I know people collect lots of things.  Some hobbyists collect stamps, some hobbyists collect coins and some collect trading cards.  There’s something special about collecting classic toy trains though.  When you collect something that actually still does what it is supposed to in the world it is different than when you take that thing out of the world.  So it’s not like you are just staring at them in some book or on some wall.  You can get just as much satisfaction from them as when they were first bought.  Try doing that with your stamp collection!   

What are the hot collectible locomotives today?  Here’ the huge three:

Lionel trains:  

We have to begin with the huge tuna, Lionel locomotives.  Lionel train has been the longest lasting toy training obsession.  Lionel locomotives once dominated the model training community.  Baby boomers will remember the Lionel Holiday displays they saw as children. Lionel still has a quality that most toy locomotive manufacturers would kill for.  Famous folks like the rocker Neil Young and the actor Tom Hanks have been long time Lionel enthusiasts.  Lionel has a strong literature that helps support it.  Because Lionel was ruled in the 1950s and because the post War decade was the high point of model hobbying, it is no surprise that Lionel should be as prestigious as the brand is.. Lionel’s value is raised by the fact that it positioned itself out of range for most customers back in the 50’s, creating a scarcity that helps bouy its value even today.

American Flyers:  

The only model locomotive brand that can really give Lionel a run for its money is American Flyer.  Although Gilbert failed to usurp Lionel with his S gauge train in the 50’s, American Flyer trains are perhaps even more sought after today than Lionel’s historic locomotives.  Gilbert’s effort, however, made some of the most beloved locomotives around and collectors go absolutely ape doo doo over these vintage toy trains.  The fact that they are one of the few types of trains that run on S gauge, an in-between scale smaller than O but hugger than HO, only adds to the uniqueness of these locomotives.  They are so popular among collectors and fans that Lionel LLC, the current owner of the American Flyer patent, plans on releasing many of the most popular locomotives from this period.  Watch out for them.

Ives:  

If you actually want to get a locomotive that no one has try finding an old Ives train.  Ives was the third challenger in the Lionel versus American Flyer triumvirate.  An old Ives model train is a real find.  Most are in O scale just like Lionel but they are real collector’s items these days. 

Clock operated trains of the Victorian era:  

These toy trains from the very early period of toy training are really a discovery.  They don’t have the complicated detail that the Lionel and American Flyers would have after World War I.   These clock operated locomotives, however, really paint you a picture of how such trains were viewed before model training became so popular.  You can really make out the hand crafting on these simple wooden trains. They were clock operated because there was no electrical source yet.  And they were pricey back then.  They clearly had the children of the well off in mind.  These trains can really capture the imagination of another age.  In fact, you might say that model training came to us just like kindergarten.  Both were part of Germany’s obsessions with childrearing in the early 20^th century.

There is great joy in restoring one of these old model locomotives.  You could choose a far worse hobby.

Here is more information on Model Steam Trains. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.

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