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Monday, November 29, 2010

Marx #1430 Union Station

Today's Marx Monday selection is the venerable #1430 Union Station.  This is quite a diminutive station but packed with plenty of detail.  There's an indentation designed into the base that will accept HO scale track but yet, there are two mainlines side-by-side lithographed on it. Interesting!  It also has a lever-actuated crossing arm and an upright 'STOP' sign.  The station came in several different colors and configurations, and the stampings were used to make bus stations and airports - generally speaking Marx made the most out of its tooling.  My sample is a tad bit play worn but still has that tinplate charm about it.   Enjoy!









Sunday, November 28, 2010

Corgi #77315 1970s DC Comics Batmobile

Last week's Sunday Comics edition was a pretty lengthy one huh?  That was my little take on the Batcave theme and how you can work something like that into a very small space.  It's been a busy week and I haven't been able to do any more work on 'The Cave' or the layout in general.  This week we'll highlight the 1970s DC Comics Batmobile.  While Corgi has done a wonderful job translating these comic book vehicles into three dimensional toys I've got to admit - this particular Batmobile is one of the most un-inspiring and boring of the line.  Maybe it was a '70s thing but this car, in my opinion, simply has no pizazz, no panache!  But that being said, the toy itself represents just one car in a lineage dating back to the 1930s and for that deserves to be covered.  Enjoy!








Saturday, November 27, 2010

AOME LOTR Eomer On Horseback (Firefoot)

The next in line for our Sci-Fi and Fantasy Saturday is another excellent figure in Play Along Toys Armies of Middle Earth, Lord of The Rings series: 'Eomer on Horseback', the horse being Firefoot.  Enjoy!

Eomer on Horseback (Firefoot)
Wave 3
Issued by: Art Asylum / Play Along Toys
Assortment: 48000
Item #: 48011
Issue Date: Spring 2004
Issue Price: $7.99
 









Friday, November 26, 2010

K-Line #K-4091 Firehouse

For the past couple of months I've been posting photos and articles of K-Line plastic buildings on the 'MarxTrains' Yahoo Group.  In particular, those buildings using the old Marx tooling that Maury D. Klein purchased from the bankruptcy court after Marx folded.  As a result of his far-sightedness, the old Marx buildings can still be enjoyed.   I'm posting it here because:

A) It is a toy &
B) Not everyone wants to join a Yahoo Group just to get their information.

As today is Fire Truck and Emergency Vehicle Friday I thought I would present an entire set, not just a single, stand-alone toy.  As with many of my toys, this one was meant to be compatible with a 3-rail O-gauge toy train layout.

Marx, and by extension, K-Line was no stranger to anomalies. After all, their entire line was small sized and mostly more suitable for S-gauge than O-gauge. The Marxville plastic Army Barracks was HO scale and the chicken coop was 54mm (approx 1/32 scale). K-Line did in fact begin to change this around first by designing new facades for the stores and later by offering brand new buildings with all new tooling, but by-and-large their Marx reissues were all smallish But the anomaly in question for today's Kronicle has to do with this one particular building which I acquired some years back. It is complete and mint but there are several things which bother me somewhat.

1. First, the finish has a bright glossy luster to it. Generally speaking, the K-Line reissues had a duller finish, perhaps as the result of the tooling beginning to wear and might be hard to detect unless one has a similar Marx building to place side-by-side. The difference can be likened to a glossy paint finish vs. an egg shell finish. But not this building; it is every bit as bright and shiny as an original Marx building.

2. Second, some of the color is `wrong'. The gray roof/doors/windows are an-off color. I know by experience that the grays' discolor to a funny tannish hue, but there is usually evidence somewhere on the model where one can see the discoloration process.

3. Third, the fire truck has the exact same `discoloration' – if in fact that's what it is. That is highly unusual. The color appears to be saturated through and through and not just on the surface.

4. Last, the fire truck's molding is every bit as clear and distinct as the original Marx versions. Again, generally speaking, the K-Line fire trucks have rather indistinct details. They simply don't `pop' as on the originals.

ACCESSORIES
The accessories included with this kit differ from the original Marx offering by the inclusion of the Police and Fire Station Accessories Mold Group (old Marx Mold Group PL 543) which includes:
1. Lamp post
2. Street sign
3. Parking meter
4. Police call box
5. Mail box
6. `FIRE ZONE' sign
7. `STOP' sign
8. Trash can
9. Bench
10. Fire hydrant

NOTE: Although Marx labeled these as the `Police and Fire Station Accessories' Mold Group and pictured them on their Fire House box, no known mint examples of the Marx Fire House included these and the Marx catalogs also do not show the accessories as coming with the building.

Additional Accessory: Fire Truck; one piece hard plastic.

FIGURES, 35mm SP:
1. Fire Chief
2. Fireman w/hose
3. Fireman running
4. Little boy walking, wearing fireman's helmet, holding boots (often listed inaccurately as a man with boots)
5. Dog (Dalmatian)

K-Line Logo Location: No logo is present.

Enjoy!






















Thursday, November 25, 2010

Schuhmann Signal Keeper's House

This Signal Keeper's House was probably made sometime during the 1950s by Schumann of Germany although there are no maker's marks anywhere on the piece.  To help in identifying this piece I had to turn to the fine members of the 'TrainColSoc' Yahoo Group.  This Group is sponsored by the United Kingdom based 'Train Collector's Society' and is a valuable resource for those wanting to collect European train related toys.  The Groups' stated description is "...for ALL toy train collectors, regardless of toy train age, make or size!".  My particular example has some issues with the semaphore mast,;there are some missing tabs which would hold it tight to the base, and the linkage is missing  which would allow the semaphore to be raised up and down.  But the lithography is very nice and it's a terrific addition to the tinplate collection.  Enjoy!