Hello everyone, we just joined 3/5/2026.

A few years ago, after my dad passed away, we found his pre war (late 1930s) Marx tin litho train set in the attic. Who knows the last time it was run? I do remember seeing it as a kid in the 1960s / 70s when I got my own plastic Marx train set. Dad used to run BOTH trains and an Aurora slot-car set. He had quite a little town set up. My wife and I laid out a short oval track on the dining room table, plugged the old pre war transformer in and after a little humming and a couple of sparks the loco ran!

After a few trips around the tabletop, the whole train went back into its box for a few more years, but recently my wife and I got interested in setting it up again. This has led me to making some rolling stock and track purchases at junk stores, second hand shops, “antique” stores (for tourists), eBay and even an actual model train store: Norm’s O Scale Trains in Casco, Maine.

Full disclosure, I am NOT a scale modeler. I admire the talents and skills of those who get into it and I enjoy looking at those meticulously crafted layouts; it’s just not my thing as an operator. I’m into nostalgia: old tin Marx buildings and the stuff that looks like the “toy train sets” that I used to marvel at in the toy department at Grant’s, Bradlee’s, K-Mart, Sears and Jordan Marsh.

I’m looking forward to hearing from all model train enthusiasts, especially those who enjoy vintage and antique “3 Railer” Marx trains.