Tell me about my little TRAIN.

These Marx M1000 were released in 1935 to 1950. Its said that Marx's were running on tracks before UPs.
What you have is the M-10005 which were made into late 40s still.

According to Walt Hiteshew, the silver M10005 set was manufactured in the years immediately before the war and immediately after for 4-5 years. Walt says the prewar set includes an REA car in the consist, a car that was eliminated from the postwar set. So if you have the REA car, you're looking at the late-1930s; no REA car, you've got 1946-1950 production.

The toy is modeled after the actual M10005 built by the Pullman-Standard Company in 1936 (two years after the introduction of the M10000 at the Century of Progress Chicago World's Fair). The Union Pacific's M10000 and the CB&Q's Zephyr were revolutionary in their development, construction, and service. 

 REA is the railway express agency - it would be a car with the markings M10005 -RPO  in the catalog it was listed as REA/RPO.  Your set doesn't have this car.  Oh yes, RPO = Railway Post Office.

  There is an interesting issue here with respect to pre/post war build.  I know both Healey36 and I have a number of references.  Mine is Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains by Matzke with a publication date of 1978.  According the Matzke the silver/red/blue finish of the M10005 is post war and the RPO was made both pre and post war.  I know Hiteshew has made Marx trains his life study so if Healey36's reference is later than 1978 I would defer to Hiteshew with respect to RPO manufacture.

  Matzke does say "The M10005 postwar version has a unique single axle motor unit in place of the usual Marx 2axle unit.  Yours is a single axle so this would suggest it is a post war train set.

af3020 I have a copy of Walt's various reference works on disc...I was fortunate to get a copy before he stopped producing them. I suspect his work went back a number of years, but I think the compilations on disc were from around 1990 or so. I don't have a copy of Greenberg's reference book, but I expect it's terrific.

Some of Walt's work is available here:

Marxtin

Over the years, I've found numerous discrepancies in "authoritative" references, but generally find them pretty accurate. There was so much parts swapping in manufacturing/assembly during transition periods, it's really tough to know what's what. 

I should clarify, af; it should read "compilation on disc", as my recollection is it was a single disc broken up into sections similar to (but not necessarily the same as) the categories on the website. I believe Mr. Hiteshew prepared each section serially over a number of years, but all were included on the single disc in some form. I have vague memories of a second Marx disc that covered repair techniques, but that might have been from a different author. I sent my copy of his compilation to a California friend and Marx collector a few years back and tried ordering another copy, but sadly the transaction never went through, presumably because the disc is no longer available.

I only have a few Marx pieces (and no Streamliners). The stuff does interest me, especially their mastery of tin lithography, but it's another rabbit-hole I truly want to avoid, lol.

It's interesting that Mr. Hiteshew lived in Halethorpe, Maryland, basically "across the tracks" from where my parents grew up in Arbutus. I have acquired a number of train sets from the Arbutus/Halethorpe area over the years, but no Marx stuff. The annual meet at the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Company used to be a great source for old "train garden" stuff. No idea if they still host that meet, typically held the weekend before Christmas. It would be fun to go again. 

Bob Testa has the little motor, for my m10005, all fixed up.  Turns out that it's probably the original electric motor. It's hard to believe it 80 years old. I'm anxious to get the motor back into the train and see the train run around the track.  I'm still not sure about the original transformer.  An upgrade my be in order.  Anyway, I got started on a small layout table, at least compared to what I hear some of you all have built.  It's all very addicting. Many of the original Marz Tin Litho Buildings are on EBay.  Some are quite pricey, so I'll have to be budget friendly.