# 0 witch track



## electric kid (Jan 18, 2011)

Hi is marx track good track ? and can it be mixed with lionel?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Good question, I've never worked with Marx track. I believe, based on the Marx crossover I happen to have here, that it's like O27 track, and not standard O-gauge track.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Have a read over this thread link here, and then perhaps ping back with more questions ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3551

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Marx will go with 027. The ties are a little flimsy that's all.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I figured it would be O27 compatible, based on the crossover I happen to have.


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## electric kid (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks for all the responce . I know o gage is taller then 027 . Whe i get my hands on some Lionel 027 i will let you know how well it fits togeather. The kid.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, standard O gauge has 10" straight sections, exclusive of the pins. How long are your straight sections? If they're 9", that's what O27 has.


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## machinejack (May 5, 2010)

Let me jump in. Like everything Marx and Lionel made Lionel was better built heaver and just better all around. Marx made toy trains where as Lionel made model trains. There is a big difference here. Older Marx track shill I say O27 and Lionel O27 are compatible and interchangeable and I can find no difference in functionality. Lionel is made a little stronger but not by much. Any and all older track is going to have it's problems rusting and loose fitting pins. O27 is shorter than O as well.
Marx only "as best that I have found" made two kinds of track O27 O34?? both being of the same construction just adding more ties to the larger radius and a little longer to O gauge standards at the time.
Lionel made lots of different sizes of tracks all different than Marx made excepting the O27 size it was made to compete with them. Marx had the upper hand on sells. Toys verses model trains = cheaper quality. Quality cost money. 
Lionel O gauge is by far superior to Marx. Taller and heaver rails. Ties made from heaver material. Only thing I have against Marx is there older switches. My newly acquired Lionel (I once was a hard core Marx man) 1688, Locos, and 252 don't like the turnouts so I am building a prototype turnout for my Gargraves hand laid layout to run both wide flange and modern 1950ish trains. More on that to come if I can find the cable to the camera to record the festivities.
Ramblin on
Jack


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## erkenbrand (Dec 6, 2010)

For a while I was running a mix of Lionel and Marx O27 track in my layout. It was all compatible and didn't have a problem.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Yep, AFAIK, Marx track is the same profile as O27. Someone mentioned different curve diameters, that I can't comment on.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Jack,

We've had a lot of recent discussions about the woes of 027 switches when trying to run older Lionel locos. The leading/trailing trucks on several of my prewar locos bounce all around when navigating through my 027 switches, usually shorting out near the switch frog, inadvertently toggling the e-unit, etc.

I'm running with brand-new 027 switches, and I'm about to hurl them. I'm more of a restorer than a runner, but I'm thinking serioulsy about making the jump to full O track and 022 switches.

Cheers,

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, you won't be sorry you moved, I only have a couple of engines that will run on the existing O27 layout and not experience issues.


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## machinejack (May 5, 2010)

I saw an older Gargraves switch that instead of the center rail swiveling it had 2 sets of points that shifted side to side. It looked like there was enough room to allow the wide flange of Marx and I don't think Lionel's would have a bit of a problem. I found a photo of one awhile back but lost the picture. It may be on my shop computer. If anyone knows about what I'm talking about please look around.
Jack


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