Marx’s Ready-To-Run Railroad Set

Watch Marx’s Ready-To-Run Railroad Set - Jesse Durbin on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Our resident Marks expert, Tasker Brush, dropped by one day with a Marks set made in 1949 for Montgomery Wards.

00:09The set came complete with a pair of remote control switches, two manual uncoupling track sections, track, bumpers,

00:17the whistling Girard station, three passenger cars, four freight cars, and the top-of-the-line 333 die-cast steamer.

00:26This set is impressive. There's enough track for an oval and two sidings.

00:31The idea was for a kid to learn about real railroad operations.

00:36He could back off the main line, leave the freight cars on a siding, switch over to the other siding,

00:43pick up the passenger cars, and then head back to the main.

00:46We thought Marks only made little, cheapy engines and were surprised at the quality of the die-cast 333 and how well it ran.

01:00It was the first engine ever made by Marks to feature six drive wheels, side rods, and valve linkage.

01:06The illuminated two-tone gray New York Central passenger cars were an extension of the 3-16th-inch scale series introduced in 1941.

01:17They include an Astrodome, coach, and observation.

01:21These were the first Marks passenger cars to feature full-color window strips and truck-mounted electrical pickups.

01:29Together, they make a striking set.

01:31For years, Marks, known primarily for making inexpensive trains, has been snubbed by collectors.

01:43Not anymore.

01:45Today, Marks trains are hot, and this set is a good example why.

01:49Thanks to collectors like Tasker, we are discovering Marks made some very interesting trains.

01:55In future issues of the Toy Train Review, we will show you more of them.