65TH TCA NATIONAL CONVENTION ALBUQUERQUE, NM JUNE 22-30, 2019 - April 2019 Vol. 65, No. 2
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April 2019
Vol. 65, No. 2
65TH TCA NATIONAL CONVENTION • ALBUQUERQUE, NM • JUNE 22-30, 2019
4 APRIL 2019 VOLUME 65, NO. 2
©2019 Train Collectors Association Printed in U.S.A. 4 65th Annual TCA Convention
Scott and Elaine Eckstein review coming events for the
Albuquerque Convention.
6 Lee’s Train Service
Gerald Wagner shares pictures and history of the first West Coast
Lionel Authorized Service Station.
12 Playthings 1904
6
Cover Story Carey Williams continues his report of toy train history in
Playthings magazine.
This whimsical dessert scene was creat-
ed by Lawrence Archer 71-3921 with the
2019 Albuquerque National Convention 14 Fifty Years and the “End-of-Steam”
in mind. Come to the dessert in June to Jim Burke tells about collecting early steam locomotives.
enjoy a week of trains and make some
new friends. 16 Collecting Those American Flyer Franklin Cars
Eric Hundertmark reflects on a less known American
Flyer collectable.
April 2019 Vol. 65, No. 2
The Train Collectors Quarterly (ISSN 0041-0829) published 20 American Flyer Fan
quarterly by The Train Collectors Association, PO Box 248, Chip Kessler reports correspondence from Flyer collectors.
Strasburg, PA 17579. Phone 717-687-8623, Fax 717-687-
0742. Subscription is $14.00 per year which is included
as part of the annual membership dues. Periodical post-
age paid at Ronks, PA and additional mailing offices.
22 Off The Rails, Part 21
Larry Poland takes a humorous look at being a toy train collector.
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Train Collectors
Quarterly, P.O. Box 248, Strasburg, PA 17579-0248
23 Ron’s Rooms Part II
The views expressed by the contributors to this publication are
theirs, and not necessarily the views of the Editor or the Train
Collectors Association.
President:
16 Ron Hollander finishes a two-part article on his five rooms filled
with collectables.
28 Plasticville Boxed Sets 103, Rarity
Rupert C. Campbell Robert Spivey discusses his observations on Plasticville collecting.
President Elect:
Peter Atonna 30 Plasticville on My Layout
Vice President: Barry Schaub shares pictures from his Plasticville layout.
E. James Potts
Secretary: 32 Who Done It? Part 147
Christie M. Wilson John Newbraugh asks questions and shares reader answers
Treasurer: TM about lesser known toy train manufacturers.
Rick McKenny
Immediate Past President: 37 Does Anyone Really Care? Part 4
Joseph Fanara Paul Ambrose writes about lesser known Lionel collector trivia.
23
Send all correspondence for
National Officers to:
Train Collectors Association
38 Bing Table Top Layout
P.O. Box 248
Roger Tichenor demonstrates the difference between an artist’s
Strasburg, PA 17579-0248 publicity mock-up and an actual layout.
Email: tca-office@traincollectors.org
Editor: 39 Historian’s Corner
Mark Boyd TCA Historian Chris Allen reminds readers of past TCA events.
P.O. Box 21043
Castro Valley, CA 94546
Email: tcquarterly-editor@traincollectors.org 39 The Drumhead
Web Sites: Readers share their comments.
www.traincollectors.org
www.tcamembers.org
TCA Mission
Volunteer Staff: To develop an appreciation of and to preserve an important segment of history – Tinplate Toy Trains –
32
Patricia Boyd through research, education, community outreach, fellowship, establishment of collecting standards,
Fred Schlipf
and to promote the growth and enjoyment of collecting and operating toy, model, and scale trains.
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
“The TCA is one of the largest and most Membership is a noun meaning 1) ROOM.” Each
respected collecting societies in the world. the state of being a member, with in of you have
We focus on toy trains -- the hobby of col- 2) members collectively, as of a group, and the opportuni-
lecting and operating them, the fun of 3) the number of members. ty to feed and
members buying, selling and discussing The bedrock of the Train Collectors fill that desire.
them, the study of their characteristics, Association is MEMBERSHIP! Any as- Be a mentor.
and the history of their production.” These sociation must strive to be a real benefit Sometimes all
words are the opening statement of our to its members. Not just a perceived ben- you need to do
TCA website. efit, but a real-life enhancing chance to be is provide a membership application.
Another fact: “In 1957, the Train Col- a part of and to have a social experience, Without a strong membership base, we
lectors Association was incorporated as a a chance to exchange ideas, thoughts and cannot continue to exist. Your dues are the
non-profit corporation under the statutes wishes and to interact with like mind- foundation to operate as an association, to
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ed people. Thus, as a TCA member, our run the NBO, to have a library and a muse-
An authorized 501 (c)(3) entity, TCA may number one mission should always be um. There are programs, now in place, to
accept tax deductible contributions. Mem- the maintenance of the membership. help perpetuate our efforts, but they have
bership in the Association, from a humble As a TCA member, you have access not reached the level of funding necessary
beginning of sixty-eight meeting in a barn to a storehouse of real benefits provid- to be as useful as they could be. We are
in Pennsylvania, has grown to a world- ed by your fellow members. You receive working to that end. Each and every dona-
wide organization of tens of thousands of this and other TCA publications all year tion helps, but they don’t offer the financial
members, with many local divisions and long. You can attend any and all local TCA predictability we need. Without it, we can-
chapters.” meets and if you have access to the world- not establish a budget and plan the future.
wide internet, you can be entertained and We can no longer depend on “someone else
TRAIN COLLECTORS ASSOCIATION learn vast amounts of knowledge about will do it.” We have to work on this.
MISSION STATEMENT this hobby on our website. There are spe- The elected officers need your input
“To develop an appreciation of and to cial emails to all who have signed up, pro- to make good decisions affecting almost
preserve an important segment of his- viding timely and new information not 20,000 members of the TCA. Yes, we are
tory - Tinplate Toy Trains - through only about toy trains, but what your as- all volunteers, but we are people who care
research, education, community out- sociation is doing. If you have never visit- about our hobby and the association we
reach, fellowship, establishment of ed our National Business Office (NBO) or joined, and we need to foster that mission.
collecting standards, and to promote the Reference Library and Museum, may- We need more volunteers at every level so
the growth and enjoyment of collect- be you should plan a visit. I promise you step up and make yourself known. There
ing and operating toy, model and scale will be amazed. is a place for you! Our success depends on
trains.” To buy, swap and sell toy trains is im- you to not only increase national member-
portant, but it should be more than just ship, but your own Division and Chapter
No, I’m not proposing to change history that. Sharing the fun and enjoyment of membership! Let’s all go out and support
or to revamp the Train Collectors Mission this age-old hobby can remind us of our the exposure of the TCA to a broader com-
Statement, only to restate it and to remind youth, give us a chance to reflect on our munity.
us of what we are and what we can be. accomplishments, and the knowledge we Thank you for allowing me to serve
Association is a noun. It means 1). as- gain building and operating our layouts. this year. Remember to attend a train
sociating or being associated, 2) fellow- Some of us still draw on that knowledge, meet and bring a friend. May the Train
ship, partnership, 3) an organization or share our passions and entice others to Collectors Association continue another
society, 4) a mental connection between want to join the TCA and get in on the 65 years or more!
ideas. fun part. “Let me show you my TRAIN Rupert Campbell
EDITOR’S COLUMN
This issue of the Quarterly features a future issue. in hard copy publications. You may no-
six-page spread on Lee’s Train Service in Technology is a growing part of your tice some of the Quarterly article by-lines
Oakland, CA. Most of my train collection TCA membership. I realize there are a include eMail addresses. I provide those
came from this store, beginning when I number of members who do not even when offered by the authors, so readers
spent my paper route money on trains have a computer and further, don’t want can correspond directly with the writers.
when I was a boy. Unfortunately, I spent one. Some of those are even loyal read- I look forward to seeing many readers
most of it on scenery, but the pictures ers of the Quarterly. But if you have an at York in April. As usual, I will be at my ta-
bring back great memories for many eMail address, President Rupert Camp- ble E-1 in the Silver Hall near registration
West Coast collectors who got their start bell is asking you to let the National Busi- on Thursday and the first half of Friday.
collecting through the doors of this leg- ness Office know your eMail. Around 80 Mark C. Boyd
endary business. I felt quite honored to percent of the TCA membership has an Editor, The Train Collectors Quarterly
have Jerry Wagner share these pictures eMail on file. If you are not one of those, PO Box 21043
with the Quarterly from the Lee Hieron- you may be missing out on some won- Castro Valley, CA 94546
imus collection which he recently ac- derful announcements that are so time- 510-886-6699
quired. There may be more pictures in a ly, there is not enough time to put them tcquarterly-editor@traincollectors.org
April 2019 3
65TH ANNUAL TC by Scott Eckstein 92-36114 an
The Rio Grande Chapter of the Desert Other tours are a visit to the very large
Division would like to invite you to come to array and accompanying home layouts and
Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 65th TCA the Belen Harvey House. You can go to the
Convention, “A Summer Fiesta of Trains” eclectic Meow Wolf Art Complex in Santa
from June 22-30, 2019. Fe. There are tours to the Nuclear Museum in
You will experience and learn about New Albuquerque and/or to Los Alamos Histori-
Mexico’s culture from the Native Americans cal Museum and the Bradbury Museum. You
who have lived here for thousands of years, can ride the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram to the
through the colonization by the Spanish 10,378-foot peak for an 11,000 square mile
Conquistadors, to the Nuclear Age and be- panoramic view of the “Land of Enchant-
yond. ment.” For trips back in time, tour Bandelier
The center for all activities is the Hotel National Monument. In 1150 AD, it was home
Albuquerque, a beautiful mixture of Native to the Ancient Pueblo Indians before they
American, Mexican, Spanish and western moved in 1550 to settlements along the Rio
culture. Located steps away from Old Town Grande. You can also travel to Acoma, “Sky
Albuquerque, with its shops and museums, City,” the longest continuously inhabited
as well as, restaurants featuring many differ- community in the United States. Here you
ent cuisines. You can visit San Felipe de Neri will tour the Pueblo, which is built on a high
Church, founded in 1706, with five-foot-thick mesa, as well as the church, also built on the
walls. Located in the Old Town area are the mesa. Many of the inhabitants will be offering
Rattlesnake Museum, the Turquoise Mu- their fine pottery and delicious baked goods
seum, the Albuquerque Museum of Art, the for sale. You can also tour the Petroglyph Na-
Museum of Natural History and Science, and tional Monument to learn about the meaning
the Explora Science Center and Children’s behind the native art.
Museum. You can ride the Rail Runner Commuter
In the hotel lobby you may purchase Train to Santa Fe for tours of churches and
tickets to ride the Albuquerque Trolley for museums, as well as time for shopping. In
their “Best of the City” tour, with the “Hop- Albuquerque you can tour the Unser Racing
on – Hop-off” feature for exploring the city. Museum and the Anderson-Abruzzo Balloon
You can tour the Bio-Park, starting with the Museum. Another tour you won’t want to
Aquarium and Botanical Gardens, where you miss is to the restoration facility of the AT&SF
can visit a garden railroad or take a ride on 2926 steam engine, where a dedicated group
the Bio-Park train. It will take you through the of volunteers have been restoring the engine
Botanical Gardens and then to the Zoo. You and tender for excursion runs.
can then take the Zoo Train through the Zoo Have a day of fun touring Tinkertown Mu-
and learn about conservation programs. seum in the East Mountains and then on to
Moriarity to see the Glider Museum and the
TOURS Sierra Blanca Brewing Company. You can
Our premier tour begins early Sunday end your week in New Mexico with a trip to
morning with a bus ride to Antonito, Colorado Las Vegas, New Mexico and see the two
to board the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad for Harvey Houses, Plaza Hotel and other build-
a 64-mile trip that takes you back in time to ings built from 1882 to 1898.
the 1860’s railroad travel. We will stop half-
way through the trip in Osier for a fantastic
full-course, home-cooked meal. After lunch
we continue on to Chama, NM, the end of the
line and our point of return to Albuquerque.
4 The Train Collectors Quarterly
CA CONVENTION
nd Elaine Eckstein 14-69805
LAYOUTS AND MODULES Peter Gerity: My Personal Visit to the
Seven of our members have graciously Lionel Irvington factory and private tour by
opened their homes for layout tours. You Frank Petit.
will see layouts featuring the many different Julius J. Zschau: Estate Planning and
scales and manufacturers of model railroad- Giving to the TCA Endowment Fund
ing equipment. There will also be an assort- Roger Carp: Classic Toy Trains—30 years
ment of trains and modules in the atriums and counting.
of the hotel for your enjoyment, including a Peter Atonna: Videoing your trains so
Kid’s Club area with a free train raffle for the well that your wife will want to play them to
kids, with lots to see and do. her bridge club.
Jonathan Pfeiffer: What does it take to
WELCOME PARTY manufacture a toy train?
On Wednesday evening, there will be a
wonderful buffet dinner in the ballroom. The RESTORATION CONTEST
menu is a Southwestern picnic theme of The Rio Grande Chapter is having a
food and entertainment. Cocktails are being Restoration Contest in conjunction with the
served from 6-7pm followed by the dinner. 65th TCA Convention. Entries need to be
You will be able to check-out all the trains in checked in by NOON – 12 PM on Tuesday,
the silent auction before, during and after en- June 25th. NO SHIPMENTS – All entrees
joying your dinner. must be hand delivered, in person, at the
Convention.
“NON CRUISE” DINNER Judging will take place Tuesday after-
On Thursday we leave the hotel and noon. After judging all entries will be safely
“cruise” by bus to the Indian Pueblo Cultural displayed for the rest of the Convention,
Center and Museum for an evening of fine along with all ribbons awarded by the judg-
new Native American food with traditional es.
Native American dancing. Special rules:
1. All entries must be restored completely
DEACCESSION AUCTION by the person entering them.
We are lucky to have a deaccession auc- 2. Tinplate only
tion of items from the TCA archives on Sat- 3. Photo of how the piece looked
urday morning. The preview begins at 8 AM before restoration if available.
followed at 9 AM by the actual auction in the 4. Entries will be judged on the quality
Franciscan Ballroom. and accuracy of the restoration.
5. Entries will be accepted in the
BANQUET following categories:
On Saturday night, we meet for cocktails a. Engines – Steam, Electric, Diesel
at 6 PM before entering the Ballroom at 7 b. Passenger Cars
PM for dinner, followed by a live auction with c. Freight Cars
Greg Stout of Stout Auctions. d. Cabooses
e. Accessories
MEET THE EXPERTS If you are planning on bringing
Friday and Saturday of the Convention an entry, please send an email
will feature clinics by experts on the follow- describing your entry to:
ing subjects: ross.jordan7@comcast.net
April 2019 5
The front window of
the store in 1956.
6 The Train Collectors Quarterly
Lee’s
Train
Service
BY GERALD WAGNER 74-6574
Julius Leland Hieronimus CM5-101 was born
on January 19, 1906, in Oakland, California. He re-
Lionel
Approved ceived his first toy train set in 1910, a Lionel No. 6
Service Special 4-4-0 locomotive with freight cars. He start-
window ed repairing toy trains for friends in 1920, which led
decal
1939-40. to more work repairing trains for H. C. Capwell, a
large department store in Oakland. Capwell’s de-
partment store was the place to visit during Decem-
ber for toy train lovers. The large corner window at
19th and Telegraph always featured automatron fig-
ures with Santa sitting on his throne with a long line
of children waiting for well over an hour to sit on his
lap with noses of eager parents and siblings pressed
against the glass to view the Christmas wonderland.
The trains were downstairs in the toy department
and there was always a new, different, and better
Lionel factory-built 8x8-foot layout each year. It was
encapsulated in glass to keep little hands from grab-
bing and touching the multiple trains in operation.
When Lee needed factory parts in 1932, he be-
came a friend of Mike Sweyd, the Western represen-
tative for Lionel from 1922 through 1952. The Lionel
West Coast office and limited display area were lo-
cated in the San Francisco Merchandise Mart locat-
ed at 1355 Market Street until closure in 1959/1960.
Lee purchased many of their display items.
Capwell’s department store sold a lot of trains and
patrons would return throughout the year for ser-
vice and repairs. Lee offered his services to the store
and it grew into a regular job. In 1934, Lee’s Train
Service became an authorized Lionel factory service
station.
In 1941, Lionel began issuing annual certificates
for Service Stations, and Lee received the first one
on the West Coast. It is certificate No. 91, signed by
Mario Caruso, Lionel’s General Works Manager.
During WWII, Lee worked as an electrical inspector
in local shipyards (where Liberty Ships were built).
In 1947, Lee’s Train Service opened a new store at
3980 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland.
Lee owned a very early Lionel No. 5 thin rim lo-
comotive that he was proud to show off. In 1939, Lee
took this No. 5 and his No. 6 Special to San Fran-
April 2019 7
Lee’s Train Service
cisco while attending a Lionel luncheon hosted by
Joshua Lionel Cowen. Cowen ignored the No. 6 Spe-
cial, but he noticed a white paint spot on the No. 5
that he recognized from testing and marking that
locomotive himself back in 1907. He expressed, “I’ve
got to have that engine.” JLC made Lee an offer, and
still Lee would not part with his locomotive. JLC
had scratched his initials under the cab roof. Cowen
was not happy when Lee refused to sell his No. 5. He
made a very substantial offer and still Lee would not
part with his No.5. It held too many memories.
Lee Hieronimus CM
his Lionel thin r
Lionel Service Station Certificate from 1941.
On October 4, 1949, Lee attended a Lionel lun-
cheon in San Francisco. Lawrence Cowen presented
attendees with a pair of Santa Fe F3 diesel loco-
motives on a display track. Notice how improperly
placed the EMD decals are? Lionel was giving away
locos that had not passed quality control!
Lee was a longtime Rotarian, and at the January
1950 meeting (his birthday month) he brought a dis-
play of Lionel items and put a sign on the podium
“Rotaryville”—a play on the name “Lionelville”.
On July 15, 1950, Lee participated in a railroad
display at the Oakland Auditorium. He had already
amassed a nice collection of rare Lionel trolleys. He
enjoyed displaying his vintage trains and the new
Lionel trains that he sold in his store. The Oakland
Tribune did a feature article on his large collection of
vintage Lionel trains and trolleys.
On March 22, 1956, Lionel asked Lee if he would
like his Service Station featured in All Aboard at
Lionel, the company’s in-house magazine. Lionel
requested professional photos and said that they
would pay for a professional press photographer. A
photographer from the Oakland Tribune came out to
the store and shot the pictures shown here.
All Aboard was an internal Lionel publication
from 1946-1959. It featured articles written by and
about the employees of Lionel and showed how Lio-
nel fostered a tight knit family environment in the
8
M5-101 at the store counter with
rim No. 6 locomotive from 1910. Muriel Hieronimus helping a customer.
April 2019 x
Lee is showing a 2400 passenger car to baseball
player Augie Benites and Lee Messersmith.
10 The Train Collectors Quarterly
Lee is showLee’s Train Service
workplace. Each month a different retailer was fea-
tured. Lee’s Train Service was featured in the May
1956 issue.
Lee sold his business in 1958 to Dave and Peggy
White, but he still kept his own personal vintage
train collection as an active member of Nor-Cal Di-
vision of TCA. He passed away on May 10, 1982. His
widow Muriel arranged to sell the collection of old
trains, and then passed away herself within a month
Lee is showing Märklin trains in the lower case to a family.
after Lee. They had no children and are interred at
Group picture with customers Lee Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. Dave and Peg-
Messersmith, Augie Benites, and the gy White continued operating Lee’s Train Service for
the store staff, Muriel, Stan, and Lee.
more than forty years, eventually closing the train
store June 30, 1999.
(Editor’s note: The Whites had kept the business of
selling trains, new and used. The day they closed the
shop was the same evening TCA held its annual Con-
vention Banquet just 30 miles away across the Bay in
Burlingame, CA. I was chair of the Convention and
called Peggy White to invite her and David to be my
guests at this great gathering of 500 train collectors
from around the country, as well as many local col-
lectors who had become collectors through associa-
tion with their store. I wanted to include them for all
they had done for our hobby. Peggy declined and the
store closed with a whimper. The following Monday,
she went into the hospital for tests and passed away
that same day. Her husband David passed away shortly
thereafter. The San Francisco Bay Area owes a thank
you to Lee Hieronimus and the White families for keep-
ing this store going for all those years and starting many
of us on this lifetime path of collecting toy trains.
One more note— it is rumored that Lee Hieroni-
mus was buried with his rare No.4 trolley. Speculation
is that cemetery workers relieved him of the prize. We
cannot be sure of the truth here, but it is the stuff great
legends are made of!)
April
wing a new 2019
Lionel 2331 11
x
Virginian Trainmaster.Photo 1 Photo 2
The fledgling monthly Playthings magazine was or minus). Lionel was not yet an advertiser in Play-
Playthings 1904
back for year two in 1904, attracting more readers, things. It is of interest that the electric railway wreck-
more advertisers and educating people about the ing crane caught the eye of the writer as a unique
marketplace. In the January issue, Ives, through their moving train, but it also had the play value of a crane.
selling agent Henry C Schnibbe, had a full-page ad The January issue included a manufacturer’s list-
touting, “Greatly improved for 1904 and new features ing page where small ads were placed for $24 annual-
added, including No. 1 Gauge,” (Photo 1). The ad il- ly (Photo 2). Many train manufactures over the years
lustrated a mechanical set, but also showed the ele- took advantage of this inexpensive way to get their
vated loop most important for store displays in win- name known and recognized. Here we find Hubley
dows or toy department presentations to have all the Mfg. Arcade Mfg. Co. makers of cast iron trains,
action of a train in motion, without monopolizing the Weeden Mfg. Co. who made live steam engines, Carl-
ground level which could display other toys. Space in isle & Finch Co., and others.
retail is always a premium commodity. The art of cre- The February issue contained a small article men-
ating the most enticing display was key to attracting tioning that, “Electric railways are more complete
customers. Trains in motion helped sell themselves than last year.” A train that climbs mountains with
and promote additional sales. Accessories were also a cog system makes a fine window display for any
shown like new stations, covered sheds and bridges to store. The one mentioned had a shoe that fit over the
compliment a train bought the previous year. charged rail (three rail operation). For those not de-
The January issue also included a small article siring such an elaborate system, there were two wind
mentioning an electric railway wrecking crane run- up trolleys where one comes back on a switch, hits a
ning on 3-inch track. It is typical in Playthings to have projection, liberating the other trolley for constant ac-
a small notice which lacked much wanted details. tion. No mention was made of the maker, but one can
In this article, they described the Lionel 500 derrick assume these were German imports setting a rather
crane. The 3-inch track, of course, is 27/8-inches, and high bar for American manufacturers.
the 30-feet of track is acually30-feet of rail which The June issue which would become the biggest
makes 15-feet of track (a 60-inch diameter circle plus single monthly issue in hopes that buyers would place
12 The Train Collectors QuarterlyPhoto 3 Photo 5
the Christmas orders early mid-year so the manufactures over time as manufactures needed to provide a set at various
could better prepare for inventory needed during the rush price points to compete with imported trains sold as complete
period as Christmas neared. Ives/Schnibbe again took a full- sets.
page ad proudly distancing themselves from imports by pro- In September, Carlisle & Finch placed an ad, “Electric Rail-
claiming, “American Models Every Train Guaranteed.” ways Dynamos, Motors, Gas Engines,” as seen in Photo 4. It
Photo 3 shows a six-band cast #25 Ives locomotive with the illustrated the iconic mining engine with coal cars in a set.
larger eight-wheel cars with inboard trucks along with the In October, J Scribner of Rochester, NY placed an ad for
smaller four-wheel line. It was important to offer trains at dif- “Magic Electric Novelties,” (Photo 5). Edison may have turned
ferent price points for all budgets. It is interesting that the text the lights on for a select few in Manhattan back in 1882,
shows pieces offered for individual sale only. That changed but home electricity was still only a dream for 95 percent of
American households. Electricity was a novelty to most. Nasty
wet cell batteries gave way to dry cells which only had a very
limited life. Scribner’s placing of his ad is in line with the old
Christmas schedule for placing orders for display and sales in
December. Several magazines added electrical novelties and
toys in their October issue. Toys being seasonal for many man-
ufactures would begin cranking out toys in September and
October in hopes to sell out prior to Thanksgiving for retailers
to have December to reap the profits. Manufactures had a very
short window in which to manufacture and estimate quanti-
ties.
In December there was a small article on Electric railways
making good displays in department stores and how they nev-
er fail to attract the boys. Another article mentioned a large
successful department store with a mixture of high-end elec-
tric items and moderate lower priced mechanical items.
Photo 4
April 2019 13Compare the No. 1 gauge Bing for Bassett-Lowke, Ivatt, Atlantic,
c.1912 to the preserved Ivatt in the NRM in York, UK.
FIFTY YEARS AND THE “END-OF-
When celebrating fifty years of TCA membership, you can’t
help but reflect back on how the journey began. The year was
1968. Beyond the fact that 1968 was cataclysmic in our nation’s
history, I also remember the happier times of my early collecting.
That August, my wife Beverly and I were planning our first
trip to Europe with a short stop in London. By coincidence, that
August 4th, had been the official “End-of -Steam” day on British
Railways.
Three months later on a very rainy November Thursday af-
ternoon in London, while my wife was resting, I grabbed a Lon-
don taxi to find a famous train shop. My cabbie, with little help
from me, swiftly placed me at the front door of Bassett-Lowke &
Steam Age. Hats off to London cabbies! Unfortunately, the shop
was closed. I squinted through the front door’s glass and wall-
to-wall, live steam locomotives of every size and description.
Rap rap. Rap rap. A young man came to the door. I explained
my interest and that I was from the ‘States’. For the next two
hours, I was treated to a private tour of what later were the ‘lots’
for the famous Bassett-Lowke & Steam Age “Going-Out-of-
Business” auction. (I still look at my copy of that auction catalog
and drool.) I could not afford a driving/riding live steam loco-
motive, so Mr. (Alan) Levy, founder of today’s ACE Trains, con-
centrated on the tinplate model railways in the Bassett-Lowke
shop on the second floor. I was mesmerized by manufacturers
unknown to me. I specifically remember Alan pointing out the
differences between a Hornby and a Bassett-Lowke Princess
Elizabeth The Hornby captivated me. As the afternoon drew to
a close, I asked if anything was available for sale. Alan pointed
me to a No. 1 gauge Bing-for-Bassett-Lowke GNR clockwork
(two speeds forward, one reverse) Ivatt ‘Atlantic’, c.1912. It was
14then, and remains, an excellent scale model of
the Ivatt Atlantic preserved in England’s Nation-
al Railway Museum (NRM). For several years,
the ‘Ivatt’ headed the Flying Scotsman on my
small garden layout. And now after fifty years,
the Ivatt still occupies pride-of-place. as one of
the few trains allowed upstairs.
This past August 2018, looking through a Brit-
ish Heritage Railways publication on the “50th
Anniversary of the End-of –Steam,” the graffiti
chalked on many of the last steam locomotives
caught my attention. Noting August 4, 1968 as
the official date for the “End-of-Steam” in Eng-
land, caused me to again think about what I was
doing back then. I decided to stage my own
1968 “End-of-Steam” and a 2018 update—this
time using Hornby. As a Hornby collector, I had
to include a plea to preserve Lizzie in my graffiti.
Making this all possible, years ago tinplate train
author of Clockwork, Steam and Electric, Pierce
Carlson, brought a Hornby Princess Elizabeth
complete with red presentation case to a Fall
York meet. Even though it was a reach, I could
Preserved Ivatt 4-4-2 Atlantic in the NRM in York, UK. These were the second type of not pass up the opportunity to add the Princess
locomotive to head the world famous over-night London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman. to my collection. Today, I’m happy to report that
Lizzie is still all original, operates and is carefully
dusted along with a other preserved compan-
-STEAM”
ions. I’m now a ‘preservationist. Hopefully, that’s
what we all are.
May you have collecting memories as enjoy-
by Jim Burke 68-2321 able to you as mine are to me. It’s been a great
fifty years chasing trains.
Hornby with graffiti M1 re-enacts 1968 ‘End-of- 15
Steam’ on England’s mainline railways. Hornby Lizzie survives in preservation ‘on-shed’ with other LMS survivors.Collecting
Those
American Photo 1 Photo 4
Flyer
Franklin
Cars
by Eric Hundertmark15334
hundertmark@verizon.net
After the 1956 release of the Disney movie Photo 5
The Great Locomotive Chase, and with the ap-
proaching centennial of the completion of the
transcontinental railroad, the country seemed
swept up in a nostalgic craze about the Civil
War era, and the toy companies all moved to
cash in on the mania. A.C. Gilbert came out
with their Franklin sets in 1959 with new 1860s
era locomotives and passenger cars. The en-
gine was cleverly based on the existing chassis
for their 4-4-2 Atlantic engine to reduce tooling
costs. The cars were reportedly based on mod-
els created by Ed Alexander. A 24720 coach and
a 24730 baggage were first offered in 1959, with
the addition of a 24740 combine in 1960. The
same combine was also painted red and num-
Photo 2 Photo 6
bered 24750 for the new Washington set, intro-
duced in 1960.
The style and contrasting yellow and black
colors make the Franklin cars very noticeable,
and they are very commonly found at meets, as
well as on-line. Their unique character makes
them popular with collectors, and their abun-
dance and generally lower prices make them
an excellent subject for continuing to collect
trains on a very reasonable budget. There are
many easily found variations, but there are also
several that are very hard to find, or even truly
rare. But, because these were not thoroughly or
accurately described in earlier price guides and
other literature, and most collectors aren’t fa-
miliar with them, even the rare variations can
sometimes be bought for modest prices, yield-
ing those exciting opportunities to find a “dia-
16 The Train Collectors Quarterly
Photo 3mond in the rough.” This article endeavors to
explain the development of these cars and the
variations they produced.
There are three features that will help to
understand the development of these cars and
date examples found. The first is that the earli-
est production trucks had sideframes that were
painted black on the outsides only, the inner
surface was bare unpainted metal. An example
is shown in Photo 1. This was changed in mid-
1959 such that all surfaces of the sideframe
were painted black. However, when analyzing
a car found with the unpainted inner truck
sideframes, bear in mind that it is quite easy to
swap the underframes on these cars and put an
early frame on a later car, so other characteris-
tics must be considered as well.
The second feature that helps to date these
cars is the style of the “American Flyer Lines”
lettering at the ends of the car sides. The earlier
cars had a font that is most easily recognized
by the sloped sides of the letter “M”. Later cars,
starting later in 1960, had a font with straight
sides on the letter “M”. The differences can be
seen in Photo 2. The later style is on top and the
early style on the bottom. Both styles are com-
monly encountered.
The third feature is the style of the baggage
door on the combine and baggage cars. Earlier
cars are made with a simple flat door, but some-
where in mid-1960 they enhanced the molds for
these two cars to detail the baggage doors with
cross-bracing and individual boards.
24720 COACH
The earliest 24720 coaches produced, includ-
ing examples found in the special promotional
sets that were stamped “One of the First Fifty,”
were painted yellow on black plastic, and had
no “American Flyer Lines” lettering on either
end of their car sides. Photo 3 shows a sample
of one of these cars. These cars would have un-
painted inner truck sideframes. This variation
is quite difficult to find, and even warrants the
qualifier “rare”.
Coaches were quickly changed to include
“American Flyer Lines” lettering on the right
end of each side, as shown in Photo 4. This letter-
ing would be of the earlier font with the sloped-
sided letter “M”. Contrary to the 24730 baggage
car, a 24720 coach with this lettering on the left
side has not been observed. The painted ver-
sion of the 24720 is rather hard to find, but not
as rare as the earliest version above. These can
sometimes be found with the early unpainted
inner truck sideframes.
Sometime late in 1959, it seems they started
molding the car bodies out of yellow plastic,
eliminating the step of painting them yellow.
April 2019 17The third variation of the coach is an unpainted
yellow plastic body with the earlier font “Ameri-
can Flyer Lines” on the right side. See Photo 5.
This is a fairly easy car to find.
The last variation of the 24720 coach was
apparently introduced in 1960. It remained
unpainted yellow plastic but had the later
Photo 7
style “American Flyer Lines” lettering with the
straight-sided “M” on the right side and is pic-
tured in Photo 6. This version is also very com-
mon.
A version of the coach with the “American
Flyer Lines” lettering on the left end has not
been observed at this time. Cars with the later
“American Flyer Lines” lettering have also not
been found with a painted body—it seems that
painting the body was done only until sometime
in mid-1959, before switching lettering styles in
mid-1960.
24730 BAGGAGE Photo 8
This car offers the widest variety in varia-
tions to collect. At first, it was not included in
the catalogued set, which consisted of the en-
gine and two coaches, but was available as a
“coupon car.” These came in special colorful
boxes with a tag on the inner flap stating that
the car was not for sale but offered as a free gift
to any customer who bought a Franklin set and
had a coupon for the offer. Later, this car, and
the 24740 combine introduced in 1960, were in-
cluded in set 20550 (and numerous other spe- Photo 9
cial uncatalogued sets).
The earliest production had a car body that
was painted on black plastic, unpainted in-
ner truck sideframes, and no “American Flyer
Lines” lettering on either end. Photo 7 shows
one of these. This version shows up very infre-
quently and is very hard to find.
An interesting point about this car is that
the “F Y & P R R” lettering on the letterboard is
different than on any other variation of any of
these cars. As seen in Photo 8, with this unique Photo 10
lettering on the top and the normal on the bot-
tom, the periods are round dots instead of the
normal square dots, and the serifs of the letters
are less pronounced. It is curious the same dif-
ferences do not show up on the earliest 24720
coaches.
As with the coach, they quickly started print-
ing the “American Flyer Lines” lettering on the
end. Of course, this would be the earlier font
with the sloped-sided “M”. It is suspected that
they first started printing this on the left end
(and put the Overland Express sticker on the
right end), as shown in Photo 9. A few of these
cars may have the early unpainted inner truck
sideframes, but most don’t. This is a difficult
car to find, but one that is easy to identify.
18 The Train Collectors QuarterlyFor whatever reason, they apparently quick-
ly switched to putting the early font “American
Flyer Lines” lettering on the right end, as shown
in Photo 10. This car is also occasionally found
with the early unpainted inner truck side-
frames. This variation is not difficult to find.
Photo 11
Cars with unpainted plastic bodies but still
with the early font “American Flyer Lines” let-
tering on the right end were made next. These
cars come with the plain baggage door. Photo
11 is of one of these cars. This is a very easy ver-
sion to find.
The last production version comes with an
unpainted plastic body and the later “American
Flyer Lines” lettering on the right end. The bag-
gage doors have the cross-bracing and detail, as
can be seen in Photo 12. This also is a very easy
version to find.
It seems they stopped the practice of paint-
ing the body sometime before they developed
Photo 12 new stamps with the later style lettering, as no
example has been found (so far) with the later
style lettering on a painted body. Also, no ex-
ample has been found (so far) with the earlier
style lettering and the later detailed baggage
door.
24740 COMBINE
The last car type introduced was the com-
bine. There are only two variations of this car
identified to date. The earlier version, shown
Photo 13 in Photo 13, has the later style “American Fly-
er Lines” lettering, an unpainted plastic body,
and the earlier plain baggage door. This is not a
hard car to find.
The last version produced is pictured in Pho-
to 14, and has the later style “American Flyer
Lines” lettering, an unpainted plastic body, and
the later detailed baggage door. This version is
also not difficult to find.
As of now, no painted 24740 has been seen,
nor has one been noticed with the earlier style
Photo 14 “AFL” lettering.
24750
The combine style car was also produced
starting in 1960 for the Washington sets. These
were painted red with yellow lettering, and
have only been found with the later detailed
baggage door, so they were probably not pro-
duced until later in 1960. See Photo 15 for an
example. These are very attractive and popular,
and do not show up as frequently as the 24740
cars.
If you still enjoy finding items that you didn’t
have before, and want to avoid spending large
amounts of cash to do so, the collecting of these
ubiquitous cars offers a lot of opportunities,
and a few challenges as well.
April 2019 19
Photo 15AMERICAN FLYER FAN
POSTWAR COLLECTOR IN THE MODERN WORLD
by Chip Kessler 93-38197 • chip@ecpnews.net
I’m fortunate to own some twenty-five American Flyer post- Indeed, there’s the excitement I feel whenever a big box is
war sets. The majority of these are complete with the individual delivered to my home and I get to open it up and see what I
boxes for the engines and the freight or passenger cars plus the bought. That’s a great experience too! I’d say it ranks almost
set boxes too. as good because when all is said and done, you’ve still bought
However, unlike times past for a great many American Fly- something special to add to your collection.
er operators and collectors, all but one of my sets were either Over the years, many have bought trains sight-unseen. It
bought on-line or via telephone and/or e-mail communication. could be that someone advertised a set, an engine, or a box-
The one lone in-person purchase was done last year at the an- car to fellow TCA members (as still happens today) or an ad ap-
nual model train show held in my town Johnson City, TN. Think peared in one of the model train magazines (as happens today).
about this for a moment and juxtapose it to the American Flyer What’s more, with today’s on-line accessibility, what I’ve been
fan of 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 years ago. Heck, in some cases may- up to over the last few years isn’t all that uncommon.
be as late as ten years ago, you still had a local train shop you Speaking of the internet, many train shops have had a major
visited or the opportunity to attend train shows. on-line presence for quite some time now. They’ve had to in or-
Certainly, there are still train shops in parts of the country der to keep up with the times. Best of all for them, it’s opened up
which are thriving. And there are many annual train shows still a national audience of potential buyers, not just to the local and
going strong, topped off by the twice-yearly York extravaganzas. regional crowd.
In addition to York, there are quite a few local and regional TCA One major challenge is that buying in this manner means you
meets held annually. By all means, I recommend you get out and have to do your homework. How will you know what you’re get-
support the TCA shows whenever you can. And indeed person- ting is fully operational unless you ask questions? That’s a good
ally visit all the train shops you can! rule of thumb for in-person purchases too. Yes, I’m after postwar
In my case however, I was looking to build a collection rather trains that look their best. Yet how well an engine runs is certainly
quickly. The challenge was my location (save for the aforemen- of major importance. This is where face-to-face interaction with
tioned hometown show in Johnson City plus two events per year a dealer at a show, or communicating with a train shop, gives
in nearby Asheville, NC). Because of this coupled with a lack of one upmost assurance as to the operating condition of a partic-
local model train stores, I was hampered from buying train sets ular piece. What about me, Mr. Non-Personal buyer? Fortunate-
the “old-fashioned” way, in person! ly, I’ve made the acquaintance and now enjoy the friendship of
Accordingly some purchases were done on eBay, especially a superb American Flyer technician, Larry Moore of Weaverville,
when I first started out. More recently, during the past two years, NC. There’s nothing I’ve brought Larry of a postwar American
I’d become acquainted with fellow TCA member Clay Kinsner # Flyer variety that he’s hasn’t been able to tune-up, fix-up and
93-37753 and through his “Lone Star Collectibles,” I have made get it to giddy-up! For someone like me, “Ten-Thumbs Kessler,”
several American Flyer train set purchases. This is where the I have a deep appreciation and admiration for what Larry and
telephone and eMail have come in handy! other great model train technicians can do with an engine or an
Overall, I’ve been very satisfied, especially in my dealings accessory!
with Clay! As for eBay, fortunately there has been only a couple Hopefully, there will still be great train shops to patronize,
of disappointments. One I wrote about in my last column. My whether in-person, by telephone, or ordering on-line. And yes,
ill-fated AF All-Aboard venture, and another time a pair of AF fabulous train meets to attend, if one is able to do so. The bot-
Texas & Pacific engines (Nos.377 and 378) had to be sent back tom line to all of this is the thrill of buying a train anyway we can
because of a cracked wheelbase in one of the pieces, curtesy of get our hands on them!
some delivery mishandling.
Still, as it turned out, there was some-
thing special about walking up to the deal- AMERICAN We begin with a nice note from Stephen
H. Jaouen 80-15353 of Greeley, CO. His tale
er’s table, seeing the New York Central Hud-
son steam engine and the red passenger FLYER serves to bridge the gap between genera-
tions:
FAN
cars tucked away in the set box. We then What a nice column in the Quarterly on
removed the engine and the passenger cars American Flyer and owners. I too have my
that made up American Flyer set #4916-A. first 1939 American Flyer I received when
We even got to run the engine on a nearby
test track to make sure it operated properly. Chip Kessler
CORNER I was three...well maybe dad received it.
Building on my 21x13-foot layout now. How
Best of all was the feeling of joy when I carried all the compo- somethings change. My little six-year-old grandson was under
nents out of the building in that set box, knowing what I had the layout helping(?) me wire the transformer. He asked what we
inside. were doing and why. I told him we were wiring the transformer,
20 The Train Collectors Quarterlyas we must do. He looked quizzical. I asked what was wrong? He I got my first Flyer for Christmas in 1950, I was almost three.
said, “Opa what does it turn into?” I then looked quizzical. Ah, a It was a gift, a Royal Blue set from my grandfather. It was very
Transformer...things have changed. Keep up the Flyer articles. special because he was a licensed NE Pennsylvania Anthracite
Nice work! miner foreman and was dying of black lung. I was with him when
From Chip: Good to know there are still young people getting he passed away seven weeks later. His son, my uncle, bought
introduced to American Flyer trains at an early age. three more sets over the next 14 years for me…and he was a big
Here’s some great remembrances from Ross Kerr # 18-73375 Lionel fan! The thing about American Flyer that intrigued me the
from Gainesville, VA. most was the distinctive choo-choo sounds with great synchro-
My parents bought a 501T set in 1952 when I was nine years nized smoke output. My favorite set was The Rocket Diesel with
old. As my dad passed away the very next year, my mom did her “Air Chime Whistle.” My favorite train shop in 1950s and 60s was
best to add to the collection for the next few years. During this the Model Railroad Center in old town Rockville, MD. They had
period, several pieces of rolling stock were added including the Flyer and Lionel engines, cars, and track with a nice variety of H0
four-car set of red heavyweights, a crane car, a work caboose trains, accessories, and kits, plus they did great repairs.
and others. Unfortunately, due to cost, she was not able to add From Chip: Wonderful memories Bob! Thanks for sharing.
any more engines. Over the following number of years, the stan- Nice as well, that your “Lionel Uncle” took a deep breath and
dard ritual was to set everything up on a ping pong table for bought you those Flyer sets—good for him!
Christmas and then dismantle and put it away until the next year. James Rubenstein 91-33341 from Highland Park, IL shares a
Going away to college in 1961, put an end to the ritual. Years later couple of pictures from his layout. See Photos 1 and 2.
after getting married,
I started the hobby James Rubinstein
again with H0 scale
because of space
constraints. I had fun
with this even doing
some modeling. It has
taken much longer to
get back to American
Flyer than most of my
peers. I have my wife
to thank for this, as ten
years ago, she con-
vinced me to get all my
original equipment out
and get back into it. I
obliged her, and much
to my pleasant sur-
prise that one lonely
302 AC Atlantic engine caused me to pick up right where I had We’ll wrap up this time with this from Ed Rust, Jr. 83-19116 of
left off so many years before. It was as if no time had elapsed. Baltimore, MD:
It ran like a top and continues to do so. I have stayed with Flyer I got the Flyer bug back in the mid-1950s. My grandfather had
from the years 1952 through 1956 with only a few exceptions. a 293 with green heavyweight cars and my uncle had a Rocket
There are a few nods to the more modern with American Mod- passenger set. They looked much more realistic to me than the
els, K-Line, and Flyer by Lionel. My layout is small at 8x7-feet and Lionel my grandfather also had. I started collecting in the late
is comparable to the one shown in the Gilbert American Flyer 1970s. I met Charlie Pohlmen in the early 1980s, and bought a
Model Railroad Handbook from 1952. I have managed to pack a lot of stuff from him at his shop Toy Trains Unlimited in Hanover
lot into this small space. Prior to moving a year ago, there was no PA. He encouraged me to join the TCA. A few years later I had to
S Gauge club in my area so other than attending various shows, sell my stuff, but I knew I would get back to it one day. I sold the
I was on my own. Early this year I affiliated with the Washington trains to Charlie but kept the track, switches, and transformers,
and Old Dominion (W & OD) S Gauge club in Northern Virginia. but I kept up my TCA membership. The 293 and the Rocket sets
I also joined TCA and attended my first York show in the spring are still in my family. I also have my grandfather’s cattle loader.
of 2018. At the October 2018 York show, our club was one of the It still works pretty well, but like the Guildford station, the cows
operating exhibitors. You had a great idea in writing your column. need a little encouragement occasionally!
Well done! Keep it up! Chip’s comment: Thanks Ed; a great family history of trains!
From Chip: Thanks Ross and kudos to your wife for being the Yes, I agree about getting things moving through the Guilford
one to get you back to enjoying American Flyer trains! My own Station, as I wrote about last time.
layout isn’t that big either at 6x12-feet. That’s one of the many Thanks for your continued response to this column! I love to
great things about American Flyer as you can pack a lot into a read about your American Flyer stories and memories. Please
small or modest sized space. write me so I can share with fellow readers. Also, include some
Next up is Mount Airy, Maryland’s Bob Clark 83-19535 with a photos if you can of a favorite train and/or your layout or displays.
rundown of his American Flyer history, and a poignant story: Contact me at chip@ecpnews.net
April 2019 21L arry W.
by
Po
PART
land 79-14
21
69
5
The Pain of “Thinning”
Please prepare to show sympathy. I am going to share a very, with a bunch of Flyer stuff through what I call ‘collection creep.’
very sad story. Flyer in your ‘Lionel collection!’
You see, I retired, and the divine plan called for me to leave By the way, this same principle applies to every other make
our five-building, 5.75-acre estate in California with two ‘train and model of train stuff, including additions you bought just
rooms’ (one was a double garage) each with a large layout. Mov- because you liked the way they looked. Your acquisitive urge
ing to a 1900-square-foot abode in the west suburbs of Chica- wrapped like an octopus around a vast array of stuff that, real-
go meant that I had to ‘thin out’ the collection. Now, let me ly, made no sense in your collection. Get rid of it? Not so hard.
pause right here and explain that my wife and I have two very “Ouch!” level.
different definitions of ‘thinning!’ For her, ‘thinning’ is keeping
just enough train and track to do the circle-around-the-Christ- STAGE THREE PAIN: SEVERE
mas-tree thing. For me, ‘thinning’ is keeping just slightly fewer In this category fit trains that are really rare and valuable.
trains than the TCA museum has on display! Do you perceive a Parting with a piece that you worked hard to find (or pay for)
potential conflict here? really hurts. After all, Lionel only made the original 700E a year
So, rather than go immediately to grief counseling, I decided or two, and you had to sell one of your kids into slavery to buy
that I was an adult man, and that I probably should be able to it. “Arrgh” level pain. Compounding the pain is the awareness
work through the trauma of parting with a good percentage of that, in this market, you may not get out of the piece what you
my 1000-piece collection of toys! TOYS, get it—things kids play have in it. Double “Arrgh!”
with?
STAGE FOUR PAIN: EXCRUCIATING
STAGE ONE PAIN: SLIGHT DISCOMFORT There is the first train you got when your poor family put a
Calculating the train stuff that would be easiest to jettison Lionel 1666 on layaway at $1.00 a month and sprang it on you
was the least painful. In this category came duplicates and junk Christmas morning in 1948 or 1958—making you the happiest
trains. Let me explain that duplicates are the result of one or kid in town. You laid on your tummy in your dark bedroom and
more dynamics. Some duplicates are because you have, for ex- watched that headlight snake under your bed and out again.
ample, four Madison coaches and you think, “You know, that You didn’t even notice the motor sound in that fan whistle in the
train would look more impressive if I had just a few more coach- tender. It was as rich and sweet a sound as a Brahms lullaby—
es in the consist.” Other duplicates result from seeing some or a Nat King Cole ballad, if you prefer. The set was the star of
piece you know you have, but the price is such a steal that you your first layout. Get rid of that? Say it isn’t so!
buy another one anyway. Then, some duplicates result from Then, there is the beat up prewar 252 set that you bought
buying a piece and—when you get home—realizing that you for $6.00 with paper route money when you were in seventh
already had one of those. That is the first stage of train collec- grade. You repainted and lighted it and added it to what now
tor Alzheimer’s—forgetting what you have in your collection. was your two-train collection. Don’t tear my heart out!
Scary. That operating milk car. Never mind that the albino milk man
Junk stuff accumulates by going to yard sales and picking up threw milk cans half way across the room when you had the
cheap, beat-up trains you fantasize you can sell, but never do. voltage too high. You loved it, even its noisy ‘kerchunk’ when
Or junk accumulates from train auction purchases in which you you pushed the button. Chest-grabbing agony to think about
had to buy a whole box of useless, rusty Marx stuff to get the parting with it!
nice Lionel transformer in the box. Duplicates and junk are easy Never mind that you now have lots of engines and rolling
to part with and relatively painless. stock and are on your third big layout. There is still some kind of
emotional attachment like to the first pig-tailed heart throb you
STAGE TWO PAIN: MODERATE DISCOMFORT had when you were in ninth grade. The pain of losing her love is
In this category, we find parts of the collection that never re- second only to that of watching your huge layout—and all the
ally were in the sweet spot of your collecting objectives (if any). hours of work and TLC you put into it—torn apart and put into
You have a Lionel collection, but that American Flyer Hudson a dumpster.
was really clean and, after all, would look nice next to your Hud- After ‘thinning,’ I ended up with about 35 percent of my col-
son collection in G, Standard, 0, and (now) S gauge. Then, later, lection and no layouts. My wife supports this level. After all, she
you were seduced by the sleek American Flyer passenger cars hates to see a grown man cry— or on intravenous morphine for
that came with the Hudson set. You get the idea. You ended up pain—or divorce. Good woman!
22 The Train Collectors QuarterlyYou can also read
