Marx’s steam freight train set catalog number 9365 is one of its more unusual 4-wheel plastic sets of the 1950s. In this blog post, I’ll explain what makes it special.
Marx train set, catalog# 9365
Unlike most of Marx’s 4-wheel plastic sets, the Marx 9365 train set wasn’t just a basic starter set. It included a larger, higher-end 994 locomotive and extra cars to make it a 6-unit train. Marx 4-wheel train sets typically were four- or five-unit sets.
It came with a figure 8 of track, four plastic high-tension telephone poles, 3 signs, a track-activated automatic crossing watchman’s shanty, and a 50-watt transformer, model 1239.
Marx set# 9365’s train consisted of the following:
- 994 steam locomotive 0-4-0, black
- Southern Pacific tender, 4 wheel, black
- 467110 Baltimore & Ohio box car, 4-wheel
- 2532 Cities Service tank car, green, 4-wheel
- 967 New York Central side dump car, 4-wheel
- Southern Pacific caboose, 4 wheel, red
This is an unusual consist both in terms of the size of the set and what it came with. The 994 locomotive was a leftover first introduced in 1952 and was a metal engine. Most 4-wheel plastic sets came with a plastic 400 or 490 locomotive. The 994 is a bit oversized for the plastic cars.
The 967 dump car is rare, and gave the set extra play value.
Who sold set 9365 and why
Fellow Marx train enthusiast Chuck Gayle informed me that Montgomery Ward featured set 9365 on page 276 of its 1957 Christmas catalog. It sold for $14.95, which works out to about $164 in 2024 dollars.
The late date of 1957 indicates Marx used this train set to clear its inventory of obsolete 994 locomotives. The 994 was really intended for the 7-inch line from earlier in the decade.
What was the Southern Pacific?
Marx lettered the set for the Southern Pacific, a Class 1 railroad that operated from 1865 to 1996 in the western United States before being acquired by Union Pacific. The telecommunications network Southern Pacific built in the 1970s became Sprint, a long-distance and wireless telephone company that sold out to T-Mobile in 2020.
What the Marx 9365 set is worth today
Since it wasn’t an expensive set when it was new, it’s easy to dismiss the Marx 9365 set today. A common Marx 4-wheel plastic set tends to be worth around $50. But 9365 is no ordinary set. The 967 side dump car is rare and the 994 locomotive isn’t common either. Chuck told me he paid $125 at auction for one. I think that’s a little low, but I also didn’t outbid him. The set is unusual enough to command a bit of a premium.
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.