Another Toys and Stuff journey back in time...
Today's Marx post will differ from past posts in that we'll only show one accessory, and only one variant of that accessory. We covered all three versions back in November of 2010 but I thought it would be nice to revisit them in the context of the "Marx - Marxville Accessories" series.
The #390 was first produced by Marx way back in the '30s in three different schemes: farm scene, mine scene, and camouflage. The farm scene and mine scene versions were pretty much in production nearly until Marx's demise in the 1970s while the camouflage scene didn't last much past the 1950s. As a matter of fact, I'm really not sure when Marx offered it last. The tunnel was made in two interlocking sections with the identical artwork showing on each. In earlier versions the two halves were held together by a simple metal clip, while latter versions used a screw. The tunnel we'll feature today is an earlier version. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
Details showing the clip
On my layout the tunnel is raised by placing it on 'stone' embankments. Why? Because the tunnels were designed in the 1930s for the 3-rail O-gauge train sets then available. Later on Marx would add engines and rolling stock to their line which were too tall to fit under the tunnel. The same thing happened with Marx bridges and trestles - the openings were too small to fit all of the rolling stock offered!
