tinplate american flyer o gauge

[Anonymous]

Will american flyer (and or) ives o gauge cars hook and slot couplers fit with marx hook and slot? Also, are they the same height and size, do they look good together? I was eyeballing one on ebay, but was unsure.

Thanks

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3191535132&category=19146&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBDW%3AIT&rd=1

[Anonymous]

Well, some will and some won't. As far as American Flyer goes, the 8-wheel cars like the passenger cars on your ebay link won't couple with Marx tab and slot couplers because they are too high, but this could be easily resolved with twister ties of twisted wire to hold them together. The 4-wheel Americn Flyer cars, like the passenger cars in this picture, are the right height to couple with Marx cars. These cars often look quite simmilar to Marx 6-inch cars.

However, both the 4 and 8-wheel car do look too large with 6-inch cars, not lengthwise, but they are much taller than Marx. Flatcars and gondolas would probably fit in alright, though. While they may seem too big for 6-inch, they would probably fir in quite well with 7-inch. I can picture American Flyer prewar cars looking very good behind a Marx 994 steamer or their tinplate F-units, like those shown below.


As for Ives, I really don't have much experience with Ives, but I believe they are much simmilar to American Flyer as far as size goes.

[Anonymous]

Great answer, thanks!