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Train show tips

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains October 12, 2018September 29, 2018 0 Comment

I like to support my local dealers, and of course Ebay makes it easy to buy trains, but there’s still nothing like an old-fashioned train show. Here are my train show tips that I’ve found helped me in the past. Hopefully they’ll help you too.

You may recognize some of these from my tips for garage sales and estate sales, but some of the methods are unique to shows. Also, not all shows are the same, and my tips may work better for local shows than traveling shows but most of them should work for both types.

Using a multimeter in model railroading

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains September 28, 2018September 22, 2018 0 Comment

A multimeter is an inexpensive tool that has several great uses in model railroading, especially if you deal with used or vintage trains a lot. Knowing how to use one will save you a lot of time and frustration.

Lionel 92 circuit breaker instructions

Dave Farquhar Toy trains September 13, 2018August 30, 2018 0 Comment

The Lionel 92 circuit breaker provides an important safety feature. Additionally, if you use a low-end transformer that lacks a direction button, it provides a handy direction button. Unfortunately the original Lionel 92 circuit breaker instructions have one mistake in them.

Here’s how to use this critical accessory to maximize your personal safety. Depending on your setup, you may need more than one of them.

Marx president figurines for train layouts

Dave Farquhar Toy trains August 8, 2018August 5, 2018 0 Comment

In the 1950s, Marx produced hard plastic 60mm figures of U.S. presidents. Louis Marx meant for them to be an educational toy or collectible, but the Marx president figurines turn out to be a great accessory for train layouts too. Here’s how I use them.

If you’re more interested in collecting them, I hope you’ll still read on. I have some tips for finding them and restoring damaged figurines.

O gauge vs O27 gauge trains and track

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 29, 2018March 27, 2018 0 Comment

The difference between O gauge and O27 gauge can be rather confusing, and there are a number of misconceptions out there about O27 especially. Let’s take a look at O gauge vs O27.

O27 always had a connotation of being a cheaper, entry-level train. But what constitutes an O27 train in modern times definitely varies from the 1950s.

Why did Marx Toys close?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 16, 2018March 10, 2018 0 Comment

On Dec 12, 1955, Louis Marx was on the cover of Time magazine, the subject of a story that called him the Toy King. Twenty seven short years later, Louis Marx died in his home, aged 86. The same day, a bankruptcy court ruled that his factory in Glen Dale, West Virginia, had to close for good. Marx and his company died on the same day. Why did Marx Toys close? And why so suddenly?

There were several reasons. I don’t think it was any one thing, but rather, several things that led to another, and the cascade brought Louis Marx’s empire down.

O and O27 track dimensions

Dave Farquhar Toy trains February 22, 2018February 6, 2018 0 Comment

I never can seem to find O gauge track dimensions and other key information about O and O27 track when I need to find them. So I’m finding them one last time and collecting them here. Maybe someone else can use the information.

Where were Marx toys made?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 26, 2018July 11, 2018 0 Comment

For a time in the 1950s, the defunct Louis Marx & Company was the largest toy company in the world. Marx’s headquarters was at 200 Fifth Avenue in New York City, in what is commonly known as the International Toy Center. But where were Marx toys made?

Not in New York City, it turns out. Marx had three factories in the eastern United States that it operated for more than 40 years in the region we today call the Rust Belt.

Marx trains history, 1934-1974

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 15, 2018July 11, 2018 0 Comment

Marx isn’t as synonymous with electric trains as some of its competitors, but Louis Marx had a good run. It outlasted numerous other more-storied brands. Here’s a brief look back at Marx trains history, which spanned about four decades.

Marx sold its trains pretty much anywhere, as opposed to Lionel and American Flyer, which primarily sold in hobby shops and department stores. The low price gave Marx a blue-collar reputation that tended to hold its value down over time. But the Marx designs were reliable and attractive. This gives them a following that endures more than four decades after Louis Marx made its last train.

Lock a Marx motor in one direction

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 8, 2018January 18, 2018 0 Comment

Sometimes you want to lock a Marx motor in one direction. Some of them have a switch for doing so but many do not. Here’s how to find the switch, and what to do if yours doesn’t have one and you don’t want to modify it.

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