Marx Train pictures

TrainFam: Well you are right indeed!  The "8994" mystery is upon us...Here are a few things I found:

1. Marx was particular about his set numbering system (even if to us collectors it seems he wasn't particular about much else) and the number 8994 DOES fall in the sequence 8990-8999 which Marx designated for sets with the 898 engine.  So the engine is most likely correct for the set number.

2. As you have found out before set number 8994 is indeed at least partially (Marx did use some numbers more than once) assigned to a freight set...in fact its assigned to two ! The following information is from Greenberg's Guide to Marx trains, Volume III, Sets, 1991.

8994 (A) Steam Freight Set with a CP type locomotive, black with a silver pilot, 951 Black wedge NYC tender, 59 UP Cattle car, 552 CRI&P Green (also reported as Blue) gondola, 553 SF Tank Car-silver,556 NYC caboose-red.

8994 (B) 898 0-4-0 loco, black, reverse, lighted, 551 Black NYC tender with rivets, 552 CRI&P gondola-blue, 553 ST tank - silver, 556 NYC caboose - red. 

Cars have tab / slot couplers. Set includes track and transformer (Watts not specified in this reference)

Now to me part of the mystery is that this reference does NOT seem to show the 1955 passenger set from the Sears Christmas Book, regardless of whether the cars are the red/cream Bogota or the silver NYC, as that set  very clearly DOES exist.  In fact I cannot find a passenger set listed with any set number with the 898 electrical engine, even though as I mentioned above there are at least 3 sets with that engine although 2 are mechanical.  (late entry) I did find a mechanical "combination" set from the 1939 Wards catalog that included an 897 engine (note the 897 and  898 were numbers often used interchangeably on the same basic loco) .  This set included 2 Bogota type, red/cream Pullmans and a red/cream observation and ALSO included some freight cars (and a beautiful lithographed station).

Just  for your reference, the 1955 Sears Christmas Book, which does show your set (assuming the cars are red/cream) has for its number (i.e. Sears number)...49N U9604 "Passenger Set. Shpg wt 8 lbs"

According to the text in the Sears book... "It came with 2 sections of straight and 8 sections of curved track to make an oval of about 129 around".  It came with a "UL approved 50-watt transformer with circuit breaker, 2 posts for 110-120 volt, 60 cycle AC and a track connector".

So there you have it, I admit for the moment I am out of reference sources that might help.  We have a number but no set and a beautiful set with no number or ????  One thing about Marx and all these reference books say it more or less, he was CONSTANTLY changing, substituting, improving, altering etc.  Lionel did not get to this stage until the 1960's after fair trade laws were repealed.  Marx did it all the time.  If you were a big buyer, tell Mr. Marx what you wanted in your sets (or more often the price point you were looking to fill) and Marx invented a set for you.  If you wanted a "8-piece" or a "10 piece" or a "30 piece" set , Marx would fill up the box with whatever it took to bring the count up to where you wanted it.  I have original sets that clearly had 6 telephone poles thrown in at what appears to be the last minute to raise the count level. He was producing toys not collectables and he was a genus at it.

Best of Luck with 8994, I have it entered the number into my mental data base and will continue to try and find information that might help

Don McErlean

@TrainFam posted:

One of my favorites, the Marx 2002 new haven. Love the new have colors and paint scheme, so when I saw this at a hobby shop, I bought it without looking back.

 

                                                  Trainfam 

How about the real deal.

Steve

My custom Irvine-Fullerton-Anaheim Rail Transit (IFART) Interurban outfit.

Steve

A custom Hiawatha set. Coaches and tender are made from prewar Cleveland Models balsa kits. The graphics are the original paper cutouts. The locomotive is a modified Marx CP.

Steve

My "faux" Marx Army Train...repaints of non-collector grade cars...the graphics are adhesive back vinyl...the loco is pure original...

Howard...

Hi Marx Fans!  Its been awhile since anyone posted to this thread so I thought I would try to re-awaken the interest.  Wife and I were in the process of moving for the summer months and I have some young nephews at the summer location.  So I spotted a Marx set # 4205 on the Bay and decided to try and get it.  It was free or modest shipping and the minimum bid was $14.95  so I threw in a min bid and WON!  So the little jewel arrived at our summer location and it was nearly perfect, looked like it had hardly been run.  Set it up last night and used its little 25 Watt transformer which still had the lock on and the spiral wound red/greed wires in the box.  It's Marx of course so it runs like new.  PK couplers so that makes it at least middle 50's.  My Marx "Sets" reference places the 4205 in the 1958 Allied Toy Distributor Catalog.  My set has one discrepancy...it came with a 4 wheel 715100 NYC blue gondola and the reference lists the 347100 PRR red gondola.  Since the tender and caboose (as correct for the set) is NYC perhaps the gondola was a sub or just a late replacement.  All of the cars have nearly no wear so it could have been a replacement at the factory or by Allied but who knows.   Anyway for $14.95 here is my "new" Marx freight set - set up on our front porch.

Here is the set coming at you...on my elaborate, one loop layout!  No Plasticville yet, but I am looking in all the local antique stores for a few pieces.  Coastal Georgia is not too well populated with "train stuff".

Better picture perhaps with somewhat better lighting.  You are getting a first look at the Gondola load.  That was the "jewel" of the set buy.  Those little boxes were used by Marx in many loads, often provided as flat pieces of cardboard you had to cut out and fold.  It really didn't come with this set originally but these boxes are devilishly hard to find in good shape and these are near perfect.  If I check e-bay when they have been offered, they command a price larger than I paid for the entire set!

Here is a close up of the Caboose (NYC) and the Gondola and the box load.  Some of the products depicted on the boxes are still around today like "Rice Krispies" some like "Tru Rise Flour" are more era products not too common today if still available at all.  These boxes are really in fine shape, still fairly crisp and not torn.

The engine and tender...typical plastic #400/#490 type with a "chugger"

Well Marx fans, not particularly rare or unusual but a well preserved product of the late 1950's .  Like most of Marx, still runs and operates as designed.

Don

Hi don, that’s an excellent train set you have there. I found a Marx set similar to yours at an antique mall a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t buy it although due to the cowcatcher being broken, seems the 490 shells have a specifically brittle shell. But hey, at least the motors work!

                                                    Trainfam

Trainfam: Thank you for the comment.  You are absolutely correct, that 490 cowcatcher is sort of stuck out in front with no real structural support and is vulnerable, especially to children who like to run them fast and have them leap off the table .  I hooked mine up and my 6 year old immediately twisted the throttle of that little 25 watt transformer all the way!  Luckily mine held course at least long enough for me to provide a little adult supervision.  But like so much Marx, it runs like a champ and the reverse works fine.  Give its age, it was made in roughly 1958, so that makes it about 62 years old...ready to collect social security!  The transformer worked fine, the only slight difficulty is that the track (which is not as stiff as Lionel 0-27) had a bit of a twist in some of the curved sections.  However, since this is my "one loop - summer porch layout" a bit of duct tape on the ties kept that in check.   This morning I saw a much later set on e-bay (likely 1970's) but very similar (three 4 wheel plastic cars, transformer, and type 490 loco but in  a much later era plastic window type box) on e-bay for $199.00 so I feel pretty good about my $14.95 price!!

Again, thanks for the post and good hunting.  I will admit that while I collect prewar tinplate for the most part, I really love Marx because it almost always runs, gives solid value, and makes even today's children smile.

Happy Tuesday

Don

@franktrain posted:

Picked this up at a train show $20.00 runs great.

 

 

Pulled out all my Marx Plastic rolling stock for some running time.

Nice Great Northern

 

Some more run time with the Rocket!

I like the Tom Swift books in the corner.

My latest video is running a bunch of my Marx collection. I have a bunch of other videos also on Marx for anyone wanting to check out my channel.

@RamblerDon posted:

My latest video is running a bunch of my Marx collection. I have a bunch of other videos also on Marx for anyone wanting to check out my channel.

Excellent video Don, I love the layout also.

                                                   Trainfam

@TrainFam posted:

Excellent video Don, I love the layout also.

                                                   Trainfam

Thank you. The layout is in pieces right now though. Torn apart to put in o-72 curves. Should be back together in a few weeks.

My favorite Marx - the plastic E7 diesels and the little people.

My favorite Marx is the 1998 diesel switcher.  I consider it the best running of all my Marx trains.  It will easily out run all others racing through O27 oval and figure 8 really sticking to the curves.  Has quick reversing 2 way eUnit.

Original Marx 1998, 2-4-2 diesel switcher

Marx 1998 body bought with out shell,  added a shortened repainted Lionel SW -1 shell.  The paint job is of a Bauxite and Northern switcher.  That railroad is an ALCOA company owned short line railroad from Bauxite, Arkansas to the major railroad tracks the area and is about 30 miles long and operated by ALCOA.  I worked at the ALCOA alumina refinery and alumina chemical plant there in the 1980s.

Charlie

TrainsRMe

I really like your colorful Western Pacific and Rock Island Marx F7s diesels.  I have a couple of sets of the Santa Fe F7 with plasticy gray and dull red and yellow, by far the most popular color.  I wound up repainting one set silver and red and yellow.

Charlie

Do you have a photo of your repainted ATSF?  I've seen one that was done, and it really improved it - As we all know,  Marx tended to be a little short on details.  When I did customs of the diesels, I tried not to overdo it, lest it take away the essential Marx character.

Nice job on your B&N switcher.  That looks like it was a pretty tricky project.

The ATSF passenger set was my third train set, in 1957.

Great pictures and diesels guys.  ChooChooCharlie - I agree the 1998 switcher is a wonder, I have the maroon ATSF and the UP versions, tried to get a black/white ATSF version recently on e-bay but it went well over $100 + shipping, too pricey for me.  The amazing thing about the 1998 is that it is a 4 wheel switcher (like the 588 GE 70 ton) masquerading as an 8-wheel switcher.  The motor drive is the same as in the 70 ton series with attachments giving it a front and rear extra "truck".  Ingenious - and so like Marx to come up with a solution like that.   Great videos too guys. 

I scored some cool early freights recently (note admittedly my opinion ).  History says that in 1934 when Marx took control of the Gerard Model Company he produced one train, an M1000 articulated lithograph stream liner.  Then in 1935 he brought out the first version, "Series 1",  of his 6" lithographed cars (which in a reasonably constant form he would continue to make until nearly 1960).  The key is that in 1935, for one year only, the cars had some unique differences with what became the normal 6" car.  First it had a silver lithographed design on the frame (SLF), it was a very short wheelbase,   had thin axles and finally it still had the Joy Line (JLC) couplers.  These where produced in this configuration in one year only, 1935.  Marx made substantial changes after that, especially in 1936 (Series 2) and 1938 (Series 3) - which came with multi color lithography vice the base color/black system of the earlier cars.   This was in fact the beginning of the Marx dynasty in trains, sold under his name.  Here is the group.

The green 1935 Baggage is obviously not a freight in the normal sense but it is a companion to 2 Bagota type Pullmans of the same era which I posted a few weeks / month ago.  The freights show the silver lithographed frame, Joy Line couplers (note round hole instead of slot) and the 2- color design.  All the couplers are slide type mounted in a horizontal slot in the floor of the frame and secured with a tab twisted post installation except the gondola which had a shortened JLC riveted to the floor. 

If you want to see some close ups.  I intend to post a picture of each car on the "Tinplate" thread later today. 

Happy Saturday Marx Fans

Don

Don, you have some lovely rarities there.  They look to be in really nice shape.  The 6-inch tin Marx are just so charming.  This picture shows a Commodore Vanderbilt, my second train set.  A friend of my father's said his son had outgrown it and wanted to sell it.  We went to his house, where it was running around the Christmas tree.  Father asked if I wanted it.  I was like "It's a train, isn't it?".

I hadn't outgrown it sixty-some years later.

TrainsRme:  Thank you for your comment.  The CV was one of Marx's longest produced locomotives and was his FIRST.  Believe it or not, in 1935 he produced 5-6  variations of the CV.  Black, Red, Green (CW only) and Silver most in both clockwork and electric. Closer to the war years, he also produced one in olive drab military colors.    He produced the CV from 1934 until 1952 !  You could build a real nice collection just using CV loco's alone (although the Green CW, Silver, and Olive ones can be VERY expensive - beyond me for sure).  Great set, a classic 6 " consist, although the dump car is a bit more unusual. 

Thanks for posting

Don

Don, yes, variations galore.  The red clockwork is the only other one I was able to acquire.  And speaking of variations, a great collection could also be made of those 6" passenger cars.

Me = Sucker for Marx trains! (Had a set when young.)

Don't own any, but I did come across this and thought it odd:

First, I suspect this was an HO set (two rails are depicted). Note that the diesel appears to represent a GE U25B. Here's the odd part: I don't think Marx ever made a U25B in either O or HO. Am I correct?

If I'm correct, then I wonder: Was Marx designing/contemplating one at the time?

Hmmmm.

Andre

@laming posted:

Me = Sucker for Marx trains! (Had a set when young.)

Don't own any, but I did come across this and thought it odd:

First, I suspect this was an HO set (two rails are depicted). Note that the diesel appears to represent a GE U25B. Here's the odd part: I don't think Marx ever made a U25B in either O or HO. Am I correct?

If I'm correct, then I wonder: Was Marx designing/contemplating one at the time?

Hmmmm.

Andre

Hi Laming,

I believe that you are correct, Marx never did produce a GEU25B. However I do believe that Marx could have at one point considered producing one. Interesting...

                                                       trainfam

TrainsRme:  what a great set and in beautiful condition. I was told by another forum member that this set is called the “Red Flyer”. Made in 2years. ‘46 and ‘47. Yours with 2 Pullman’s was ‘ 46 mine only has 1 Pullman and was ‘47.  The rest of the train including that super red loco and tender was the same.  Love it  Great find. 

Don

Since we're talking about different colored CV's here's the green CW version with its consist.

Question for the Marx experts. Christmas of 1948 Santa brought me a 2026 Lionel frights set. Around 1951 or so my Grandmother who had never given me a Christmas or Birthday gift decided she was going to get me something for my trains. I think is was a Marx wind up set. I remember the engine was black with a wide silver band down the side somewhat like the Daylight skirts. Something would hit the ties and the bell would ring when it was running. Was that a Marx train set or something else. Thanks Don

@scale rail posted:

Question for the Marx experts. Christmas of 1948 Santa brought me a 2026 Lionel frights set. Around 1951 or so my Grandmother who had never given me a Christmas or Birthday gift decided she was going to get me something for my trains. I think is was a Marx wind up set. I remember the engine was black with a wide silver band down the side somewhat like the Daylight skirts. Something would hit the ties and the bell would ring when it was running. Was that a Marx train set or something else. Thanks Don

Sounds like a Hafner set.

Thanks Steve, I'll look that up. Don

Steve you are right. The train is long gone but found a picture of it and that looks just like it. Funny folks of those years were not big on gifts. My wife's Grandfather also gave her only one gift at Christmas. The only thing he ever gave her was a little wind up monkey that played a drum. Those people went through hard times and just didn't understand gifts. Thanks again. Don

Don - Thanks for all the kind comments.  Marx sure packed a lot of fun into their toys.

Since we're on to steam locos, how about a Marx battery powered one?  Two D-cells do the powering; a

simple switch atop the boiler controls it.

TrainsRMe

Pictures of painted Marx F7 Santa Fe ABA 1095s.  I had some Santa Fe hood decals.  This was done 30 plus years ago and probably used cheap Kmart silver spray paint.  I later found Testers silver spray paint is not so bright silver and handles better.  I used the Testers silver on several paint jobs on Lionel 2400 series passenger cars made from junk bodies and replacement roofs and window with shadow people.  I made the bottoms form sheet metal and added trucks from junk cars.

Charlie

@TrainsRMe posted:

Don - Thanks for all the kind comments.  Marx sure packed a lot of fun into their toys.

Since we're on to steam locos, how about a Marx battery powered one?  Two D-cells do the powering; a

simple switch atop the boiler controls it.

 

Interesting. I have that locomotive shell but never knew where it came from. Thanks.

Robert the Green CV and consist is great and the short wheelbase tender is also really hard to find. TrainsRMe the battery powered loco is a fun item. I do have one like it and it works great   Scalerail. I agree with Steve the engine is a Hafner they were always clockwork, Hafner never made an electric train. This engine in several color schemes was made between 1938 and about 1951.  Charlie, that silver paint really does improve this Santa Fe units. I have several of these and may try that myself. 

Great Marx guys. I am a big fan. Thanks for posting 

Don

This is a fun thread with its photos, comments and education.  Balidas - Marx got a lot of mileage out of that shell.  I believe it was used in a number of locos.  Charlie - Thanks for those great photos of your early work.  The extra decorating sure makes the old 1095 look good.  It's quite a fussy procedure masking around all the raised detail on those diesels.  Below are some of the same that I repainted.  Don - I agree on your assessment of the performance statistics of the D-cell rocket.  It will pull quite a lot of 6" cars, too.

I have searched all over, and couldn't find an answer, so I thought I would ask the people more familiar with Marx. Will the motor from a 400 locomotive fit in any other Marx boiler. Thanks, Clarence 

My answer would be yes.  Marx used a common motor for many of his loco’s. You do have to check the mounting which varied somewhat.  To give you an example I have several Hornby CW locos that were refitted with Marx drives and motors and they work great.  Almost all the diesels should work reasonably well   Of course the 490 will work with the 400 motor as they are nearly identical loco’s. 

Don

Thank You, much appreciated. I ask because in a box of "junk" I bought, there was a Marx 400 with the shell beat to death. I pulled the motor, cleaned it up, and of course, it ran great. On the off chance that I find a Marx locomotive that doesn't run -not likely- I was wondering if the motor would fit. 

The plastic bodied #198 gets my vote as the cutest Marx steamer.  This clockwork one was fitted with a double reduction motor and weighted to #1666 weight.  What a little hotrod!  I removed the dummy headlight and put in a working one, added a metal #591 pilot, painted it and added engineer and fireman figures.

Charlie - The #1095 that uses the molded plastic body as the "silver" base may be minimalist, but here's something even more so.  A 1095 with no yellow trim.  I have read that a customer in 1958 wanted sets made to a certain price point, and eliminating the yellow was the answer.

More on the plastic diesels:  

Train set got too close to the C 7-1/2 Christmas bulbs, I would say.

Second photo:  Marx never made a NYC B-unit, so I did.