Freight Depot

By Steve Butler

BY THE MID-1950s Marx was continuing to increase their already large product line by adding a number of plastic toy vehicles. This may have been in part to counter several other U.S. makers of plastic toys such as Renwal and Ideal. Clearly the Marx Fix-It line, which did include several plastic “winners” for future collectors, was intended to counter the Fix-All line offered by Ideal. During the process Marx introduced a new semi tractor that had a comparatively shorter run and has received comparatively less collector attention.

That tractor is 13 inches long and of a generic design that vaguely resembles a mid-1950s cabover GMC. It seems to be conceptually similar to products, both plastic and die cast white metal used at least by Hubley. The tractor is molded in a plastic that would not likely warp. By depressing the lower rear of the red cab and lifting, it detaches from the gray chassis.

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