before it ended. Had not realized the Great Northern boxcar was brown. Glad I looked again.

Steve

Just wanted to let all you guys know that I am really enjoying all the photos and posts on this thread. Okay, the HO not as much, but still interesting how much HO stuff MARX made.

Let me offer something interesting to this thread. I came this link a while ago and thoroughly enjoyed looking at this older MARX catalog... much more than looking at any of the current Lionel catalogs.

So enjoy as I did if you're so inclined.

https://archive.org/details/Ma...-Cat-c1950s/mode/2up

Nothing to see here - just a bunch of modern Marx freight cars made from scrapped CP passenger cars.

@Robert S. Butler posted:

Nothing to see here - just a bunch of modern Marx freight cars made from scrapped CP passenger cars.

That is amazing. What is the story behind the construction and acquisition of these?

Royboy - before you start stamping out product on a production line it is usual to do some test runs using any scrap material at hand and inspect these test runs for anything that might indicate a need for tool adjusting.  Once inspected the usual practice is to just toss the test shots into a scrap bin and send them on their way.

  These cars were test runs made by the Flynn's when they were setting up the tooling for their line of New Marx trains.  The scrap consisted of sheets of flawed lithography printed for the Canadian Pacific passenger cars and, as you can see, they weren't particular about how the sheets were fed into the machine tools.  As you can also see, instead of just tossing the stampings they equipped some of them with trucks and couplers and sold them at E-bay auction over a period of several years.

The first car which I saw was one of the boxcars.  I won the auction and didn't think too much about it until their next auction some months later which was the tank car.  I won that car and then decided I'd keep an eye on their offerings in case they were selling other cars which I could assemble into a freight consist.

  Once I had the consist I decided I needed one of the modern Marx CP engines to head it up.  In due time I acquired one and this is the set that resulted.

Great story.