Last Updated on March 31, 2024 by Dave Farquhar
Marx train set 29609 was an electric train set from 1953. While some Marx collectors joke that the only rare Marx train set is the one that doesn’t run, this diesel transition set is rare and valuable today.
Marx train set 29609
Marx set 29609 is a variant of set #9632, the entry-level Marx electric train set in Sears’ 1953 Christmas catalog. The difference between it and the Sears set was the freight cars. Rather than the fake truck sides, the cars had 3/16 8-wheel trucks. Imagine a mashup of Sears sets 9632 and 9617.
Marx lettered set 29609 for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, teaming up a tin lithographed electric locomotive and unpowered unit with transition 3/16 plastic freight cars. The plastic freight cars look good and work well with the 3/16 trucks, but Marx was phasing them out. Using them on short-run sets like this allowed them to use up the obsolete inventory of parts.
It consisted of the following:
- Baltimore & Ohio electric diesel locomotive
- Baltimore & Ohio unpowered diesel locomotive
- 467110 Baltimore & Ohio boxcar on 3/16 trucks
- 347100 Pennsylvania gondola, on 3/16 trucks
- 504 Baltimore & Ohio caboose, blue, on 3/16 trucks
- 8 pieces of O27 track (advertised as 120 inches of track)
- 1209 transformer
A 45-watt transformer and an oval of 8 pieces of O27 track rounded out the set. Specifically, it included four O27 curved sections and four O27 straight sections.
If you have one of these sets and you’d like to see it running again, I don’t blame you. Here’s some advice on setting up a Marx train set. I also have some tips on servicing the model 1209 transformer.
What was the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad?
You’ve probably heard of the B&O Railroad from playing the popular board game Monopoly. B&O stood for Baltimore and Ohio, the oldest railroad in the United States. It operated from 1830 to 1987, when it merged with the Chessie System. Today it is part of the modern CSX Transportation.
As the name suggests, its goal was to connect Baltimore to the Ohio River, something it achieved in 1852. Successfully crossing the Appalachian Mountains connected Baltimore with the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. At the end of 1970, it operated more than 10,000 miles of track, reaching as far west as St. Louis and as far north as Lake Ontario.
Marx also featured the B&O diesels with a tin caboose in the 7-inch 9629 set.
Rarity and value
I frequently get questions about the value of old Marx train sets. As for the value of set 29609 today, I can’t give an estimate. In the unlikely event you have one of these and you’re looking to sell it, I suggest contacting an auction house. While the boxcar and gondola are among the most common cars Marx ever made, they aren’t common on 3/16 trucks. The B&O caboose is rare, especially on 3/16 trucks. The B&O lithographed engines are the most common pieces in this set, and they are relatively uncommon themselves.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.