Marx Lane

An Inventory of Marx Playset Figures and Accessories
Manufactured from 1951 to 1979

 
Wild West Page 10 - Accessories
Contents of this web site may not be reproduced or duplicated for use on the Internet or for commercial purposes without permission by Eric Johns.

Table of Contents for This Page

Click on name to move to section or page
Ranch and Fort Accessories Cannons and Shells
ranch house interior group
stockade outdoor group
ranch outdoor group
60mm and 54mm Wagons and Other Vehicles
Town Accessories Blue Buckboard
town outdoor group 60mm covered wagon
hotel side indoor group 54mm covered wagon
jail side indoor group Supply wagon
Stagecoach
Other Small Accessory Items Other wagons
35-piece cowboy accessory sprue Roy Roger's Nellybelle jeep and horse trailer
35-piece Indian accessory sprue
35-piece Cavalry accessory sprue
3-piece Indian camp group Play Set Mats
Extra wagon wheels
Sawbuck Large Scale Wagons and Accessories
Velardi sign Stagecoach kit
Canoe Stagecoach for 6-inch figures
Ranch lasso Covered, Buckboard, and Chuck Wagons


Flags, Poles, and Bases
Flags
Poles and bases
Other Pages
Page 1 - 45mm Figures
Page 2 - 60mm Figures
Page 3 - 54mm Figures
Page 3A - The Alaska Connection
Page 4 - Large Scale Figures
Page 5 - Figures Manufactured Outside the U.S.
Page 6 - Miniature Playsets
Page 7 - Uncommon and Other Miscellaneous Figures
Page 8 - Horses, Cattle, and Other Animals
Page 9 - Buildings, Structures, and Terrain Pieces
Page 11 - Wonderland of Marx Playset Boxes
Page 12 - List of Wild West Playsets
Back to Wild West Table of Contents
Back to Main Table of Contents


One of the most fun things I have found with Marx play sets was that they not only included figures and buildings, but also a wide variety of smaller accessories.  Of course, other toy companies did the same thing, but their accessories were too often limited to common items like wagons and teepees and totem poles.  From its first Fort Dearborn play set, Marx expanded its accessories to include a much wider variety of items, all made with careful detail and realism.  At times, Marx almost seemed to be making doll houses for boys, creating such items as cupboards for its ranch houses, roll-top desks for town offices, and beds with a polka-dot bedspreads for its hotel.  

I imagine that some kids quickly destroyed these items in their make-believe wild west fights and that others carefully arranged them in and around the cabins and town fronts as displayed on Marx instruction sheets.  Today, however, there is little question that these items make collecting and displaying Marx play sets a lot more fun.  A few are hard to find, but an increasing number of re-issues are making it much easier to obtain these accessories with a reasonable budget.

A special thanks goes to Kent Sprecher, who has provided most of the mold numbers (PL numbers) shown on this page, as well as other pages on this web site.   I welcome your comments, corrections, and suggestions and will be happy to give you credit when appropriate.

Ranch and fort accessories

Marx' wide variety of accessories began with its very first Fort Dearborn set, which included at least most of the company's ranch interior and stockade outdoor accessory groups.  With the addition of a pot belly wood stove and its chimney pipe, these groups stayed the same for all of the company's early ranches and rodeos.

With the introduction of the Alamo play sets, the company added a slightly different fort outdoor group and dropped the interior furniture for its cabins.  The two versions of the outdoor group remained the same for the many wild west play sets that Marx produced.

13-piece ranch house interior group  (makes 12 items)
PL-127

The interior ranch house group was included in Fort Dearborn, Western Ranch playsets and many Roy Rogers ranch play sets starting in 1951 or 1952.  Most pieces were made in hard plastic in brown, tan, and gray.  The only exception is the stove pipe, which appears to be some type of tubing that Marx purchased and cut into sections.  

I have reported here earlier that the pipe was always black, but that was in error.  Long-time collector Josh Petrie has informed me that the earliest ranch sets had a royal blue pipe.  
He has seen them in early Western Ranch and early Roy Rogers Ranch playsets.  Unfortunately, over time, the blue pipes shrank so they no longer fit the stove...and even now some collectors tend to toss them out, not realizing what they are.  Black pipes do not have this problem.  Other colors of pipes have also been found.  (See pale yellow pipe in photo below, which could originally have been a darker yellow, cream, or white.)

The top and bottom bunk beds are different pieces, with the lower bunk having small holes in the top of the bed legs and the upper bunk having pegs to insert into the holes.  A similar, but slightly larger, low-back chair with arm rests (or tavern chair) was used in the later town furniture with wood grain detail added that is not on the ranch chair.  Note that the box of wood also lacks such detail.  Similarly, the wash stand was included in town furniture, slightly larger and with a curtain around the bottom.

Instructions with Western Ranch playsets included the furniture layout shown at right for the Western Ranch cabin.  Although the layout shows a fireplace, this was actually included as part of the cabin lithography and not an accessory item.  Marx made this group only in the early 1950s.  It did not produce this group of pieces after its conversion from 60mm to 54mm scale figures in 1956 and 1957.
1.  Bunk beds 2.  Long bench without back (two)
3.  Large rectangular table 4.  Low-back chair with arm rests (two)
5.  Cupboard 6.  Wash stand with open bottom
7.  Pot belly stove (with chimney pipe inserted) 8.  Chimney pipe for stove
Pipe is 1-1/2 inches long.
Photo of pale yellow pipe courtesy of Bob and Debbie Markiewicz of Bob's Antiques, Ebay pinetreeplace 
9.  Wood box 10.  Table lamp with straight shade
Recent Price Lines I Have Noticed
Pot belly stove with chimney pipe $23 May 2011 Ebay



10-piece outdoor stockade group (makes 8 items)
PL-351

This group was included in Fort Dearborn, Western Ranch, and many Fort Apache play sets.  While later sets normally included the 12-piece outdoor group shown below, some later Fort Apache sets reverted to this 10-piece group, which has come to be known as the stockade or Fort Apache outdoor accessory group.  The pieces were made in hard plastic, in brown, tan and gray.

The dip well and cooking fire are particularly fragile pieces.  Each is a 2-piece item with a base and upper portion, and the pegs on the upper portion that are inserted into holes on the base are frequently found broken today.  On the other hand, many are found with the two pieces glued together.  The small powder barrels are hard to break and now seem to be the most readily available piece.  The axes and anvils in stumps and log piles are also easily found today, because they also were included in other accessory groups.
 

1.  2-piece dip well 2.  2-piece pot hanging over fire
3.  Anvil on stump
4.  Axe on stump
5.  Log pile
7.  Powder barrels (two)
Closed top with XXX Powder XXX written on it
7.  Butter churn


12-piece outdoor ranch group (makes 9 items)
PL-130

This group was introduced in Marx' ranch play sets in 1952 and was used in many ranch and fort play sets.  It has come to be known as the ranch or Alamo outdoor accessory group.  However, it was also used in some Fort Apache and Zorro playsets.  Again, the items were hard plastic in various shades of brown, gray, and tan.  

The axe, anvil, and log pile are the same pieces included in the outdoor ranch group in the previous section.  The 4-piece well is a particularly nice piece.  The pump and grinding wheel are difficult to find with their handles intact.

In a few early Roy Rogers ranch play sets, this group included a short piece of coiled string intended to represent a rope.  Not many have survived.
1.  4-piece well with roof and bucket
2.  Forge
3.  Pump well 4.  Log pile
5.  Grinding wheel 6.  Rain barrel
Open top with jagged rim
7.  Anvil on stump 8.  Axe on stump
9.  Long hitching post


Go to top of page 
 
 
Town accessories


In my opinion, the three sets of wild west town accessories are the all-time best accessories that Marx made.  Ranging from various style chairs to a tiny scale for assaying gold, they peak the imagination.  Marx made them in a dark brown hard plastic.  With a total of 47 different items in the three groups, there is not much that Marx left out.

Today, the original items are a bit expensive.  Some of the common items (usually those which came more than one in a group) such as the roll top desk and the lanterns can be had for $5 to $10.  Ones that are hard to find -- mostly the smallest items that often disappeared into vacuum cleaners -- can cost $50 and up.  This includes the roll of barbed wire and the table scale.  In addition, some pieces are more easily broken than others, and that can drive up the price for an unbroken piece.  The culprits include table and chair legs, the top of the printing press, and the street light (the outer frame around the light).

Fortunately for less demanding collectors, the two interior groups below have been re-issued by Hobby Bunker.  The re-issues, again in my opinion, are the same high quality items as the original Marx pieces.  The first issue of these was in a dark brown almost identical to the color Marx used, so that they are very difficult to distinguish from the original.  Later issues were in different colors that can be easily identified as re-issues, such as olive drab and light brown.
  

Outdoor town group (16 different items, 21 total)

PL-388
 

This outdoor group was included with all, or almost all, of the town play sets.  Nice touches include the bench with a heart and initials carved in its back and tiny spitoons (3 in each play set!).

As shown below, each lantern came with a small piece of wire that was used to attach it to a small hole in the frontpiece of the porch roof.  Most of these small hooks were lost long ago, and finding them today is difficult.  The pair shown below sold on Ebay in August 2014 for $47.
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
original complete set $128 May 2013 Ebay
 
1.  Hitching post with round log cross bar 2.  Bench with arm rests
2.  Hitching post with square cross bar 4.  Bench with heart cut into back
5.  Watering trough 6.  Crate of rifles
7.  Rack with mop and broom
8.  Rack with gardening tools
9.  Grinding wheel with foot pedal
10.  Low-back chair with arm rests
11.  Street light
12.  Today's Special sign (two)
13.  Lantern (three)
(with metal hooks to hang lanterns on building, see photo below.)
14.  Spitoon (three)
15.  Barrel with smooth rim around open top
16.  Feed sack
Hooks to attach lanterns to front of town buildings (left)
Photo courtesy of Rick Koch, Ebay toy-hood
Illustration of hook and lantern from play set instruction sheet

Furniture for hotel side town (makes 22 different items, 25 total)
PL-386

This indoor group came with play sets that included the town street front with a hotel on the right end.  The suggested layout of the furniture is shown in this extract from a Marx play set instruction sheet.

Nice touches include the barber chair, the brief case, and the ornate designs on many of the pieces.  Finding unbroken coats racks is hard.


1.  Bank teller counter 2.  Bar
3.  Dry goods counter 4.  Roll top desk
5.  High-back chair with arm rests
6.  Bed with polka-dot spread 7.  Dresser with mirror
8.  Bench with arm rests (two) 9.  Swinging bar doors
10.  Barber chair
Chair is in two pieces, chair and base
11.  Wash stand with curtain covering bottom
12.  Small desk with slanted top
13.  Octagonal table with books
14.  Round Table
15.  Low-back chair with arm rests
16.  Rocking chair
17.  Beer keg with tap
18. Flour sack
19.  Feed sack
20.  Brief case
21.  Table lamp with rounded shade
22.  Coat rack  (re-issue)
    
Furniture for jail side town (21 different items, 22 total)
PL-387

The indoor group came with the town front with a jail on the left end.  Nice touches include the printing press, the table scale, and the detail on many of the shop pieces.  The tiny roll of barbed wire is probably the hardest to find and most expensive of all the town accessories.
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
original complete set $128 May 2013 Ebay

1.  Dry goods counter 2.  Hardware counter
3.  Tool display 4.  Gun display
5.  Printing press 6.  Print table
7.  Roll top desk
8.  Octagonal table with books
9.  Narrow bench
10.  High-back chair with arm rests
11.  Desk chair without arms
12.  Jail bed
13.  Square box
14.  Barrel with smooth rim around open top
15.  Beer keg with tap
16.  Wash stand with curtain covering bottom 17.  Rectangular crate
18.  Flour sack
19.  Feed sack
20.  Table scale
21.  Roll of barbed wire  (re-issue)
 
Go to top of page 

 
Small accessory sprues
   

In the 1960s, Marx introduced groups of small accessories, mainly to increase the "piece count" in play sets and attract more buyers.  The small pieces -- such as weapons, cow skulls, shields, and guitars -- came attached to plastic sprues, or runners.  Three different sprues appeared in wild west playsets:  one each for cowboys, Indians, and the U.S. Cavalry.  The Cavalry sprue was the same as the sprue included in Civil War playsets, so it is sometimes called the Civil War sprue.

The soft plastic accessory sprues came in a variety of colors, including black, silver, yellow, and red.  I believe that Marx also made a small number of the sprues in hard plastic.  References to these sprues that I have seen most often indicate that each held about 35 small accessories.  For detailed information and photos on all seven accessory sprues that Marx made see PFPC Issue 25.  It includes an exceptional article by veteran collector Tim Geppert.  Re-issues have been made in hard plastic.

Many thanks to Rob Colwell (Marxplayer on Ebay) for providing the original cowboy and Cavalry sprues for the photos.
 
35-piece cowboy accessory sprue
PL-891A





35-piece Indian accessory sprue  (re-issue)
PL-891B
 


35-piece Cavalry accessory sprue
PL-908


Cavalry/Civil War accessory sprue
That unrecognizeable item at the lower right between the pennant and pistol is a folded pair of gloves.  It is perhaps Marx' smallest accessory, just 3/8 of an inch wide.  While some of the items in this photo are detached from the sprue, they are all positioned correctly as manufactured.


Other Small Accessories

Totem pole
 
The Marx totem pole was part of the 54mm Indian mold (PL-787) shown on Page 3 of this web site and was considered part of that group.  Each set of the 54mm Indians included one totem pole of the same soft plastic color as the figures.  It stands four inches high.  These totem poles are easy to find today, both original and re-issue.


 
3-piece Indian camp group
PL-895
 
According to Playset Magazine Issue 42, Marx first issued these Indian accessories in 1957, in both the Indian Warfare and Custer's Last Stand play sets.  They appeared in Wagon Train and a few other wild west sets later.  The travois, of course, is to be placed on an Indian pony.

Re-issues exist.
1.  Stretched hide 2.  Travois 3.  Shield and spears
 
Extra wagon wheels
PL-337
 
It was common for wild west play sets to include two spare wagon wheels, one small and one large.  They were hard plastic in red or yellow.  I've seen a lot of similar wheels made by Marx, but to the best of my knowledge, the photos below show the two "extra wheels."
Large extra wheel Small extra wheel
 
Sawbuck
no PL - may have not been manufactured by Marx
   
When I first wrote this section, I stated that the sawbuck had been purchased by Marx from another company and inserted into one of its playsets.  Having been questioned on this statement, I must admit that I cannot find any reference to that fact in the publications I use.  At this point, I must assume that I did not read it, but was told this by another collector whom I believe knows more about Marx toys than I do (which is not difficult to do).  The statement makes sense to me because 1) I have never seen a mold number for the sawbuck and 2) I have never seen it listed as a part of an accessory group.  
 
PFPC Issue 3 and Playset Magazine Issue 24 seem to agree that the sawbuck was a part of only one Marx playset.  PFPC says that it "was included in the very first Montgomery Ward Western Ranch...and, as far as we know, no other set."  PM lists it only in Rogers Rogers Ranch Set #3979, one of the first two Western Ranch sets that carried Roy's name.  I do not know if these two references refer to the same playset.
 
The sawbucks occasionally show up on Ebay and are not all that expensive, maybe $10 to $20.  I'm not sure that the piece really fits into these wild west play sets, but it is a nice little item.  I have seen them in various shades of brown and gray.  Other collectors have told me that the item has been re-issued -- by who or when, I am not sure -- and I recently purchased two red brown ones off Ebay that were listed as re-issue.  To the best of my knowledge, the gray one shown below is original.
1.  Sawbuck
 
Velardi sign

PL-1057  (included in gold mine mold, other items in mold shown on Page 7)

Really hard to get these things!  The Velardi sign was included in only one play set, Johnny Ringo.  As stated on Page 3 of this web site, the Johnny Ringo Play Set is hard to find and has sold for more than $9,000.  

As noted below, an original sign and a few much more common accessories sold for more than $1,000 in an Ebay auction in May 2011.  A cheaper option is the re-issue version, which was included in the re-issue Gold Rush Play Set from 1990.  The re-issue sign pictured below is from that set.

Velardi Sign (original)
Photo courtesy of David Schafer
Velardi Sign
Photo is of re-issue sign
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
Velardi sign with 18 much more common accessories (such as cactus, wagon wheels, ore car for gold mine, and small wagon accessories) $1,125 May 2011 Ebay
 

Canoe
PL-763

The Marx canoe was included in few wild west playsets, perhaps only one.  The canoe is in hard plastic and measures 5-1/2 inches long and 1-3/8 inches wide.

Although a bit difficult to see in the photo, the canoe can be identified as Marx by the star in a circle at each end.  Other than wild west sets, the canoe was also in the Marx Boys' Camp Play Set.
 Today it is hard to find, but not overly expensive.  A Marx canoe in similar condition to the one shown below was sold on Ebay in June 2009 for $43, but I have seen them sell for much less.   
Canoe

Lasso
no PL number

According to Playset Magazine Issue 24, "One of the rarest of the basic Western Ranch accessories was this simple coil of rope."  These 11-inch pieces of string were intended to represent cowboy lassos, but were often discarded by parents or kids along with the rest of the playset packaging.  Long-time collector Josh Petrie says the strings are about the thickness of kite string (i..e., very thin) and are white with a yellow outer coat of paint or wax.  Playset Magazine notes that straw (yellow?), green, and red coatings have been found.
Ranch rope
Photo courtesy of Josh Petrie

Go to top of page 


Flags, poles, and bases

Flags
 
Play sets that included forts -- such as Fort Dearborn, Fort Apache, the Alamo, and Zorro -- included flags, flag poles and bases.  Even some of the Roy Rogers sets had American flags.  Flags were made of the same "tin" that was used for play set buildings, lithographed with appropriate flag designs as shown below.  Except for the lithography, the flags were identical..

1.  20-star flag 2.  36-star flag
3.  48-star flag
Used in some Roy Rogers playsets
4.  Canadian flag used in Fort Apache playsets from Canada
Photo courtesy of Jim McGough, Ebay j.mcgough
4.  Alamo 1824 flag 5.  Zorro flag
Near mint 36-star flag with tabs unbent
Flag courtesy of Rob Colwell.  Note the sharpness of the stars in comparison to other 36-star flag shown here.
Flag on round pole (36-star flag)

Flag poles and bases
PL-346A (log pole), PL0346B (square pole)

Early poles represented round logs; later ones were squared poles with a rounded portion at the top.  To attach the flag to the pole, two metal strips on one end of the flag wrapped around the top of the pole.  

Both types of poles had round pegs at the bottom that fit into holes in the center of the bases and were eight inches tall, excluding the bottom pegs.  Round poles had rock pile bases which were about 1-3/4 inches square; square poles had earthen bases about the same size, but the bases were not square.  As recently pointed out to me by Kent Sprecher, pegs on early round poles tended to break easily; as a result, at some point Marx slightly increased the size of the peg, also increasing the size of the hole in the base.  As shown below, besides the size of the peg and hole, there is no difference between he two versions.

The poles and bases were made of hard plastic and most often came in brown or gray.  Note the rope detail on the squared pole.

1.  Round pole with small peg (left)
2.  Round pole with large peg (right)
3.  Square pole
Note molded-on rope to raise and lower flag.
Flag on square pole (Zorro flag)
Photo is of display at Krueger Stree Toy and Train Museum in Wheeling, West Virginia
4.  Rock base for round pole with small peg (left)
5.  Rock base for round pole with large peg (right)
6.  Earthen base for square pole


Go to top of page 



Cannons and shells
PL-411

Starting with Fort Dearborn and Fort Apache sets in 1953, Marx added firing cannons to many of its play sets, allowing kids to shoot down the enemy with realistic miniature cannon.  
As shown in the photo below, the cannon had a spring mechanism that fired miniature cannon shells.  The cannon and shells were made in hard plastic and most were black.  Besides the Fort Dearborn sets, one or more cannons were included in Alamo, Fort Apache, and Zorro play sets.  

Beginning in the mid-1960s, the firing cannons were replaced with
non-firing cannons without a spring, though they were otherwise identical to the original cannon.  This was most likely due to safety precautions or to reduce playset costs.  The only difference between the firing and non-firing cannons was that the non-firing cannons did not have a spring or shells.  Note that the spring mechanism used to create a "firing" cannon is easily lost, so that many cannon manufactured as the firing version are now missing their springs.

The cannon is about 1-3/4 inches high and 4 inches long; the sprue of shells is also 4 inches long.  I know nothing about cannons (even though my father was an Army artillery officer), but this Marx cannon is commonly referred to as 12-pound cannon.

1.  Firing cannon (with spring) 2.  Sprue with 10 shells
Shells in most wild west sets were black

1.  Non-firing cannon
Same as firing cannon, but without spring


Go to top of page


Wagons and other vehicles

Starting in the early 1950s with its Western Ranch play sets, Marx included a variety of wagons in many of its wild west sets.  Early ranches and rodeos had the blue buckboards shown below; later wild west play sets had covered (or Conestoga) wagons, supply wagons, and stage coaches.  Small sets of accessories were included with the covered wagons and supply wagons.  

Blue buckboard without hitch loop
PL-336
 
The buckboard came in several hard plastic pieces that were reasonably easy to fit together.  However, over the years the small connection pegs between the swivel and hitch (see photo below) tend to break off, and many wagons found today are missing one or more of the pegs.  Below is an extract from a Marx play set instruction sheet that shows how to assemble the buckboard.

The buckboards were almost always blue with yellow wheels.  I have seen red and green ones up for auction on Ebay, but very few.
 

The initial blue buckboards had a soft plastic harness to connect the horse to the hitch.  The hitch then snapped onto the hard plastic swivel, which attached to the front bottom of the wagon.  The harness attached to a T-shaped piece at the back of the hitch (you'll have to look closely in the photo below to pick it out).

In the photo below, the harness is unattached; the two small loops on each side at the back end of the harness (only one shows in the photo) should be attached to the T-shaped piece near the back of the wagon hitch.  This photo is of a display at the Official Marx Museum in Moundsville, West Virginia.  Note the rifle in the back of the wagon from the cowboy small accessory sprue!


Recent Price Lines I have noticed
blue buckboard with soft plastic harness $138 May 2013 Ebay

The following is an extract from Marx instructions showing how the horse should be attached to the hitch.

Recent Price Line
Complete wagon with horses $155 March 2011 Ebay


Blue buckboard with hitch loop
PL-336A

When the 54mm harness horse came out during Marx' transition from 60mm to 54m scale, Marx added a loop to the buckboard hitch in order to attach the new 54mm horse to the hitch.  When a 54mm horse was placed into the hitch, the loop caught onto a small protrusion on horse's molded-on harness.  The harness horse was made for the new 54mm covered wagons, and the buckboard soon disappeared from Marx play.  Click here to see the horse intended to pull this wagon.
 
Note below that while the loop was added, the T-shaped connection at the back of the hitch was left intact.   


60mm Conestoga wagon
PL-407 (wagon top and accessories)
 
This 60mm wagon was the same as the blue buckboard described above with a top attached to it.  Because of the company's change from 60mm to 54mm scale in 1956-57, this wagon appeared in very few play sets, such as the small Cowboys and Indians, Indian Warfare, and early Wagon Train play sets.  Neither of the first two sets were produced in great quantities.  
The wagon pictured below is from a Cowboys and Indians Set graciously sold to me by Bob Lancellotti.  Today, these wagons are not often seen, and many Marx collectors are unaware of them.

Photos below show the 60mm wagon with the original 60mm hitch for one horse.  Collector George Dobler recently pointed out to me that I have failed to mention or show that Marx also issued these wagons with the 54mm 2-horse hitch shown in the next section.  That's my goof for not mentioning this, as these hitches clearly are shown in the Wagon Train article in Playset Magazine Issue 42.  Keep those comments and corrections coming in!

To convert the buckboard, Marx molded a top that clamps into the wagon, as shown in the the photos below.  However, it could also be used as a buckboard if desired, because it came with two seats, the original seat for use as a buckboard and another for the covered wagon.  Other accessories were a hanging barrel and a hanging open box.  The barrel attaches to two pegs on the side of the cover -- unfortunately it is impossible to push in all the way onto the pegs -- and the box hooks to the back of the wagon.  The box is open and very shallow; I am not sure what it is mean to represent, as anything in it would quickly bounce out on the rough trails these wagons traveled.

The wagon shown below has the buckboard hitch with the loop, but I have seen these wagons with the original non-loop hitch and soft plastic harness (as described in the blue buckboard section above).  It's possible that they were included in playsets both ways, or perhaps collectors have mixed and matched.
 
 























Recent Price Lines I have noticed
With blue wagon $145 July 2012 Ebay minor damage


54mm Covered wagon
PL-1030  (wagon body, hitch, wheels, and accessories), PL-1031  (wagon top), PL-1030A  (wagon and ox yoke)

Marx introduced its 54mm covered wagons in Wagon Train playsets in 1959, according to Playset Magazine Issue 16.  In 1962 they arrived at Fort Apache sets.
 Wagon bodies came in common gray, tan, and brown colors; tops were gray, tan, rust, and light blue.  However, in play sets such as Wagon Train and Johnny Ringo, the wagons and tops were sometimes in colorful reds, blues, and yellows.  These bright wagons are more difficult to find today and can cost $200 or more in good condition.  Wagon bodies, wheels, and hitches were the same color; tops were made in a different mold and did not match the wagon color

The soft plastic wagon construction was similar to that shown in the instruction sheet shown above for the Blue Buckboard, including a hitch, body, swivel plate, four wheels, and two metal axles.  As seen in the photo below, the hitch has been revised to surround each horse, keeping them securely connected to the hitch during play.  Today, original hitches commonly have broken side straps as a result of such play.  PFPC Issue 30 suggests that for display purposes these side straps might be removed as "a viable alternative for a more accurate and aesthetic appearance."  I would agree, but would suggest that you use less expensive re-issue hitches for such desecration rather than original ones.

Each wagon came with a set of accessories in the same color as the wagon and hitch.  These included the wagon seat and the five items shown in the bottom photo below:  hanging tool box, hanging barrel, pan with handles, bucket with handle, and lantern. 

My apologies for not removing the horses and the hitch to show a clearer photo of the wagon, but I am afraid that I will break the hitch and perhaps the hitch connecting pegs if I try to remove the horses.  Plastic items that are this old can be easily broken with the slightest amount of pressure and need to be handled very carefully.  The photos of the red wagon provide a view of the hitch connection and the swivel piece.  Note that the hitch in the first photo below is a darker brown than the wagon it is attached to, so it did not originally come with this wagon.

While most wagons had horses to pull them, a few playsets such as Gunsmoke and Wagon Train included ox-drawn wagons.  These used the same wagons, but required an oxen yoke, as shown below.

Re-issues exist and include the accessories.  CTS has added new features to these re-issues, creating tops with rolled up sides, drop-down gates at the back of the wagon, and hitches that can be connected so that wagons can be displayed being pulled by more than one pair of horses.


Rear of 54mm covered wagon shown in photo above. Hitch used for 54mm wagons
CTS has added a small hole at the front of its re-issued hitches and created a new hitch that will attach to it, allowing more than two horses to be displayed pulling a wagon.
Red wagon with gray top from Johnny Ringo Set
Top is not on wagon because two wagon top tabs are stuck in the insertion holes from the top that originally came with the wagon.  I've thought of carefully using a small drill to remove them.  Anyone have a suggestion on removing such pins tightly wedged into holes?
Yellow wagon with rust-colored top from Wagon Train Play Set #4888
Photo courtesy of David Schafer
Attachment for hitch on swivel at front of wagon. Swivel shown from underneath at front of wagon.
Many thanks to Rob Colwell for providing red wagon body for photos.

Oxen pulling covered wagon.
re-issue
Oxen yoke.
Yoke is re-issue.  Yoke attaches to wagon in same manner as horse hitch.  Center pegs are inserted into holes in sides of oxen.
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
Original wagon pulled by oxen with wagon driver with whip $225 Sept 2011 Ebay
Red wagon from Johnny Ringo playset $260 March 2012 Ebay  no hitch
Tan wagon with tan top $332 June 2012 Ebay with accessories and horses
Gray wagon with gray top $189 June 2012 Ebay with accessories and horses
Blue wagon and blue top $158 June 2012 Ebay clean splits in both hitches, with 4 of 5 accessories and horses
Brown wagon with tan top $153 May 2013 Ebay with accessories and horses
Tan wagon with blue top $179 June 2013 Ebay with horses and two accessories, one side of hitch broken

  The five items below were the accessories that came with each wagon.  The box and barrel are both just more than 3/4 of an inch high; the tiny lantern only a half inch.  All photos are of re-issue items.
Hanging box.
Plastic hooks on back attach to side of wagon.
Re-issue.
Hanging barrel.
Hook at back attaches to side of wagon.
Re-issue.
Lantern, wash tub, and bucket.
The lantern is just a half inch high and has to be one of the smallest 54mm accessories!
Re-issues.


Supply wagon
PL-1030
 (wagon body, hitch, wheels, and accessories), PL-1084  (wagon top and accessories)  

In 1961, Marx included a soft plastic supply wagon in a wild west play set for the first time, Fort Apache (#5915).  As noted in the previous section, the 54mm covered wagons were added to Fort Apache sets a year later, and some sets got both.  Only Fort Apache and the Custer playsets got the supply wagon, and, in general, not many Fort Apache sets included any wagons at all.  The supply wagon -- actually the same as the covered wagon with simply a different top -- was also used by Marx with a red cross on its side as a medical wagon in its Giant Blue and Gray Play Set in 1961.  The medical wagon version never appeared in wild west sets.
 
The wagon came in a gray color with "U.S. Cavalry" imprinted on the sides of the top in Fort Apache Playset #5915.  Later supply wagons did not include any lettering.  Toy soldier expert Rick Eber states that the wagon with the "U. S. Cavalry" imprint is one of the scarcest Marx wagons around.  And any original supply wagon is hard to find, since it appeared in so few playsets.

The supply wagon came with the same set of accessories as the covered wagon, plus others that were carried over from its use as a medical wagon:  a different style of seat than the more often seen covered wagon (see first photo below) and a small medical table, medical box, doctor's bag, rolled bedroll, canteen, rolled stretcher, and second lantern that is identical to the lantern in the covered wagon accessories.  I have occasionally seen the medical table for sale, but the other small items are difficult to find today.

Similar to the 54mm covered wagon, CTS has produced re-issue cavalry wagons, with the "U.S. Cavalry" lettering and a complete set of accessories.  
Supply Wagon
This blue-top wagon is from a Custer's Last Stand playset and is a hard item to find.
Photo courtesy of Jill and Karl Lorenz, Ebay trekrjill
U. S, Cavalry Wagon
This gray wagon is from Fort Apache Playset #5915, which is the only set that included the wagon with a "U. S. Cavalry" imprint.
Photo courtesy of Suzanne Greco
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
$79 September 2012 Ebay no lettering, with accessories
$156 May 2013 Ebay brown wagon, tan top, no lettering, with accessories and horses

Re-issue supply wagon with U.S. Cavalry imprint from Classic Toy Soldiers (CTS)
Note the small hole in the front of the re-issue hitch, allowing additional hitches to be added
 
Accessories that came with the supply wagon are shown below.  The medical table shown below is original; all other pieces are re-issue.  The table is 1-1/4 inches high and 1-1/2 inches wide; the stretcher is about 3 inches long.
Medical table Rolled up stretcher
Medical box and canteen Lantern, medical bag, and bed roll

Stagecoach
  PL-857  (coach), PL-858  (hitch), PL-733  (doors)
   
With the Tales of Wells Fargo play sets issued in 1959, Marx introduced a 54mm stage coach, certainly an overdue accessory for its wild west sets.  It was included later in several other play sets, including Gunsmoke and Johnny Ringo sets.  The coach came in a light brown hard plastic, using the same hitch and horses as the covered wagon.  The swivel to which the hitch was attached was significantly taller and awkward looking, a cylinder dropping out the bottom of the driver's seat, as seen in the photo below.  

While the stagecoach was a welcome addition to Marx wild west accessories, it is not really up to the usual Marx quality.  It is only a shell of a stage with no attempt to portray the inside of the coach, no operating doors, and no accessories, such as separate luggage or cargo, passengers, or a shot gun rider.  I think this is reflected in what I consider rather low prices that I have seen this hard-to-find, yet crucial to any Marx Wild West display, item sell for on Ebay, in the $150 to $225 range.  Other manufacturers made nicer stages.

Of course, what there is of it, is nicely detailed.  The decorative design on the side is esecially nice, lettering that reads "Wells Fargo & Co. Overland Express" and an eagle with the label "U.S. Mail" on the door.  Note also the rolled-up curtains on the windows and the luggage molded onto the top.

The stage coach has been re-issued.  It was first re-done in the 1990 Gold Rush playset in bright red plastic (see below).  Louis is undoubtedly rolling over in his grave at the color.  More recently (2010), Hobby Bunker has produced re-issues in a much more tame red, olive, gray, brown, and beige.  Unfortunately, Hobby Bunker has not uncovered a mold for the stagecoach wheels, so collectors will have to scramble for reasonable substitutes until the mold is found.  In addition, this stage comes with the 1-horse 60mm hitch with loop (see information above on blue buckboard), though re-issue 2-horse hitches should fit it.  However, as can be seen in the photo below, the Hobby Bunker stage itself is extremely well done.
Stagecoach

Luggage on top of stagecoach Close-up of stagecoach side

Other views of stagecoach and horses
Photos courtesy of Caroline Bawden, Ebay caroline_in_the_country.

Marx instructions for assembly of stagecoach.
Copied from Plastic Figure and Playset Collector Magazine
Re-issue stagecoach from Gold Rush playset
Note that hitch is the 1-horse 60mm version.
Collectors do not like to see re-issues made in the same color as originals, but this red is just too far out!
Re-issue stagecoach made by Hobby Bunker in 2010
Sold with 1-horse 60mm hitch and no wheels.  At one time, Hobby Bunker had the wheels shown in the photo that were sold separately, but I am not sure if they still stock them.  Two-horse hitches from re-issue wagons should fit.
Close-up of 2010 re-issue stagecoach
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
$140 March 2012 Ebay
$150 June 2016 Marx Convention


Roy Roger's Nellybelle jeep and horse trailer
PL-694 (jeep), PL-521 (wheels)
 
Marx issued two vehicles for its 54mm Roy Rogers play sets and figures.  Several of the Roy Rogers play sets included the jeep that Roy used in his television show, which he named Nellybelle.  It is plastic with a metal roll bar and came in red or yellow.  I bought the yellow jeep shown below at the 2014 OTSN from Rick Eber, who has sold me several of the Wild West accessories shown on this web site.
Nellybelle jeep

There was also an attractive horse trailer that was sold separately, but was a great add-on to the play sets.  With a little searching, you should be able to find a jeep (the roll bar is often missing), but the horse trailer is difficult to locate today.
Nellybelle, the horse trailer, and the Roy Rogers 54mm character figures.
Photo courtesy of Jim McGough
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
Nellybelle $130 March 2012 Ebay


Playmats

In the mid-1950s, Marx introduced soft plastic playmats to provide us kids some additional scenic effects to wage our battles between the cowboys and cavalry and Indians.  They were included in several play sets, and I have included two below that other collectors have allowed me to use.  These cheap plastic playmats are not cheap today.  One identical to the Giant Fort Apache playmat shown below sold for $195 on Ebay in October 2009.  I welcome photos of other playmats to add to this web site and will be glad to give you credit.
Giant Fort Apache, #6063
Photo courtesy of Jim McGough, Ebay j.mcgough
Cowboys Playset, #2257
Photo Courtesy of Allan Ford, Ebay 610allanf
 

Accessories for large scale figures

In general, Marx did not make many accessories for its larger 3-inch to 6-inch scale figures.  However, it did create some small playsets with 5-inch and 6-inch figures that included around wagons and a few small accessories.  The wagons included at least two stagecoaches, as well as a covered wagon and a chuck wagon.  The smaller items included a whip and two accessory groups for the covered wagon and the chuck wagon.

Based on my research, these large scale playsets are not well documented today, because most collectors have little interest in the larger figures.  Using bits and pieces from available publications, I have put together a list of eight such playsets which are listed in Appendix I of this web site.  Set contents are also shown there, as best as I can determine.
  
Stagecoach kit with 5-inch figures
PL-????

This stagecoach kit of more than 250 pieces came in only one playset, the Wells Fargo Concord Stagecoach Kit.  It included four horses, a driver, a shot gun rider, four passengers, and a holdup man.  These figures are shown on Page 4 of this web site, and the horses are at the bottom of Page 6.  
Even the horses in the kit came in two hard plastic pieces that had to be glued together!  The human figures fortunately came in one piece, needing nothing but a bit of paint.  They were available only in this one set.  It is a beautiful piece, but is hard to find today.

Photos of the stagecoach make it appear more detailed and finely made than the similar large scale statecoach(es) shown in the next section (see photo of box cover below).  Also, while the horse poses are the same as those on Page 6 and used for the stagecoaches below, they clearly do not have holes in their sides to attach them to a hitch.

I recently purchased the kit from Bob Lancellotti, but it does not have the assembly instructions, so putting it together should be a challenge. That may have been a real thrill when we were 10 years old, but it loses something with age (the age of me, not the kit).

A photo of this item is not yet available.
Stagecoach from playset kit
Cover of playset box for stagecoach kit


Stagecoach play set for 6-inch figures
PL-unknown

A large scale stagecoach similar to the kit version above came in at least three small Marx playsets, which are described in Appendix I of this web site.  The coach was assembled at the factory for some of these sets, but it was a kit in at least one (though with much fewer than 250 pieces), the Western Stagecoach Set shown in PFPC Issue 5.  This second kit included a driver and whip (not the same driver as the Concord stagecoach above), three 6-inch scale cowboys and the same number of 6-inch Indians.  The cowboys and Indians were poses from the large scale groups shown on Page 4.   The set had four horses, which were almost the same as with the Concord coach, but were already assembled and were attached to the hitch with a hole in their side.  There were no passengers, shot gun rider, or holdup man.

As far as the stagecoaches sold fully assembled, two are shown below.  The Wells Fargo Overland Stagecoach came with no more than one figure -- the driver -- but the Stagecoach Play Set also had 6-inch cowboys and Indians.  All sets included four soft plastic horses, which are attached to the hitch by holes in their sides (see example in section on Other Wagons below
).

Information on the playsets that included these large scale stagecoaches and wagons can be found under the Large Scale category on Page 11 of this web site's Wild West section.  All of these sets are hard items to find.

Set #1373, which did not include cowboys and Indians.  The box probably originally included the driver and whip, as shown in the photos below.
Photos courtesy of Rob, Ebay ID cuberforlife

Contents of the Stagecoach Play Set.
These photos are the left and right sides of a display of the Stagecoach Play Set at the Official Marx Museum in Moundsville, West Virginia.  Note the driver's whip, which is held in a bracket to the right of the driver.  The teepee shown did not come with the set, but rather is the teepee made for the larger scale Johnny West figures.  A paper teepee came with at least some of these wagon sets.


Large scale stagecoach.
 This appears to be the same coach used in all the large scale sets except the kit set described above.  Note the hole in the front of the hitch to attach two more horses.  The photo is of a display at the Krueger Street Toy and Train Museum in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Contents of Set #3814 in Box  
Photo courtesy of Gary, Ebay ID glrplc2
Stagecoach Parts in Box for Set #3814
Photo courtesy of Gary, Ebay ID glrplc2
Tepee Box from Set #3814
Photo courtesy of Gary, Ebay ID glrplc2

Other large scale wagons
PL-987 (western wagon body), 987-1 (chuck wagon)
PL-990 (wagon horses), PL-990A (horse and whip), PL-991 (driver and whip), PL-987A (wheels for horses)
PL-989 (covered wagon accessories), PL-1047C (chuck wagon accessories)

In addition to the stagecoaches, Marx made at least two other large scale wagons: a covered wagon and a chuck wagon.  These wagons were sold individually during the 1960s, as well as in a set that included all three types of wagons: stagecoach, covered wagon, and chuck wagon.  These playsets sometimes included 6-inch figures, the 5-inch driver, and the horses with hitch holes in their sides.  The covered wagon tops had various inscriptions:  Official Wagon Train, Daniel Boone, Pioneer Covered Wagon, or Prairie Chuck Wagon.  The photo of the store display of a Daniel Boone Wagon at left  was provided by collector Mark Hegeman.  The sets are described further in Appendix I of this web site.

The wagon is soft plastic and its body measures about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide.  The top of the wagon is 4 inches high with wheels attached.  The wagon has a drop-down rear gate and has two slots near the back of the wagon bed.  I have not determined what those slots are used for.  

 The wagons have two small accessory groups, one for covered wagons and one for chuck wagons.  All items in the covered wagon group shown below are original; only four items in the chuck wagon group-- the stove/oven, hanging box, coffee pot, and pick -- are original.  Others pieces are re-issues which were recently made in a soft plastic brown by Hobby Bunker that closely matches the original brown wagon color.   I like the brown better than the original tan for the chuck wagon accessories.  
The chuck wagon "trail kitchen" is rather large and awkward, and though nicely made, the re-issue does not mesh just right in opening and closing.  However, I imagine the original may have had the same problem.  The re-issue trail kitchen snaps snugly onto the wagon sides with a bit of trial and error.  It looks great when opened (see below), and it is too bad that Marx never made such a piece for smaller scales.  Now all we need is a trail cook in 6-inch scale...anyone have any thoughts on that one?

The chuck wagon seems to be generally extremely realistic.  Author Elmer Kelton provides great detail in his western novels, and in his novel "The Pumpkin Rollers" the story's main character describes a chuck wagon when he sees one for the first time:

"The lid that covered the front of the chuck box while the wagon was in motion had been swung down on a hinged leg to form a working counter for the cook.  He had pulled out drawers to expose tin plates, cups and utensils."

He also mentions pots and Dutch ovens lined up near a campfire.  For us the drawers are only shelves, but it almost sounds like Mr. Kelton was looking at the Marx miniature as he wrote that!

The "wood-burning stove or oven" seems a rather odd item, and more than one collector has pondered over how realistic it is.  I assume this would be constructed of heavy metal and quite an addition to the load hauled by the chuck wagon's horses or mules.  I have not been able to find a similar piece of equipment in searching for photos of chuck wagons on the Internet.  In photos I have found, chuck wagon cooks seem to be plying their trade in large pots (I believe these are called Dutch ovens) placed over open camp fires, similar to the pot shown in Photo 6 of the chuck wagon accessories below, but much larger.  Perhaps the stove or oven was an authentic item that was used less often?

The rifle in the covered wagon accessories is the same as the rifle from the stagecoach kit, but in soft plastic rather than the kit's hard.  However, no shot gun rider comes with the wagons.  I am a bit confused on the whip for these wagons, but the whip that apparently comes with both the wagons and the 6-inch figure stagecoaches above may not the same as the whip with the stagecoach kit.  There is a small hole at the front right of the wagon seat to hold the whip.  If so, one whip I have is too large to insert the whip's handle into the hole on the seat.  The whip with the stage coach kit is much thinner and could fit into the hole, and perhaps I simply have got ahold of a similar but incorrect whip.   Note that, though it is hard to see in the photo, the wrong end of that whip is inserted into the whip holder in the Marx Museum's Stagecoach Play Set display above...though the correct end is shown in the photo on the cover of the playset box!  The best laid plans of mice and men...or mice and Marx....
 
The wagon hitch shown below appears to be the same as the one shown for the 6-inch figure stagecoach above.  There is a loop at the front of the hitch that is intended to attach an additional hitch for a 4-horse team, based on Western Stagecoach Play Set instructions shown in PFPC Issue 5.  However, the wagons I purchased did not have that second hitch, and photos of the wagons I have seen show only two horses.  As a result, I suggest that covered wagons and chuck wagons came only with two horses.



The footrest of the seat on the wagon above has been broken off.  
The full seat is shown in the photo at left.
 








Rear of large scale wagon with drop-down gate. Wagon connection for hitch.  
Slot in hitch slips onto the plastic bar
Large scale Official Wagon Train covered wagon in original box (top of box has been lifted upward to show wagon).
Photo courtesy of Rusty Kern.  Note wheels on horses.


Pioner Covered Wagon.
Photo courtesy of Dawn Barcklay, Ebay ID Scatterhorse.

Photo is not available at this time.
Top view of hitch.
As noted in the narrative above, this hitch looks like the same one used for the 6-inch figure stagecoach sets described above.  Note the small rings in the hitch in the front and back of both horses, used to thread the reins.  The large loop in front allows an additional hitch to be added (not shown), but I believe this was used only for stagecoaches.

Chuck wagon (trail kitchen not attached to back)
Photo courtesy of Mark Hegeman

6-inch wagon made for Mexican sales (box cover on left)
Photos courtesy of Mark Hegeman.  Other than the language, the wagon seems to be identical to the Wagon Train covered wagon shown above.  Neither the box (on the left, in poor condition) nor the wagon itself indicates the wagon was made by PlastiMarx in Mexico, but it may have been.



Though I have seen only this one example, Marx apparently also sold its large scale wagons without figures.  The box at left -- owned by collector Mark Hegeman -- includes a covered wagon with a top made of cloth-like soft plastic.  The top has no markings on it, such as "covered wagon" or "chuck wagon."  A 2-horse hitch is included, though the box only includes one horse.  I imagine that the box originally included two horses.  However, the box has no room to have included any figures, or at the most a driver only.




  Western Wagon Accessories (complete)  (PL-989)

1.  Hanging barrel.
This is a 2-piece item.  The barrel has a hole in its bottom that fits into a peg on the holder.  The holder has a hole to attach it to the wagon, perhaps where the top of the wagon attaches.
2.  Storage box marked "GOLD".
3.  Bucket.
It appeared that the separate handle had never been attached to the bucket.  So after 40 or so years, I had the privilege of doing it!
4.  Rectangular crate.
The box is 5-sided with the bottom open.
5.  Sack of flour. 6.  Wash tub.




7.  Lantern. 8.  Shovel.
9.  Rifle.

Chuck wagon accessories (complete, but brown items are re-issue)  (PL-1047C)
1.  Chuck wagon trail kitchen attachment (3 pieces)
An odd looking contraption when closed up, as above.  See below for unit open and installed on wagon.
1.  Wood-burning stove/oven.
This unit apparently was carried on the chuck wagon, but placed on the ground for "use."
2.  Hanging box.
The box has two plastic hooks on its back that cannot be seen in the photo, which allow the box to hang on the side of the wagon.
3.  Pot without lid
4.  Frying pan
5.  Coffee pot
6.  Pot with lid (2 pieces)
7.  Whiskey jug
8. Cups (2)
9.  Plates (2)
10.  Cans of food (3)
One of coffee, two of beans, though you need good eyes, a magnifying glass, and a little imagination to read them!
11.  Axe 12.  Pick.
13.  Tall barrel
Keep yer hands off the grub, pawdner!
Looks like fixin's is runnin' low.

Whip (PL-990A or PL-991)
Whip.
This may be the whip that goes with these wagons and the stagecoach above for 6-inch figures, though I purchased it separately from the other accessories shown here.

Go to top of page


Contents of this web site may not be reproduced or duplicated for use on the Internet or for commercial purposes without permission by Eric Johns.