1 (15K)

Marx Train History

Louis Marx was the brainchild of the Marx Toy Co. He was born in New York city in 1896 and lived to be one of the greatest toy makers the world has ever known. He began his career working for Ferdinand Strauss, a New York toy maker but recognized the profit potential of volume production and selling which did not sit well with Strauss. They parted company and Marx went on to form his own company which contracted to make toys for volume buyers at prices lower than they were currently paying. Later he began selling toys for other manufacturers including Joy Line trains, for Girard Model works of Girard, Pennsylvania.

Marx acquired Girard when they went bankrupt, during the depression, and went on to become the largest single toy maker in the world.

Trains sales were a major part of the Marx empire. Marx Trains were manufactured beginning in 1934. The first Marx train was the Union Pacific Articulated Streamliner. This was followed by the early six inch trains which are characterized by the black frame with silver lithographed details and a short wheel base. The lithographed bodies of these cars are two color printings, that is, a solid color with black details. These were quickly altered with an all black frame and longer wheel base. A new series of car bodies was released about 1938 which employed multiple color printing and a newer square end frame with a coupler pocket. This frame was used on six inch trains until the end of tin production in 1972. In the years between, Marx used these frames in red with white details, tin plated finish, olive drab, blue, and brown.

During these years Marx also made six inch eight wheel cars, 3-16ths scale trains, seven inch trains and a plethora of train toys.

Beginning in 1952 Marx began offering plastic trains for sale. During the years of their manufacture they were offered in four wheel, eight wheel and eight wheel deluxe versions. Many of them are very difficult to find today.

Plastic train production continued until the final closing of the Marx plants in the mid 1970's. The final years of Marx train production were under the umbrella of the Quaker Oats Co. and are notable for their bright colors. Marx trains were so well designed that they are still being sold today. K-Line is offering several of the Marx plastic cars and the four wheel plastic sets still pop up, usually out of Mexico, from Great Lakes productions or MPC. There are at least ten post Marx four wheel sets.

Louis Marx died in 1982 at the age of 85 bringing to an end the sixty years of toy production he oversaw. Thanks to Louis Marx we grew up with some of the greatest toys ever made at prices that placed them in the hands of middle class children.

Thank You Louis Marx!