Well SwSat fans, my offering today is a Marx set from 1961 - this one with a mysterious difference from that listed in the Greenberg Marx Sets's reference book. Both sets go by the basic number of 9610 BUT mine, from Sears, carries a Sears number of 49-N-9610 in the Sears Christmas Wishbook Advertisement for 1961. Well lets take a look to see what the difference might be.
Here is the "mighty" Marx 400 locomotive, not really advertised as a switcher by Marx but 0-4-0 always said "switcher" to me. Plastic boiler, 2 position reverse, and a "wedge" type tender lettered for the NYC. Classic Marx, and used in many different sets over a considerable period.
Here she is with her train, right out of the 1961 Christmas Wishbook. Not one of the "stars" of their offerings that year (or any year) this is one of the only 4 wheel, lightweight, freight sets I could find under Sears that used the plastic freights. Most of the lower end Sears sets that were 4 wheel, used the lithographed 6" cars. Sears did use a lot of Marx plastic freight cars but highly favored the 8 wheel cars. The set included the loco and all the cars shown below plus 8 curved and 2 straight tracks to make a 129 1/2 " oval and a 25 watt transformer. Its cost in 1961 was $9.89
Here she is coming at you.
Here she is leaving the depot, showing off her NYC 4 wheel caboose in "Tuscan" with white letters and no herald. This specific caboose is actually somewhat difficult to find. Note also the blue "Allstate Motor Oil" tanker.
Here is an "action shot" of her leaving the mountains (one tunnel on the L&S) and approaching the suburban passenger platform. Those folks had better step back unless they want to get their nice clothes covered in soot and dampened with steam.
Here is the "mystery" car and my thoughts about how it ended up in the Sears version of the 9610 set. The set as listed in the Greenberg reference is exactly the same as this one, including a 4 wheel, lightweight, tank car but instead of it being Allstate it was the white and red "Rocket Fuel" tanker. My speculation is that Sears, a large buyer of Marx products, simply told the Marx sales rep that it wanted something in the set to reflect on the fact that it came from Sears. Marx had made both tank cars before and structurally they were exactly the same and likely had the same manufacturing cost. Thus Marx, to please an important customer, just substituted the blue/white "Allstate Motor Oil" car for the "Rocket Fuel" car and POOF we have a unique Marx Sears set. OBTW the Allstate car is clearly visible in the illustration of the set in the Christmas Wishbook, so I am reasonably sure that is the way it came when you ordered the set from Sears.
Two notes of interest. First, I am pleased to say that like most Marx, especially the "old 400", when tickled into action by my HUGE (by Marx standards) Lionel ZW, after 63 years, OFF she went, just like it was the sixties!! Next, thanks Pat (trumptrain) for getting us going today.
Don
