:Toy Trains

At the end of World War I, in 1919, Luis Marx started a toy company. The company was called Marx and Company and was co-founded by Louis brother, David Marx. The company’s motto was to, “give the customer more toy for less money.” The company enjoyed a long run of success, surviving the both the Great Depression and the second World War, before it closed its doors in 1978, six years after Louis Marx sold the company to Quaker Oats. During the Great Depression the Marx Company had over $500,000 in debt, a debt that was more then covered by its $3.2 million in assets. In addition to several international plants, Marx had three plants in the United States, two in Pennsylvania, and one in West Virginia. One of the places that they sold their toys was in the Sears Roebucks magazine. Some people feel that during its heyday, Marx and Company actually sold more toy trains then any of the other toy companies. The first train they sold was the Joy Line, which they sold on commission for the Girard Company. Shortly after his company started selling the Joy Line, Louis Marx arranged for the Girard Company to design a toy train specifically for Marx and Company. Eventually the Girard Company was purchased by Marx. In the marketplace, Marx trains were noticeable because they were normally smaller and cheaper then the ones made by the Lionel Company and American Flyer. The Marx Company designed electric toy trains that featured an open frame motor, this motor features a gear that is fixed to one end of the axle of the armature. The company seldom varied from this design. Post World War II, Marx and Company started to make trains out of plastic. More expensive versions of Marx toy trains included a smoker that heated smoke fluid to produce smoke. Marx trains typically have a copper shoe pickup. On a Marx motor, the center rail pickup, is typically made out of copper strip. Until the late 1950’s Marx made their toy trains with a fat wheel. This fat wheel makes it virtually impossible for Marx toy trains to negotiate the switches and crossovers of Lionel tracks. Older models of Marx trains feature open switches. Marx and Company designed their switches so that the wiring was similar to the wiring in two rail switches. Three wires, red, green, and black, go directly to the the switch. Most of Marx scale freighters featured a a low truck with small wheels. Marx used a dovetail design for their tilt couplers. Marx tilt couplers are incompatible with Lionel couplers. The tilt couplers were one single molded piece. In later years, Marx made one piece knuckle couplers that have to be coupled by hand. Most of the original Marx and Company motors have a metal frame and metal gears. A few of their later designs have frames and gears that are made out of plastic. Some of the cheaper toy trains that Marx designed can’t reverse, they can only go forward.

No Comments

People who collect toy trains have a genuine passion for them. Some people prefer to only display them one time of year around the family Christmas tree, while others dedicate entire rooms or sections of their houses to showing off their collection. However, a toy train is not just a toy train. They are not all the same and some are more valuable than others. Anyone who collects toy trains as a hobby is familiar with Marklin toy trains. These trains have been around since 1891 and are a truly unique addition to any toy train collection. Marklin introduced a revolution in the toy train industry by introducing the very first inclusive set of trains in 1891. Marklin provided a fresh appeal to the typical toy train by introducing a series of standard track gauges and a variety of models with matching accessories. What came from this revolution was the ability to build on your initial train set by expanding your miniature railroad. It is thought that Marklin is at the forefront of developing the expanding toy train set. Getting a hold of one of the timeless pieces from Marklin is no easy task and can cost thousands of dollars. In fact, some of the pieces are so rare that they easily run in the six digits. For example, an international auction of toy trains and accessories recently held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sold a complete Marklin station for $110,000. The station included an exceptionally rare Marklin #2609 locomotive that was built precisely to scale and marvelously painted by hand. The unique toy train set was just as astonishing inside as it was outside. (As most Marklin train sets are, no surprise there!) The station included five interior rooms that were cleverly adorned with tables, chairs, and other furniture you would expect to find aboard passenger cars from back in the day. It was originally thought that this rare Marklin station would sell for around $30,000; that is, until it became the ultimate “bidding brawl” between American and Europe. Two toy train collectors from opposite ends of the world both went to great lengths to snag the priceless item, but in the end America prevailed in taking home the 29-inch long, 19-inch high beauty. That wasn’t the only Marklin item that brought in much more money than originally estimated. A Marklin #2609 locomotive was sold for $82,500. The gauge III set boasted a live steam engine and precise hand-painted detail. The original sale estimate was set at $25,000 – obviously, this goal was blown away when avid collectors from around the world united in hopes of bringing home a classic Marklin station. Several other Marklin items were sold at the auction, but surprisingly not a single Marklin piece sold for less than $25,000. Now that you can see just how valuable these timeless classics are, chances are you won’t find them for cheap. Ebay does occasionally place Marklin pieces up for bidding, but the results won’t differ much from a live auction. You can purchase certain Marklin sets and accessories through marklin.com, but again, you will pay a pretty penny.

No Comments

When you hear the phrase, “I love toy trains,” most of the time you wouldn’t think of a store dedicated solely to toy trains. But that’s exactly what that phrase means in New Buffalo, Michigan. New Buffalo serves as home to the infamous I Love Toy Trains, a toy train wonderland that is every child and toy train collector’s dream. The store carries Thomas and Friends wooden toy trains and accessories and several unique items from Lionel Corporation. If the name of the store sounds familiar to you, it’s because it was derived from the popular children’s video series. The series, “I Love Toy Trains” is an animated show that allows children to use their imagination in the world of toy trains. And that’s exactly the concept the store used in finding a name for their establishment – a place where children and adults can go and just let their imagination run free among the hundreds of toy trains and items for sale. I Love Toy Trains is settled in a 1930’s style home on the bottom floor. You’ll find an assortment of classic, antique, and new toy trains all together under one roof. Several models of common names in the toy train industry are available at the store. For example, you’ll see some beautiful Standard gauge models from the twenties on display, and several manufactures featured include Lionel, Marx, and Williams. You can find classic and simple wooden toy trains ideal for toddlers and small children, and you’ll also find toy trains complete with operating engines and hand-painted detail for those looking to “kick it up a notch.” Not only will you find everything you need to create a toy train wonderland, but you’ll also find rare and unique toys imported from Germany and Czechoslovakia. Where else can you find a duck on a bike, tumbling bunnies, or singing cowboys? I Love Toy Trains also carries several styles of railroad tracks along with accessories to make your toy train system as realistic as possible. The store carries a wide variety of trinkets ranging in price, so even if you are on a budget you are very likely to find a keepsake at a reasonable price. I Love Toy Trains is only open three days a week, Friday through Sunday, from 11:00am to 5:00pm EST. If you’re ever visiting this area in Michigan, make it part of your trip to visit I Love Toy Trains. In addition to the trains, there is a delightful selection of clockwork, tin-litho toys imported from Czechoslovakia and Germany – Duck on a Bike, Space Man Robot, Elephant Balancing Ball, Panda Drummer, Rocking Cowboy, Basketball Girl, and Tumbling Bunnies. In addition to the trains, there is a delightful selection of clockwork, tin-litho toys imported from Czechoslovakia and Germany – Duck on a Bike, Space Man Robot, Elephant Balancing Ball, Panda Drummer, Rocking Cowboy, Basketball Girl, and Tumbling Bunnies.

No Comments

Toy trains have long been a popular choice for gifts among children. For centuries, these tiny locomotives have brought smiles to many faces of children on birthdays and holidays. However, that tiny bit of pleasure faded as the years went by, and have been replaced by video games, computers, cell phones, and other toys of today. But toy trains have continued to keep a place on toy store shelves, even if they’re not the same old fashioned ones from generations ago. There are several popular trademarks in modern toy trains. American Flyer toy trains are still a favorite display item at modern toy train conventions and shows, and can usually be found at the center of heated auction bidding. Although finding pieces from American Flyer toy train systems are not complicated, you can expect to pay top dollar for these classic toys. Even American Flyer catalogs are hot items up for sale and bidding at auctions and on the internet. Children still love to play with toy trains made by American Flyer, if you are able to get a hold of these classic yet entertaining toys. Another popular trademark in modern toy trains is Brio. While Brio toy trains are notorious for being made of wood, it certainly doesn’t make them any less attractive to children. Brio produces wooden toy trains in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes. You can find modern toy trains, complete with all the bells and whistles of other toy trains, but still made of wood. You can also find wooden toy trains that are simple and take you back to your days as a child. This is exactly what makes Brio as popular as other companies – the old-fashioned twist on a modern appeal. HO toy trains are a top-selling item in the toy train industry. There are several reasons why HO toy trains are desired among modern trademarks. One of the reasons is because of the unique construction and engineering of HO toy trains. HO toy trains are jagged and are scaled at 1:87, making them the perfect starter electric train. Appearance is also a major factor in purchasing HO toy trains. Though this trademark of modern toy trains appeals more to teenagers and adults, they are still a widely popular choice in the toy train industry. The flawless detailing gives them a realistic appeal, making them an attractive addition to any toy train system. The Marklin HO toy trains resemble the Z gauge in that they are built from diecast metal. Most of the frames and wheels are constructed from 100% metal. The engineering of HO toy trains is also quite brilliant. The wheels of the freight and passenger cars have a low center of gravity to avoid derailment, making them a reliable addition to electric systems. These are only a few of the most popular trademark names in modern toy trains. New toy trains are constantly being developed, so keep an eye out for new trademarks looking to make their home in this timeless industry.

No Comments

Collecting antique toy trains is a hobby and interest pursued by many. Perhaps the interest began as a small child, when they were given their first toy train set. In a world with much stress and pressure, toy train collectors use their hobby as an escape from the “real world”. It gives them an opportunity to go back to their childhood and simply imagine a world full of these tiny replicas. But along with toy train collecting comes photographs of antique toy trains. Some people collect the photographs to add to their walls of the rooms where the toy trains are on display. Others use the photographs as a way of scouting out their next toy train to add to the collection. There are several resources available to find great photographs of antique toy trains. One place to find these pictures is the internet. If you already have an idea of what you are looking for, this is a great method to locate that perfect photograph. (Not to mention it’s free of charge!) Start by looking in Google for your photograph. Type in the name, model, or company that makes the toy train you’re looking for a picture of. You will be provided with a list of articles, documents, and photographs on the internet of antique toy trains that match your search criteria. Search through the pictures and if you have a printer, simply add photo paper and print the picture. There you have it – an easy and free way of getting a great picture of your antique toy train. Sometimes things aren’t always that simple, especially when trying to locate a photograph of a genuine antique toy train. If you didn’t have any luck with the internet, your next step is to locate books with pictures of antique toy trains. An excellent example of a book containing lots of photographs and useful information about antique toy trains is “The American Toy Train” by Gerry Souter. This book contains everything any collector would want to know about antique toy trains, including information on American Flyer, Lionel, and Marx brand toy trains. You’ll find incredible photographs of toy trains made by these manufacturers that can easily be made into framed pictures suitable for display. Another great resource for finding photographs if antique toy trains is O’Brien’s Collecting Toy Trains: Identification and Value Guide. This book was developed by Richard O’Brien, an expert in antique toy collecting. This book contains the history of antique toy trains, and covers popular manufactures such as those mentioned above along with several others. The book is full of beautiful photographs of numerous antique toy trains along with helpful captions underneath each picture. Finally, you can find photographs of antique toy trains in several magazines that focus on toy train collecting. Classic Toy Trains magazine is a monthly publication that contains the latest news in this old-fashion hobby. You’ll find useful information regarding history as well as current auctions, conventions, and shows, as well as an amazing array of bright colored photographs of antique toy trains.

No Comments