I have a train set from when my grandpa was little. I can’t figure out what company made it. I’m pretty sure it’s pre-war because its all metal, no plastic. The instructions aren’t there but the box say’s on the front:
Stream line
steam type
electrical train
Made in U.S.A by
Louis Marx & co.
New York Office 200 Fifth Avenue.
That’s what the box says. The tender is a NYC tender, and the locomotive sides say “Marlines” All the cars have two 1 axle trucks, all metal.
What company made this set?
Louis Marx has a history nearly as colorful as his toys. Described by many as an experienced businessman with the mind of child; Louis Marx’s ability to see into the minds of children around the world guided his toy creations and advertising efforts.
Louis Marx founded his toy company in 1919. During the height of the Great Depression in the 1930’s, when most people saw only financial despair, Marx saw opportunity. Marx opened factories in Erie and Girard, PA, along with their largest facility in Glen Dale, West Virginia. During the 1950’s, Louis Marx & Co. became the “largest toy manufacturer in the world,” with over one-third of all toys in the U.S. being Marx toys. Described as “The Toy King,” Marx appeared on the cover of the 1955 Time Magazine.
In 1972, at the age of 76, Louis Marx sold his toy company. Despite best efforts, no one had the gifted touch of Louis Marx and the company suffered a decline until the end. While Louis Marx and his company are now a part of history, his toys & the joy they bring children, young & old, live on… Looks like we are there again. LOL
Some of the Marx tooling as well as the name still exists under different ownership. Last I heard, a couple from Florida were the owners, but this may have changed. You may want to look up a book on the Marx trains that would include your set. I know that Mr. Grossman who advertises in the back of CTT has a train repair business and stocks the parts if you need any.
Dennis
Here’s a site on Marx trains.
http://www.thortrains.net/marstart.html
It’s more of a guide on how to operate and service your Marx trains. It also has some Marx history thrown in. Finding missing components for the more common Marx sets is not difficult and they are inexpensive. As Russ says, Mark was the worlds largest toy manufacturer and their is boatloads of it on the secondary market. Marx makes the best electrical smell of all toy trains.
Marx tooling got auctioned off and scattered. K-Line got some of the plastic tooling. It’s what their S-2 switcher, some 027 boxcars, and accessories are based on. Sometime in the early 90’s, James and Debbie Flynn got ahold of much of the tin stamping dies and re-issued Marx as Marx. They eventually turned the tooling over to Ameritrains whom I understand has production on hold at the moment. Reproducing Marx is difficult because it costs more to reproduce it than what the more common originals can be had for in pristene condition.
Hello,
I have no info. regarding Marx trains other than, aside of our fathers pre war Lionel electric set, my brother and I got from Santa a Louis Marx wind up train set each and to us these were real train sets, as our father’s.
A friend of mine has an electric Marx set from the fifties, which are pretty neat.
Enjoy your Marx Trains,
Ralph
Dennis,
I have heard that the persons from Florida only bought the Marx Trains. Not 100% sure on that.
Lee F.