marx trains Archives

Creative sourcing for O and S scale train layout figures

Dave Farquhar Toy trains December 6, 2014November 24, 20181:64 scale, american flyer, Big Lots, christmas, Cobblestone Corners, CVS, Dollar Tree, HO, ho scale, marx, marx trains, o gauge, o scale, s gauge, s scale, train layout

Hobby shops frequently carry a decent selection of figures for O and S gauge layouts, but if you look at the magazines long enough, you start to see almost all of them have the same figures–and they’re probably the same figures the shop near you sells as well.

There are ways to get a better variety of figures so your layout can have something distinctive about it–and the good news is you can save some money doing it as well.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Tips for using Dept. 56 and Lemax-type buildings with Lionel trains

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 29, 2014December 10, 20211:64 scale, 1950s, american flyer, christmas, Cobblestone Corners, Dept 56, Dollar Tree, electric trains, estate sales, holiday village, Lemax, lionel, marx, marx trains, s scale

A frequent question I see regards the proper scale of snow village-type buildings, like Department 56 and Lemax, and whether they’re suitable for use with Lionel electric trains.

The answer is that their scale varies, but the buildings work very effectively with traditional Lionel trains, or, for that matter, 1:64 S scale American Flyer trains. Many hobbyists have built elaborate winter-themed layouts using these buildings. Typically the scale runs from anywhere from 1:64 to 1:48, with lots of selective compression to make the buildings fit an approximate footprint. The very same thing is true of the Lionel trains of the 1950s, so, intentional or not, they end up being a pretty good match.

The figures sold with these buildings, on the other hand, tend to be much larger–very close to 1:24 scale. This discrepancy bothers some people more than others. 1:24 figures are better suited for G scale.

Dave Farquhar

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How to repair a Marx electrical pickup shoe

Dave Farquhar Toy trains September 20, 2014November 29, 2015marx, marx trains

Unlike most of its competitors, Marx trains don’t use rollers to engage the center rail for electrical pickup. Instead, Marx utilized a copper shoe that slides along the center rail. It was cheap and effective, but the increased friction means the shoes wear out much more quickly than rollers do. Indeed, the shoe usually is the first part of the train to wear out.

The fix is easy, if non-obvious.

Dave Farquhar

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Marx windup 490: An unexpected rarity

Dave Farquhar Toy trains February 1, 2014September 29, 2019greenberg, marx, marx trains, Pocket Price Guide, train show

I’ve written before about the Greenberg Pocket Price Guide for Marx, and I frequently recommend it, especially to newcomers, because it’s very easy to end up spending $30 on a car that’s only worth $10. I know when starting out we prefer to spend our train money on trains. But by saving you from overpaying, the guide quickly pays for itself. Here’s how I use mine. The guide isn’t perfect, though. One of the items it omits is the Marx windup 490 steam locomotive.

Marx made clockwork locomotives longer than anyone else and they typically aren’t worth a lot today. But the 490 is different. There are always exceptions with Marx. Read more

Dave Farquhar

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The Marx connection to Hafner

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 25, 2014January 27, 20221950s, american flyer, electric trains, ives, lionel, Louis Marx, marx, marx trains, New York, New York City, o gauge, tin, wyandotte

Hafner was a Chicago-based maker of clockwork-powered O gauge trains during most of the first half of the 20th century. The trains were inexpensive but durable. William Hafner developed the clockwork motor as a hobby around the turn of the previous century and put the motor in toys. Eventually he decided to make a train–perhaps he thought his two sons would like one–and he did. He even sold a set or two, but didn’t have the facilities to mass produce them, or the money to buy such a facility. So he approached William Coleman, who had an interest in a struggling farm tool company, and after Hafner secured an order for $15,000 worth of trains, Coleman agreed to use the company’s excess capacity to produce the trains.

And so began American Flyer, the company that battled Lionel for the hearts and minds of train enthusiasts for about sixty years, until 1967.

Dave Farquhar

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Scratchbuilding, Marx-style

Dave Farquhar Toy trains April 2, 2013April 1, 2013boxcar, boxcars, greenberg, KCS, lionel, marx, marx trains, tin, Wayne Wesolowski

I saw a modern-production Lionel box car in a hobby shop one weekend. I wanted it, but I really wanted it in Marx 3/16 style, so it would look right with my Marx #54 KCS diesels pulling it. But I face very long odds of ever getting that car in Marx 3/16 unless I build it myself.

So I started building. And you can too.

Dave Farquhar

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Non-derailing Marx switches

Dave Farquhar Toy trains February 1, 2013April 23, 2017american flyer, lionel, Lionel O27, lionel train, marx, Marx O34, marx trains, o27, RADIUS, train layout

The Marx 1590 is the best O27 switch ever made. It’s durable, works well with all makes of trains (just put a track pin in the center rail where the switch pivots so that Lionel trains can pass), and can run off accessory power without modification.

The only downside is that it (allegedly) can’t be set to automatically switch to a position to accommodate an approaching train like a Lionel 1122, which makes it unusable in a reverse loop. That’s true if you wire them the way Marx said to wire them.

Here’s how I wire them to get that coveted feature.

Dave Farquhar

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An interesting day for tablets and e-readers

Dave Farquhar Hardware September 6, 2012April 17, 2017android, kindle, Kindle Fire, lionel, marx, marx trains

Amazon replaced the Kindle Fire today; the basic model gets a price cut to $159 and a faster CPU, and deluxe models get nicer (and in one case, a bigger 8.9-inch) screen. And, predictably, Amazon released new e-reader Kindles with a bit of a price cut and, again, nicer screens.

That wasn’t all.

Dave Farquhar

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Marx trains and Lionel 1121 switches

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 10, 2012November 22, 2016christmas, Classic Toy Trains, lionel, marx, marx trains, o27, Peter Riddle

There is some unfortunate misinformation circulating on various train forums. I first read this misinformation in the outstanding book by Peter Riddle, Trains from Grandfather’s Attic, published in 1991. As Classic Toy Trains editor Bob Keller noted while we were finishing up my article late last year, incorrect information in print lasts a long time. A very long time, sometimes. Lionel 1121 switches and Marx trains are rumored to get along famously. I am sad to report they do not.
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Dave Farquhar

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Review: The Definitive Guide to Marx Trains, by Walt Hiteshew

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 13, 2011December 1, 2015greenberg, Joy Line, marx, marx trains, reference book, train show

A week go I wrote about the newest Greenberg Pocket Guide, which I recommended as a useful, if flawed, resource. Today I’ll talk about one of the best ways to fill in the gaps.

Several years ago, Walt Hiteshew released his Definitive Guide to Marx 6″ and Joy Line Trains on CD-ROM, priced at $29.95. The Definitive Guide covers every known 6″ car Marx produced and includes photos, pricing, and production history. Basically, everything known or that can be reasonably inferred about Marx’s most prolific line. When Mr. Hiteshew says Definitive Guide, he means it.
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Dave Farquhar

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