Reference Books

For Lionel Prewar, the TCA published a book called The Standard of the World. A complete copy should have a color chip chart. There are two editions.

 

There are a number of Greenberg guides, including Lionel, American Flyer, and Ives. They also published a book called Early American Toy Trains which covers several brands.  The information for some brands is spread across several volumes.

 

While the Greenberg books were published as price guides, they do contain some good information.

 

You could also join the TCA to gain access to the back issues of the TCA Quarterly. There is a lot of good information in those old magazines, some of it is much more detailed then you are likely to find in book form,

 

 

 

Thanks for the info.  The color chip chart would be a good thing to have.  I'll go digging to see what I come up with.  Is the color chip chart available in both editions of the "Standard of the World"? 

Both editions came with the chip chart. It is not bound into the book, so sometimes they are lost, and some folks try to sell them separately.

I have both editions, I don't think I could tell you the difference.

They are available used at Amazon, just make sure the color chart is included.  The second edition which I have includes the first edition with additional items

One of my favorites is America's Standard Gauge Electric Trains by Peter Riddle.  It's available on Amazon.

 

 

John.

Copies of the the TCA color chart are available from TCA's Toy Train Reference Library, ref-library@traincollectors.org

 

BTW The first edition has 45 color chips and the second edition has 57 color chips (the accessories were added).

 

Ron M

 

 

The McComas & Touhy series are pretty good and can be found cheap. Here's one for reference, but it can usually be had for about $20, or the whole set for less.

 

The TCA book is good, as others note, make sure the color chart is included. here's one. They usually go for about $25-$30.

 

I've always liked the Greenberg's guides too, not the price guides. Here's a general prewar one. The "prewar sets" book is awesome, but being out of print, it usually goes for a lot of money. I was lucky enough to get one for face value some years back from Dr. Tinker.

 

There may be others I'm missing, but these are the ones I have and use.

 

Good luck.

 

Tim

quote:

I've always liked the Greenberg's guides too, not the price guides. Here's a general prewar one.

 

Maybe I am using the wrong term. To my mind, the book linked above is a price guide.

I don't have that particular one.

SIR-GO TO EBAY-TOY AND HOBBIES-YOU WILL SEE PRICE GUID-MAGAZINES-TYPE IN TINPLATE-JOE

Most all of our bigger (Greenberg) books were reference guides first and price guides second, with the exception of the various Pocket Price Guides.  I say "our" because I was the managing editor of the book line back when the original Greenberg Publishing Company existed and even for several years after the company was acquired by Kalmbach.

 

A whole lot of research went into each of those books, and all of the manuscripts were subject to peer review by others knowledgeable of the subject area before they were even published.  They are/were by no means perfect or complete, but I've yet to see any reference book that met those criteria.

 

If you're interested in prewar and postwar references, there are none better than those published in the time when Greenberg Publishing Company--the original deal--was on the scene.  Some of those reference may be very hard to find these days, but they are worth their weight in gold because it's not at all likely that you'll ever see them produced again.

Sounds like Bruce Greenberg is getting close to releasing his new book. This was posted earlier on another forum by Bruce;

 

The book, Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Prewar: Standard and 2-7/8 Gauge, 1901-1939 is progressing. I have final drafts of trolleys, early steam, classic steam and interurbans chapters. �� These were the most difficult chapters.�� I have intermediate drafts of early electric, classic electric, early freight, early passenger, classic freight, classic passenger and 2-7/8 gauge.�� The book does not contain accessories.�� I have yet to write the introductory chapter. I will have the book at York in April. Hopefully it will be available sooner.

The book will be about 450 pages with hard covers and will be printed on high gloss enamel paper.

I am the author and publisher.��

The name of my publishing company is Brinkmann Publishing LLC.��

I have not yet posted the book's description on my website, Sykesvillehistory.us

For more information, please write me at brucecgreenberg1@... or call me at 703-461-6991.

Since the original poster mentioned interested in Ives. A book to look for is Gerard A.Robinson's "Made in the Ives Shops". It has not been mentioned here.

There is much Bing, Merklin and other European books out there but they may be out of your interest area.

For Ives info, the Ives Toy Train Society is a superb on line reference http://ivestrains.org/

I highly recommend joining.

 

Steve

And when it's ready, you can be 100% certain it will be the best published to date.  A "must have" for anyone interested in those gauges and that period of Lionel production.

A new Greenberg book on Lionel Standard Gauge!  I hadn't heard this was in the works.  I'll be looking forward to it!

 

Here's my shelf of Tinplate reference, thought I'd post it in case there may be one or two that someone hasn't seen (or, conversely, if someone has a favorite that I don't know about!):

 

A) Lionel

 

1. Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains 1901 - 1942    HB

         Vol. I: Standard Gauge & 2-7/8 Gauge

         Rohlfing, ed.    Greenberg Publications 1988

2. Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains 1901 - 1942 Vol. II: O Gauge   HB

         Rohlfing, ed    Greenberg Publications 1988

3. Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains 1901 - 1942 Vol. III: Accessories   PB

         Peter Riddle    Greenberg Publications 1993

4. Lionel Trains: Standard of the World 1900-1943  HB

         Donald Fraley, ed.   TCA 1976 includes color paint chart insert

5. The Trains of Lionel's Standard Gauge Era  PB   Harold Carstens

6. A Century of Lionel Timeless Toy Trains  PB

         Dan Ponzol     Sterling Publishing Co. 2002

7. Lionel: A Collector's Guide and History Vol. III: Standard Gauge  HB

         Tom McComas & James Tuohy   TM productions 1978

8. Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1900-1942  2nd edition  PB

         David Doyle   Krause Publications 2008

9. Lionel: A Collector's Guide and History (Volume III: Standard Gauge) PB

         Tom McComas & James Tuohy     Chilton Book Co.  1978

10. The Art of Lionel Trains    HB

         Roger Carp    Kalmbach Books 2003

11. Inside the Lionel Trains Fun Factory   HB

         Robert Osterhoff    Project Roar Publishing 2008

12. Greenberg's Lionel Catalogs: Vol. II: 1923-1932  HB

         Greenberg Publishing, 1989  

13. Greenberg's Lionel Catalogs: Vol. III: 1933-1942  HB

         Greenberg Publishing, 1990

 

 

B) Ives

 

1. Greenberg's Guide to Ives Trains Vol. I: 1 and Wide Gauge and Accessories HB

         Greenberg Publications 1991

2. Greenberg's Guide to Ives Trains Vol. II: O Gauge  HB

         Greenberg Publications 1992

3. Made in the Ives Shops: A Full Color Encyclopedia of Ives Toys (1901 - 1932) HB

          Gerard Robinson DDS

4. Ives Trains 1987 Market Price Guide  PB

5. Illustrated Catalog of Ives Trains & Trolleys 1901 - 1932  PB

6. A Compilation of Ives Advertisements  PB

         James W. Cox,  Long Island, NY  2010

 

 

C) American Flyer

 

1. Greenberg's Guide to American Flyer Wide Gauge  HB

         Alan Schuweiler     Greenberg Publications 1989

2. Greenberg's Guide to American Flyer O Gauge  PB

         Alan Schuweiler     Kalmbach Books 1997

3. American Flyer Wide Gauge   Russell Park  PB

 

 

 

D) Other Tinplate

 

1. The Story of Williams Electric Trains HB

         John Hubbard   Greenberg Publications 1987

2. The McCoy Story  PB

         by Mark Horne     A Main Event Publication 1992

3. The Hornby Gauge O System  Chris & Julie Graebe   HB

         New Cavendish Books London 2002

4. Main Line Ending: The Story of O Gauge Hornby 1940-1963  PB

         Peter Randall   Meccano Magazine Digest  

         Cranbourn Press Ltd. London   36 pages

5. Along Hornby Lines: Hornby O Gauge Collector's Handbook    HB

         Bernard Huntington  Oxford Publishing 1976

6. Greenberg's Guide to Marx Trains Vol. 1 (prewar tinplate)  HB

         Eric Matzke     Greenberg Publishing 1989

7. Greenberg's Guide to Early American Toy Trains  HB

         Carlisle & Finch, Hafner, Dorfan

         Greenberg Publishing 1993

 

 

E) Collecting

 

1. Trains from Grandfather's Attic  PB

         Peter Riddle   Greenberg Publishing 1991

2. America's Standard Gauge Electric Trains  PB

         Peter Riddle    Antique Trader Books 1998

3. Classic Toy Trains  PB

         Gerry & Janet Souter   Motor Books 2002

4. Toy Train Treasury Vol. I: The Vickers Collection  HB

5. Toy Train Treasury Vol. II: The Shemp Collection  HB

6. Antique Toy Trains: The Hobby of Collecting Old Toy Trains  HB

         Howard Godel

7. A Century of Model Trains  HB 

         Allen Levy    New Cavendish Books 1978

8. Messrs. Ives of Bridgeport  HB   first edition 1950

         Louis H. Hertz    Mark Haber & Co.

9. The Toy Collector  HB

         Louis H. Hertz    Funk & Wagnall's 1969

10. Collecting Model Trains  HB   first edition 1956

         Louis H. Hertz    Simons-Boardman

11. Riding the Tinplate Rails  HB   first edition 1944

         Louis H. Hertz   Mark Haber & Co.

12. The Complete Book Of Model Railroading  HB   first edition 1951

         Louis H. Hertz   Simmons-Boardman

13. Advanced Model Railroading  HB   first edition 1955

         Louis H. Hertz   Simmons-Boardman

14. New Roads to Adventure in Model Railroading  HB  first edition 1952

         Louis H. Hertz   Simmons-Boardman

15. Toy Trains of Yesteryear  8-1/2 x 11    58 pages   PB

         Toy Trains Magazine 2012

 

 

F) Layouts & Operating

 

1. Great Toy Train Layouts of America HB

         Tom McComas & James Tuohy   TM Books 1987

2. Toy Train Layout Tour  PB

         Classic Toy Trains   Greenberg Books 1993

3. Layout Plans for Toy Trains   Classic Toy Trains Magazine  PB

4. Great Toy Train Layouts: 11 inspiring model railroads PB

         Roger Carp   Classic Toy Trains Magazine

5. Tips and Tricks for Toy Train Operators  PB

         Peter Riddle    Classic Toy Trains Magazine

6. Making & Operating Model Railroads  HB

         Raymond F. Yates   Appleton - Century 1943

7. Greenberg's Lionel Prewar Trains Repair and Operating Manual  PB

         John Hubbard   Kalmbach Publishing 1984

8. Track Planning Ideas for Toy Trains  PB

         Peter Riddle     Kalmbach Books 2002

9. Greenberg's Wiring your Lionel Layout Vol. I  PB

         Peter Riddle    Kalmbach Publishing 1996

10. Greenberg's Wiring your Lionel Layout Vol. II  PB

         Peter Riddle    Kalmbach Publishing 1996

11. Greenberg's Wiring your Lionel Layout Vol. III  PB

         Peter Riddle    Kalmbach Publishing 1996

12. Track Layout and Accessory Manual for Lionel Trains PB

         Ruocchio & Klein     MDK, 1979

13. Operating O and O-27 Trains  PB

         MDK  1976

14. Easy Lionel Layouts You Can Build  PB

         Peter Riddle     Kalmbach Books 1998

 

 

G) Real Trains

 

1. The Orient Express  10 x 14  HB

         Bloomsbury Books London 1988

2. 20th Century Limited     HB

         Karl Zimmermann     MBI Publishing 2002

3. The New York Central System

         Michael Leavy     Arcadia Publishing 2006

4. The Cars of Pullman    HB

         Welsh, Howes, & Holland:   Voyageur Press 2010

5. A History of the Lehigh Valley Railroad "The Route of the Black Diamond"  HB

         Robert Archer     Howell-North Books 1977

6. The Historical Atlas of North American Railroads HB

         John Westwood & Ian Wood

         Chatwell Books Inc., 2007  400 pgs.