American Flyer Trains, any gauge and any age, will always be my first love in collecting. However, I have a fondness for any toy train. Reading this column weekly has also helped me to develop an interest in the "Toy Trains of Other Lands". Thankfully I have been able to resist acquiring any of them - so far 
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I do have examples of other brands of trains including Ives, Marx and Lionel. I started acquiring some Ives pieces because I wanted to have some examples of American Flyer's contemporary manufacturers. I should have known better. I have the collector gene, I am an amateur historian, I like to have "completeness", and I like to teach . I have found that to be a very dangerous combination. Once the brand barrier is broken I just continue to add "examples". I hope to have a toy train museum some day; in the basement, or in a larger train room, or perhaps a separate building. A guy has to have dreams and goals you know.
My desire to have some examples of Ives started with a freight car or two. It didn't take long until I had to have a representative train:
At the same time I was doing research about Ives (and buying books). I discovered that Ives had only had the short caboose to use on their trains, until the joint bankruptcy purchase by American Flyer and Lionel.
With the take over, the Ives Railway Lines got a 9 1/2" caboose to go with its longer freight cars.
An American Flyer 3211
disguised as an Ives 121
So now my Ives freight train had an appropriately long caboose.
If you have followed this thread for a while you know I didn't stop there and there are photos of the Ives portion of my collection scattered among the weekly threads. In fact I just purchased another Ives engine that will make its debut here on the thread in the future.
Thanks to all of you who post photos of your trains. At least I can do some of my collecting vicariously, and its great to know that there are others who enjoy their hobby as much as I do.
Have a Great Tinplate Weekend.
Northwoods Flyer
Greg
