Books etc., and general information about what was made, and the history. If you look online all you get are what is for sale. I would like to learn what products were made and all the other cool stuff about standard gauge Lionel trains. I really like the original pieces, but know virtually nothing about them. I recently fired up my dad's #10 set and that kindled an interest. I like to watch history in motion I guess. Thanks a million.
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I highly recommend the new Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains - Standard and 2-7/8" Gauges. It is a wonderful reference for SG Lionel. A little pricey, but you will spend more trying to get all the information from other books.
The Lionel Trains - Standard of the World, 1900-1943 Is a great book. It covers prewar O gauge and OO gauge Lionel production as well.
ARNO
Lionel: a few books to look for. I would recommend the first two in my list for overall telling of the story and historical perspective. I think you will find both very enjoyable reading. If you read those two you will know more about standard gauge trains than most. The other books are more detailed reference; of these, Bruce Greenberg's new 2014 Guide is hands down the last word.
I understand you are asking about Lionel, so that's the list I'm giving. But as Jim suggests, and as you will appreciate from reading Riddle and Souter, the stories of Lionel American Flyer, Ives Dorfan, Boucher, and others - the individuals, the companies, and the trains they produced - are very intertwined and interelated. It's quite a story, and most train collectors don't know the half of it.
Enjoy!
America's Standard Gauge Trains
Peter Riddle 1998
Classic Toy Trains
Gerry & Janet Souter 2002
The Trains of Lionel's Standard Gauge Era
Harold Carstens 1964
Lionel: A Collector's Guide and History Vol. III: Standard Gauge
Tom McComas & James Tuohy 1978
Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains: Standard and 2-7/8 Gauges 1901-1940
(6th edition) Bruce Greenberg 2014
Lionel Trains: Standard of the World 1900-1943
Donald Fraley, ed. TCA 1976
Greenberg's Lionel Catalogs Vols. I, II, and III
Greenberg Publishing 1989, 1990
Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1900-1942
David Doyle 2008
Greenberg's Lionel Prewar Trains Repair and Operating Manual
John Hubbard 1984
The Art of Lionel Trains
Roger Carp 2003
and for historical perspective, you have to read at least one of Louis Hertz's books, that would probably be:
Riding the Tinplate Rails
Louis Hertz 1944
Also, if you are a TCA member, go to the TCA Quarterly archives in the members' section, and do a search for Standard Gauge.
Yes, I will. And I thank you.
There is something inherently cool in running an eighty year+ old train, thinking about where it has been, how well it is made, and the simplicity, but craftsmanship, that went into these priceless models. So much more appealing to me right now than overpriced pieces of souped up plastic with all the right rivets on it. I look forward to learning more.
Think about this as you watch your antique toy trains.......
It still runs great after all these years, while some guy's brand new loco goes up in smoke the first or second time it's run!
Yep, I like them old toy trains too!
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