Information Portal 2009 by PCV

Whatever happened to children playing with little toy trains? In today’s society, it seems that toy trains have become a thing of the past. Children these days now ask for iPods, video games, and even cell phones before they’re 10 years old. But Thomas the Tank Engine continuously brings smiles and happiness to children all over the world, even in a time where toy trains seem to have been long forgotten.

Thomas the Tank Engine started as a children’s show and has since grown into a variety of toys and merchandise for children. The show focuses on teaching children as young as toddlers to count, spell, and even history lessons they normally wouldn’t learn until elementary school. And because Thomas is a train, children are able to use their imagination and gain an appreciation for the more simple activities that many adults once knew as children.

It’s no surprise that there are many wonderful toy trains made by Thomas the Tank Engine. The little toy trains are specifically designed for small children and have a unique way of grabbing their attention. You can find wooden toy trains from Thomas the Tank Engine, and these trains are most likely to resemble the basic wooden toy trains played with by many adults when they were children. The cars are painted bright shades of red, blue, green, and yellow, and often come with little wooden blocks to carry as “freight”.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Thomas the Tank Engine also makes a wide variety of accessories to go along with their toy trains. Little ones will have a blast by adding their own village or town to their Thomas the Tank system! The Deluxe Knapford Station is a very popular addition to Thomas trains. This station closely resembles an actual passenger station with two pieces of authentic switch track. Realistic sounds of whistles and movement help the child’s imagination to run free, while the station is brought to life with the built-in microphone. This gives children the opportunity to become a real engineer of their own toy train station! The Lighthouse Bridge allows children to have an imaginary river running through their train and boats can pass through.

Thomas the Tank Engine also comes with several friends children love to play with. Max and Monty the dump trucks help teach children the importance of sharing. Max and Monty are twin brothers who think they are experts in construction, but in reality they cause trouble everywhere they go. They have tendency to boss around the smaller machines, but in the end they always learn to share their space.

Along with several toys and children’s shows, Thomas the Tank Engine makes a variety of merchandise just for children. You can purchase several learning tools such as play mats, art sets, and puzzles to go along with your Thomas toy trains. Children also love Thomas the Tank Engine apparel, bedroom d?cor, clocks and watches, posters, and furniture. You can purchase Thomas the Tank Engine toys and accessories at nearly any department store or by visiting their website.

There’s a lot to understand about Toy Trains. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

Current info about Toy Trains is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Toy Trains info available.

Bringing a Classic Childhood Toy to Life

Nearly everyone is familiar with the sights and sounds of toy trains. Whether you’ve seen a toy train system circling underneath a Christmas tree or you have your own little toy train village set up, at one point you’ve probably thought, “How fun would it be to actually ride on one of those things?” It’s no surprise that you are obviously not the only one who’s dreamed of that concept. That’s why ride-on toy trains were developed!

Peg Perego is a top manufacturer of ride-on toy trains designed just for children. These ride-on toy trains are sure to provide hours of fun and entertainment for kids! For example, the Santa Fe Train Set comes with a 76×93 oval track set, making it a perfect addition to the playroom or living room. The train set is operated by push button controls, allowing the child to be the conductor if their magical train rides. And safety remains a priority with the Peg Perego Santa Fe Train Set, as speeds only reach 2mph and all wiring is kept in a small box only accessible by screwdriver. Another popular ride-on toy train from Peg Perego is the Thomas Track Rider 3rd Car. This ride-on toy train is the ultimate adventure for small children and their friends. With this train, kids can take along a friend and stuffed animals, as a third car is provided for just this purpose. The cars come complete with foot and hand rests, providing comfort as the little child chugs along.

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The Thomas Scootin’ Sounds Ride-On Train is also another popular choice for children. This train comes complete with real-working lights and sounds, and is big enough for the child to bring along several of his or her stuffed animal friends. However, this toy isn’t operated by the push of a button, but by the child! This method encourages small children to develop their motor skills by pushing or scooting the train around, while the realistic lights and sounds provide an exciting and rewarding addition.

With so many choices available to children for ride-on trains, you may be wondering if there’s anything available for adults. While it’s a harder opportunity to find, it does exist. The Toy Train Depot located in Alamogordo, New Mexico, is a store and museum dedicated to the display of scale models and toy trains, as well as ride-on trains big enough for adults to enjoy! At the Toy Train Depot, you’ll find America’s Park Ride Train Museum, an actual operating sixteen inch gauge train system that anyone can ride. Since the store and museum are non-profit, it will only cost you a minimal fee to attend.

Ride-on toy trains are an excellent way of providing fun and entertainment for yourself or your children. You can typically purchase a ride-on toy train set for your children for less than $200 – imagine your children waking on Christmas morning to find that underneath the tree!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

Your family has been straining their brains, trying to come up with a hobby that all of you can enjoy. Something that will bring you closer. After some debate and allot of bad ideas you and the rest of your family decide that setting up a toy train would be also of fun.

The first thing you need to do is go to your local bookstore or library and pick up a couple of books about toy trains. Maybe locate an informational DVD that your whole family can watch together. The more knowledge you and your family the better idea you all will have about what you want. If you are interested in recreating a real railroad pick up a couple of books both the railroad and the area of the world where it is located.

Take a Saturday afternoon, pile your family in the mini-van, and go visit your local hobby shop. Chances are good that they will carry some toy train material. Several hobby shops even offer classes for beginners.

Plan to attend a toy train show or exhibit. You’ll be able to see how experienced toy train collectors have designed their layouts. You’ll start to have some ideas of your own. The exhibitors will be able to help answer any questions you have.

Start looking over your house. Decide where you want to start setting up your toy train. As inviting as it might seem, avoid setting it on the floor. Toy trains that are set up on the floor are easy to step on or kick. In addition dangerous feet, toy trains that are dept on the floor are prone to carpet fuzz which gums up their mechanisms. The best plan is to get a large table that you can set arrange your toy train. If you like you can start to create an ambiance to enhance your planned layout. Add some special lighting, really scrub the walls, and install some shelves to display your toy train supplies that you aren’t using in your layout.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Toy Trains, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Purchase a tool kit. Don’t worry about getting anything elaborate. All you will need in the beginning is a pair of needle nose pliers, a hobby knife, a screwdriver, needle files, a scale rule, and a pair of pliers. Keep the tool kit in a drawer near the place you plan on displaying your toy train.

Don’t become enthralled with the idea of having a huge layout. Large layouts are very complicated and can quickly intimidate a beginner. The best plan is to buy a small layout. The wonderful thing about toy train sets is that they are designed to be expanded. When you start setting up your layout follow that publishers plans. Once you are comfortable with the project you can start to customize.

Now that you are set up, its time to add a train.

On form of power you can use for your toy train is a power pack. A power pack is an electrical device that supplies the power to a toy train. The power pack controls the direction of the train as well as the speed at which the train travels. Another power source is the use of a remote control. A train that operates with a remote control requires you to operate the remote, you control the speed and direction of the train. An electric train that operates with a power pack lets you relax while the train quietly runs along its track.

While you and your family are enjoying your new electric toy train, shut of the TV and make sure that the entire family is involved in the planning, creating, and enjoying of the latest hobby.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage–at least it seems that way. If you’ve been thinking you need to know more about it, here’s your opportunity.

Ask any avid collector of toy trains about American Flyer, and chances are they’ll be able to talk about these classic toy trains for hours. That’s because American Flyer is a tradition in the production of toy trains and has been for years. Since the beginning of the 1900′s, American Flyer has been producing top-quality toy trains and brought smiles to the faces of millions of people who received them as gifts or heirlooms. A truly unique find in toy train systems, American Flyer continues to be a popular name in toy trains and continues to bring happiness to today’s children and collectors.

American Flyer toy trains began as an idea to develop a clockwork motor for toy cars in 1901 by a man named William Fredrick Hafner. In 1905, he developed a train that could be operated by a clockwork motor on O gauge track. After receiving several requests and funds for orders, Hafner enlisted the help of his friend, William Coleman, to begin producing these new models of toy trains. At the time, Coleman had taken over control of Edmonds-Metzel Hardware Company, who had experienced financial hardship in 1906. The two friends immediately started to produce toy trains by using the surplus manufacturing potential of Edmonds-Metzel. The production was a success, and by 1910 Edmonds-Metzel left the hardware industry and changed its name to American Flyer. Originally American Flyer toy trains were thought to be generic in comparison to its competitor manufacturer, Ives.

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During the First World War, American Flyer’s business expanded and eventually knocked out the German manufactures that produced the majority of toy trains sold in the United States. American Flyer introduced the first electric train in 1918. A windup device replaced the clockwork motor developed by Hafner and quickly became a popular toy among American children. Even with the growing popularity of American Flyer, the company still took second place to the Lionel Corporation – a rivalry that continues among toy train collectors today.

American Flyer toy trains are a popular display item at modern toy train conventions and shows, and are usually at the center of heated auction bidding. Although finding pieces from American Flyer toy train systems are not difficult, 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.

A simple search of the internet will provide you with a complete listing of where to find American Flyer toy trains and accessories. You’ll find several options for attending shows and conventions that carry American Flyer trains, and you’ll find several items up for bid on eBay. The prices range from $20 for accessories to $500+ for toy trains, box cars, cabooses, and tank cars. Once you find a collectible from American Flyer, it can be a quite addicting hobby to add more pieces and accessories to your collection!

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

The only way to keep up with the latest about Toy Trains is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about Toy Trains, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.

Collecting toy trains is a very popular hobby among many people. Some collect them because they are reminded of their childhood, or because they had one or two of these realistic toys passed down to them through the generations. Standard gauge toy trains are one of the most popular collectible toy trains. There are many replicas and styles to choose from, and some of these toy trains are quite hard to come by. If you’re new to collecting toy trains or are just looking for unique pieces to add to your collection, you’re about to find out what makes these mini-locomotives a one-of-a-kind tradition in toy trains.

So what exactly makes a standard gauge toy train more desirable than others? Ask any collector of standard gauge toy trains and they’re likely to explain it in great detail. Standard gauge trains typically tend to model the originals more precisely than other available gauges. Compared to other toy trains, such as replicas of old Lionel, standard gauge trains truly have a unique way of grabbing the attention of a collector. This is probably because the standard gauge toy trains are strikingly identical to the actual trains used in the days of old.

The concept of toy trains has existed for centuries and at one time, was the toy of choice for many youngsters in America. The standard gauge toy train was an idea originally put into motion by the Lionel Corporation, in an effort to boost the sales of toy trains in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. The term “standard gauge’ refers to the size and diameter of railroad tracks for the toy trains. The Lionel Corporation developed a three-rail track of about 54 mm between each outside rail, which in turn did not work very well with gauge 1 productions from Europe. Soon the idea spread to other manufacturers in America, under the name “wide gauge”. Standard gauge was discontinued in 1940 due to the expensive cost of production. It is now a desired collection trait because standard gauge is precisely accurate to its actual larger model version in mean scale.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Toy Trains now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Standard gauge toy trains remain a popular collection item as it nears its centennial anniversary. It has become the choice of many collectors and is most popular on display around the holidays, seen in several stores and shopping malls. So where can one find these unique pieces? There are several places to locate standard gauge toy trains and for good deals if you know where to look. A simple search of the internet will provide you with several websites that sell standard gauge items, as well as eBay and other online auctions. You can also find some informational websites and places to participate in blogging on standard gauge toy trains.

If you’ve picked some pointers about Toy Trains that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won’t really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don’t use it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

Current info about Toy Trains is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Toy Trains info available.

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.

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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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

The following paragraphs summarize the work of Toy Trains experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of Toy Trains. Heed their advice to avoid any Toy Trains surprises.

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.

The best time to learn about Toy Trains is before you’re in the thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some valuable Toy Trains experience while it’s still free.

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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

There’s just something special about little wooden toy trains. They’ve long been a favorite among children and have become an icon for the Christmas season in many countries. They are still a popular gift choice for children and often a collectible among adults. It’s nearly impossible to own just one wooden toy train; many people choose to build upon their cherished toy to create their own toy train system. While the wooden toy train is a popular display at Christmas, some people have whole rooms or sections of their house dedicated to displaying their wooden toy trains.

Often, it can be tricky to find wooden toy trains in today’s society. Most toy trains of today are constructed out of metal and plastic, with decals displayed in order to make the toy look as realistic as possible. Some people turn to the internet to find wooden toy trains, while others scout out live auctions and antique stores in hopes of finding the wooden locomotive they knew and loved as a child. However, it is possible to find new wooden toy trains thanks to a company called Community Playthings.

Community Playthings began as a small organization of young fathers in rural Georgia. These men had one thing in mind – to create safe, durable toys for their children out of wood. The concept soon spread to local schools and teachers began requesting the wooden toys for their classrooms. When childcare became a popular idea among working parents, daycares ordered wooden furniture from Community Playthings. It wasn’t long before the company expanded into a well-known name in the toy industry, and thus the creation of wooden toy cars, trucks, and trains.

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The toy trains you’ll find made by Community Playthings are simple and certainly nothing fancy. You won’t find exclusive hand-painted detail, battery-operated engines, lights, sounds, or any other bells and whistles. Those are best left for companies who focus on creating state-of-the-art, realistic replicas. The toy trains from Community Playthings are designed for the inquiring child, plain and simple. Without all of the added extras, children are able to use their own imagine and develop motor skills as they push along and play with their wooden toy trains.

Along with toy trains, Community Playthings also makes wooden furniture, children’s lockers and cubby holes, art and sand tables, classic wooden blocks, and a wide variety of furniture for babies and toddlers. It is very easy to purchase anything wooden from Community Playthings. Their website provides a complete listing of all of their available products, prices, and pictures of every item. Several children’s marketing websites also carry items from Community Playthings for reasonable prices.

For a trip down memory lane back to your childhood, or to purchase wooden toy trains for your little one, consider getting your next toy train from Community Playthings. In a society where everything has gotten so modern, it’s nice to know there’s one company out there who can take you back to the “good old days”.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Toy Trains. Share your new understanding about Toy Trains with others. They’ll thank you for it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

The following paragraphs summarize the work of Toy Trains experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of Toy Trains. Heed their advice to avoid any Toy Trains surprises.

In the real world a railway that has a narrower then 1,435 mm is called a narrow gauge railway. Narrow gauge railways accommodate smaller radius curves, and are cheaper to build. They are often found in mountainous communities and in communities that don’t have enough traffic to justify the expense of building a standard gauge railway. Narrow gauge railway’s are often duplicated by toy trains.

The smallest gauge toy train available to toy train collectors is the Z gauge. The Z gauge operates on a track that is only 6.5 mm. The Z gauge was introduced by the Marklin Company in 1972, at the Nuremberg’s Toy Fair. The z gauge is so small that a layout can fit inside a standard briefcase. Some Z gauge engines weigh a little as 20 grams. It is very important that a Z gauge track be kept extremely clean, a little spot of dirt can stop the tiny locomotive in its tracks and gum up all the miniature working parts.

The most popular size toy train among toy train collectors is the HO scale trains. The train was first introduced to the market in the middle of the 1930′s but it did not enjoy immediate popularity. It wasn’t until the 1950′s that it started to attract the attention of toy train aficionados. Fans of toy trains started to realize that the the HO’s small size allowed them to add even more detail to their layouts.

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HO gauge trains are typically less expensive then some of the other size train sets. It is a large enough scale that parents with small children don’t have to worry about the pieces getting swallowed.

The typical HO toy train runs on a two rail track that is powered by a direct current. Some collectors have designed HO layouts that have a radius of approximately eighteen inches. The eighteen inch radius models a full scale radius of one hundred and thirty feet. The small radius is so tight that in real life it is only duplicated by streetcars and light rail systems. The casual toy train collector generally uses a track that is made out of prefabricated snap together tracks, the same type of track is often used by exhibitors who move their layout from one show to another. Collectors who have permanent layouts generally prefer to use a track that is constructed of hand laid sections. Some little train enthusiast prefer a flex track that is compatible with a snap together track.

The popularity of the HO gauge toy train makes it easy for collectors to locate models and parts for their little train set. The HO gauge is approximately half the size of the O gauge.

In the United Kingdom the most popular gauge toy train is the OO gauge. The OO gauge was first introduced in 192 by the Bing company. It was called the Table Runway. A 16.5 mm gauge is used for the OO toy train.

There’s a lot to understand about Toy Trains. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with 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.

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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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Toy Trains