# Marx Mercury "Copper Queen"



## upsman55 (Jan 11, 2013)

This Marx Mercury was part of a set of trains given to me by a neighbor of mine back in the 1960's. He and his wife knew that I liked toy trains, and thought I might enjoy the old Lionel and Marx trains that had been sitting in their basement for years. This train was always a reliable runner. So, at your request tj cruiser, here's my Marx Mercury.









As you can see, the engine has a custom color. All the passenger cars are untouched.



















The other thing that's pretty plain to see on the loco is that it is an incomplete restoration. I began work on this about the same time I started working on my Marx handcar.(Which I covered in another thread) And I still have some work to do. 










When I disassembled the loco, I had all the nametags, the red lens for the smokestack, and the handrails. Sadly, the handrails have gone missing along with the lens and the front name tag. Another inexplicable move on my part was the sandblasting of the nametags. Something I would never do now! The domes and smokestack were copper plated, and my grand plan is to replate them. I can't tell you how many times I've searched for the handrails hoping against hope that they would eventually surface. Also, you might notice that the front plate is mounted a little less than perfecthwell: Had a rougher time that I expected getting that back together.











Remove the two screws on the side of the loco, and the motor comes right out.










And here's the motor on it's own.



















And a view showing the connector for the headlamp wire.










And now the cars









They've seen better days, but I've cleaned them up and given them a coat of spray on wax that I hope protects them.










And a look at the couplers.










Here's a look at the wheels and contact for the lights.










And of course a look at the back of the last car that says "the end" for now. Hope you enjoyed the pics.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Ups, thank you for this detailed, close up look at your Mercury. I've always admired these, but have never seen one "under the hood".

I was curious about whether the front was full copper or not. You say "plate", but it still looks great to me.

I've replaced several handrails on my prewar Lionel locos ... Some out of brass rod (via LHS), and some of copper (simply from some home electrical cable). I make a little jig out of some nails hammered into a scrap of wood, and then bend the brass (or copper) around the nails for a consistent and repeatable shape.

I like the headlight wire clip. Simple!

Your cars are in nice shape, given their age. Overall, this whole set is one of Marx's most eye catching creations. It's great to see yours cared for so nicely.

Cheers,

TJ


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## BWA (Jun 16, 2012)

Nice stuff. That poor pinion gear looks pretty hurtin though.:goofball:


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## upsman55 (Jan 11, 2013)

Yeah BWA, I've got to agree with you there.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Doesn't look too bad to me, but I don't know Marx gears very well. Is there actually slop in the meshing of the gear teeth?

Just curious,

TJ


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Nice looking! Tjs methods of using copper electrical wire is worth looking into! Those Marx rigs did OK even though they had less wheels!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Cool old set. :smilie_daumenpos:

Too bad that the cars are a little messed up.
But hey, they do have that weathered look.:thumbsup:

But now the locomotive looks out of place with them, huh?

Nice train.:thumbsup:


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*mercury*

Hi all,very nice,very nice. If I remember correctly Jeff at ttender has a lot of parts for Lionel and Marx. Very dependable supplier.If you need gears. Yours look good with out closer inspection. I got a new can motor and complete gears [not wheels]. for less than $20.00 shipped. Motor was $8.00 with gear[brass].I wouldn`t touch it as to do so might ruin it`s value.Lube and gently clean and go for it.I`m just getting into the Older trains mostly Marx and a lot to learn,Isn`t always that way 

Those spoke wheels are a keeper which makes the engine more valuable and collector wise.

Enjoy the mercury,it`s a keeper,the best sanepilot:smilie_daumenpos:


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## upsman55 (Jan 11, 2013)

TJ, sorry for the slow reply. Missed getting on the forum for a few days. To answer your question, the play between the wheels and the bronze gear is very small. Less than 1/32. There is much more play between the armature pinion and the bronze gear. I wish I knew what they looked like when new. All I know for sure is that those gears still drive it around the track.
One thing I did discover that I hadn't noticed is that the rear plain wheel (no gear) is freewheeling on the axle. Not a good thing, but for the moment, I'm going to leave it alone. Too many projects going on at the moment.

@ed, yeah those cars have seen better days. They were a bit nicer when I first got them so long ago, and I want to kick myself when I think of how many years they spent in various basements and attics less than properly packed away, only seeing the light of day at Christmas .They might be a little better off had I taken better care. Better late than never I suppose. hwell:

@sanepilot, thanks, and yes, a little tlc I think will go a long way. I have dealt with Jeff at The Train Tender. Always great to deal with. But he didn't have replacement rails for the Mercury the last time I inquired. I think I'll be taking TJ's suggestion and make my own.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

A drop of Locktite might snug that loose wheel, but hold the motor sideways, wheel facing down, while it dries, to make sure it doesn't wick into the axle bearing.

Cheers,

TJ


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## Yukon Jack (Feb 1, 2014)

You have a very nice Pre-war CQ set there. The gear appears to be in good condition. As you may know, the lever on the side of the e-unit is to lock the motor in forward or reverse. When moved to the closed position, it will allow the motor to shift F/R normally.

FWIW, the "copper" is not copper plating. Marx used a varnish to achieve the color. In addition to the Mercury CQ, Marx made a Canadian Pacific set that was "copper." The "copper" trains are some of Marx' most desirable and collectable tinplate trains.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Varnish, even on the loco front? It looks just like real copper!


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## upsman55 (Jan 11, 2013)

@Yukon Jack....Thanks for that bit of information on the finish of the passenger cars. I've suspected they wern't actually plated. One car in particular clued me in. You may be able to see it in my pics. The finish by the rear door is actually sticky and some of it has come off exposing bare metal. Varnish explains the stickiness. I don't know what caused that chemical reaction, but thank goodness only one car is affected.

@TJ....Don't know about that face. It may or may not be. Looks like dull copper on the inside. Haven't been able to make the front a bright copper shine though. Clear coated maybe?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks ... I've always been curious about that "copper" front!

Does it pass or fail the magnet test?


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## sanepilot (Mar 11, 2012)

*free wheel*

Hi,all I also have a Marx that has a right rear wheel that is free wheeling. I noticed it when I first got the engine. It is a double drive motor. I wonder if that is just a Marx feature for that engine? The wheels turns as the engine moves as it has the rod on it.I think it is the last engine I got. Noticed when I cleaned and lube. Something else I learned was: a few Marx engines need more that 40 watts to operate correctly. so figgerLOL

Have a great week and a good weekend,pilot:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Yukon Jack (Feb 1, 2014)

tjcruiser said:


> Varnish, even on the loco front? It looks just like real copper!


I believe the front of the engine is actually copper plated. Be careful in cleaning the cars, as the varnish can be easily damaged.


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## upsman55 (Jan 11, 2013)

*Plated!!*

Well, I did the magnet test on the "copper" front of the Mercury and it turns out that it is magnetic, which tells me that it is copper plated! Must be a thick coating because there doesn't appear to be any areas where the ferrous metal underneath is showing. Not even on the tabs that connect it to the shell. Nice job Marx!!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Good investigation! Mystery solved / confirmed.


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