For over 12 years the thread on Prewar American Flyer Photos has been active. During that time I have added to my American Flyer collection and posted photos. I have also expanded the collection to include tinplate trains from other manufacturers. Few of those photos have been posted here on Classic Toy Trains. I want to invite folks who have tinplate equipment in their collections to post photos of their tinplate here. If you have one piece, a set, or tinplate passed down through your family please post photos here. If you have American Flyer tinplate feel free to post it in both threads.
Tinplate trains are the forebearers of the toy train collecting and model railroading hobbies. Lets work together to document the seeds of inspiration for the present day hobbies.
Let me start out with an example from Ives.
This is the Wide Gauge set "The Tiger" from 1930.
Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
The Northwoods Flyer Collection
of
American Flyer Trains
"The Toy For the Boy"
Cool!
With that color scheme I can see why it's called a "Tiger" set!
Didn't they also call that one the "Halloween set"?
Same me, different spelling!
I think it is called that in collector's circles. In the 1930 catalog it is called "The Tiger".
I have a second pullman for my set so I guess it can be The Halloween Set.
A small portion of my collection is Lionel. I wanted a few good representations of what they produced. Over the years I have been able to find some excellent examples in very good condition.
This is the O Gauge Baby Blue Comet.
I think that Marx made some beautiful lithographed tin trains. I made up a unit train with New York Central equipment. I particularly like the Pacemaker scheme.
Not NYC but it looks good with the other cars.
Another manufacturer that I have grown fond of is Dorfan. While their equipment is difficult to find in excellent condition; suffering from poor paint adhesion and zink pest, they produced some beautiful pieces. I like the concept that they had that their toys were designed to be taken apart and put back together again.
Here are some of their passenger cars.
Many of their passenger cars have these delightful tinplate passengers.
I only have 2 Dorfan pieces, this little gondola and a switch controller.
Northwoods Flyer I think that Marx made some beautiful lithographed tin trains. I made up a unit train with New York Central equipment. I particularly like the Pacemaker scheme. Not NYC but it looks good with the other cars. Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby Northwoods Flyer
Paul
Penny and Paul,
Thanks for adding your posts. Penny I think that my first purchase of Dorfan was one of the o gauge gondolas.
By far the largest portion of my collection is American Flyer. I am the youngest child in my family of origin and my Father purchased trains for my older brother. I have inherited those trains; Wide Gauge, Narrow Gauge and S Gauge, and they have been the core of my collection.
This is a train that I heard about from the time I was very young. It was stored in the attic of the house in which we lived and I didn't see it until my Father dug it out when I was about 3 or 4 years old. It has always been a treasured part of the collection.
This is the Ives O Gauge Oriole Limited from 1930.
It came with the engine and two cars. Personally I like it with a third car so I added another pullman.
Here is another example of Prewar Lionel Tinplate.
This is the Marx M10000
Here is another set of shorter Dorfan Passenger cars...
...paired with an American Flyer engine and tender.
They combine to make a good looking set.
You're makin' us green with envy out here man, you know that don't you?
Envy isn't the goal of my postings. I'm trying to encourage others to post photos of tinplate that they have in their collection. 40+ years of collecting has allowed me to acquire some fun toys. Plus its a way to encourage CTT to add some additional pages to the magazine highlighting PreWar trains. So join the fun and post a photo or 100.
Here is "The Merchant" set from American Flyer.
The Merchant was headed up by two different engines; one a manual reverse and the other a remote control reverse.
Enjoy the World's Greatest Hobby
OK. Here's a coupla hunderd pictures!
Thank you Becky! It's been so hot here lately I needed a little "Christmas in August" just to beat the heat a bit!
Loved that cocktail lounge version of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas!"
And the first thing I thought of when I saw the still of the Fokker D-7 was "Cool! Ernst Udet's back in town!"
Wayne
Thanks Becky, the video is great.
In 1930 Ives produced The Yankee Clipper.
1639E by Lionel.
Here are the cars that go with the engine above.
Northwoods Flyer Here are the cars that go with the engine above. Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby Northwoods Flyer
I know I am pushing it here but I think most folks would still consider this tinplate, at least the engines are.
Santa Fe by Marx.
Maybe. But those Marx 21 diesels are right near the top of my want list. My mechanical CV probably pushes more than a few buttons with hardcore Marxists though...
Here's a video of a train that is a must for me. It was the first item I went looking for and became my first ebay purchase 20+ years ago. If you've never seen one in action...
My second Ebay purchase was a postwar 45N. And BOY has it gone on from there!
I lucked onto some 21's at a train show a few years back. My wife thinks they look like they should have cookies inside...
The Dorfan portion of my colection is small so today's post is only one car; the lumber car.
PS Great video Becky, thanks for posting.
By the way, I have the red with a brown(?) roof 1690-91 cars (2 Ives, 2 Lionel) and this is exactly the engine I'm looking for to go with them.
Becky,
Good luck in your hunt. They aren't too hard to find. Lionel matched this engine up with a number of the Lionel\Ives transition passenger cars. I will look in the archives for some photos.
Back to American Flyer. This is a Wide Gauge freight set that belonged to my wife's uncle. I'm happy that it is still in the family.
This is one of my favorite O gauge sets by Ives. (Its a repaint of an original set.)
The Patriot set:
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