Hobbies And Interests
Production
Brothers Louis and David Marx created Louis Marx & Co. in 1919, according to Collectics. The company, located in Erie, Pennsylvania, crafted tin plate wind-up toys early on. The first yo-yo ever produced was a product of Louis Marx & Co. in 1928. Factories owned by the company were recruited to manufacture supplies for the military during World War II, then returned to toy production following the war. Early trains were made in 1948, soon followed by electric trains crafted in the Girard, Pennsylvania plant. In 1955, electric trains were added to the company’s toy production. Production of toys soon spread overseas. However, when toys began to be produced with plastic and other metal alloys, Marx trains took a bit of a hit. In 1972, with Louis Marx retiring, Quaker Oats bought the company. From this point, sales nosedived. The original Louis Marx & Co. ended toy production in 1978.
Train Innovations
The trains produced by Louis Marx & Co. attained widespread popularity not only because of their affordability but also because of the craftsmanship that went into them. Thor Trains notes that prior to certain developments by the Marx company, toy trains looked more toy-like as opposed to looking like scale models of real trains. Marx trains changed this by incorporating aspects of real trains that toy trains at the time didn’t feature. For instance, Marx trains featured an open-frame motor within them. Marx trains also came with what are known as fat wheels, making them unable to move on any tracks other than Marx tracks. Tilt couplers were also a feature of the trains, enabling the cars to lock together using a dovetail style. Model Train Hobby adds that more expensive electric Marx trains came with smokers which heated a fluid in the train to produce actual smoke as the train moved along the tracks.
Lines Produced
The first Marx trains were manufactured in 1934, according to Toy Collector Magazine. The Marx Union Pacific M10000 was a standout within the Joy Line set of trains, as it was a streamlined 3-piece passenger train set that sold for much cheaper than other train sets at the time. In 1935, the company added the Commodore Vanderbilt line of engines, as well as additional Joy Line cars like a baggage car and U.S. Mail car. In 1937, Canadian Pacific and Central Mercury lines were added to the repertoire. Following World War II, according to Thor Trains, Marx crafted similar lines, keeping the number of trains available small in order to keep prices low.
Accessories
For a more complete model train experience, the Marx company sold accessories to go with the trains. These accessories included scenic backdrops, tunnels, signals and tracks. Thor Trains states that the signals and bell-ringer accessories for the trains actually lit up and made noise upon a train’s passing on the tracks. Louis Marx & Co. even sold scale-sized people to go with train sets.
Collecting Value
Marx trains are often spoken of highly because of their ability to hold up well over time. Because Marx trains were mass-marketed, their availability as collector’s pieces is still high. As they had been when first created, Marx trains are cheap to add to model train collections. Websites exist for Marx trains, parts, accessories and repair for collectors’ convenience. The train company was revived in 1993 and produces newer models, but collectors are mainly interested in the trains of the original Louis Marx & Co. lines.