Toy trains

Marx 41850 train set: The Mohawk

by Dave Farquhar
February 2, 2023January 25, 2023

In 1974, Marx introduced a diesel freight train set it called The Mohawk, catalog #41850, that ran on AC electric power and sold through catalog retailers. If you have a Marx 41850 train set today, it’s worth considerably more than its original retail price, even adjusted for inflation.

Marx’s Mohawk train set was part of the Great American Railroads series. It had catalog number 41850 and was manufactured only in 1974. Today it is one of the most valuable Marx train sets ever made.

Marx Eagle Express Diesel Freight train set 7360

by Dave Farquhar
January 26, 2023January 26, 2023

In 1974, Marx introduced a diesel freight set it called the Eagle Express, catalog #7360, that ran on AC electric power and sold through catalog retailers. If you have one today, it’s worth considerably more than its original retail price, even adjusted for inflation.

The Marx Eagle Express train set was part of the Great American Railroads series. It had catalog number 7360 and was manufactured only in 1974, though the inventory lasted years longer.

Marx 553 tank car

by Dave Farquhar
January 19, 2023October 27, 2022

The Marx 553 tanker was Marx’s longest running 6-inch tank car, running from way back in 1935 to 1956. It came in three major variants, one on each side of World War II, and one spanning the two eras by a few years.Read More »Marx 553 tank car

Lionel TT-100 and TS-162 installation instructions

by Dave Farquhar
January 12, 2023October 15, 2022

During the post-war era, Lionel supplied its dealers with adapters that allowed pre-war box couplers to work with the post-war knuckle couplers.

Lionel themselves hasn’t made these adapters for decades, but reproduction parts dealers make reasonable copies of them that we can still purchase and use today.

Lionel 6457 caboose

by Dave Farquhar
January 5, 2023October 9, 2022

The Lionel 6457 caboose is a common and nearly iconic postwar Lionel car. It, or one of its close relatives, is probably the caboose you remember if you are into postwar-era Lionel.

When Lionel bulbs won’t light

by Dave Farquhar
December 29, 2022October 8, 2022

They don’t make light bulbs like they used to. Well, at least they don’t make miniature light bulbs that work every time anymore, assuming they ever did. Here’s what to do when your brand new Lionel bulbs won’t light.

A cheap home alternative to electroplating

by Dave Farquhar
December 15, 2022November 25, 2022

After decades of hard play, the shiny tin plating on old electric train parts can wear off, leaving a dull surface that doesn’t look great, and is prone to rust. You can get plating kits so you can replate the parts, but the kits are expensive and can involve chemicals you don’t necessarily want to keep laying around. Here is an inexpensive alternative to replating that you can do at home to restore old tin parts.

Lionel scenic plots

by Dave Farquhar
December 8, 2022December 4, 2022

Lionel scenic plots debuted in 1927 with the #195 illuminated terrace, a 19×22 inch platform built to provide a landscape for three houses, two #56 lamp posts, and a #90 flag pole.

The plot, and the various others that followed, solved two problems. They provided instant scenery for temporary floor layouts, and instant scenery for more permanent layouts for those who didn’t have the ability or confidence to attempt to scenic their layout themselves.

What the build dates on Lionel trains mean

by Dave Farquhar
December 1, 2022December 4, 2022

Here’s a question that comes up from time to time on train forums. What do the build dates on Lionel trains mean? In the Lionel postwar era, not a lot. At least not if you’re looking to figure out the actual age of the model.

The build dates on Lionel postwar trains, and largely for MPC-era trains as well, indicate when the model was first released, not when the example you hold in your hands was built.

Set up a Marx train set

by Dave Farquhar
November 17, 2022November 19, 2022

If you’ve lost the original instructions, it’s certainly not obvious how to connect a Marx transformer to track and otherwise set up a Marx train set. Especially if someone else always set it up. But don’t be intimidated. It’s low voltage wiring. And it can be as few as two connections. Here’s how to set up a vintage Louis Marx electric train set.