This Canadian Pacific Clockwork set is pretty and rare. These were released in Canada to commemorate the inauguration of the Canadian Pacific Jubilee train. The electric engines with eight wheel cars are not quite as rare and stray cars show up from time to time. No observation has surfaced so far. Car names include Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Calgary, and Hamilton. These cars are always found on either 4 wheel round end black frames (REF) or eight wheel black frames (8WF-B), and always with tab and slot couplers (TSC).

Supposedly, the Canadian Pacific Railway financed the tooling for Marx to make the engine in this set. If true, it was a great deal for Marx which went on to produce more of these engines in various forms without the Canadian Pacific moniker then were produced with it. The engine debuted in 1936 and was still being sold in one form or another as late as 1949. The variations on this basic engine are staggering. One could easily collect nothing but different CP engines and keep busy for a very long time.
It's no wonder early TCA members did not want to solve the Marx riddle.
The clockwork motor in this engine has a bent-over starter switch (usually mistakenly referred to as a brake) which is indicative of a reversible clockwork motor. When pulled straight up the motor unwinds in reverse! The key is a screw-in type.


My friend, Cliff Clavin ... er-er, I mean Carlson ... made this observation. It is what one would have looked like if Marx had made it except for the name and number.