I work with Roger to have a good mix of articles in every issue. We try to include these topics in each issue: history, Lionel eras (postwar, modern, digital), other manufacturers (Flyer/Marx, etc), how-to projects, layout features, and layout planning/track plans.
If you’re a Trains.com member, I’ve been testing other topics online. For instance, I’ll be starting a series on “Why I collect [brand]” and I have a story on postwar O gauge trains in Argentina for this summer.
I’m looking for feedback on the types of articles you’d like to see in the magazine. And if you have a story idea to propose, email me at editor@classictoytrains.com!
Rene, I realize that you are limited by the material you receive.
I just got–and am still reading–the latest issue. I am very excited to see a notice that the next issue will contain a story on a Standard Gauge layout. It’s been a long time since we had such an article, and I would love to see more. When I review past issues (I have them all), I see a somewhat higher percentage at the outset of CTT’s run that has fallen off in the last couple decades. This may be because all the material available has been used. It might be because of editorial bias over the years. It might be because of the perceived need to please the readership–I think everyone realizes that postwar and modern era Lionel is the Toy Train world’s bread-and-butter. You have to publish what will sell.
But the title is Classic Toy Trains. Articles on prewar manufacturers beyond the Big Three are as rare as Lionel 2 7/8s gauge trains. It may be that nobody who reads CTT knows enough about Voltamp, Boucher, Knapp, Electoy, Carlile and Finch. It may be that everything about them has already been published in books and TCA publications, but it also may be that few of your current readers have ever seen any of those publications. Maybe CTT could introduce new generations to 1 gauge and 2 gauge, to the wide variety of prewar trains. Or maybe none of the readers care enough. But I would like to see you try. They are the classics.
Convince Northwoods Flyer to write some pieces on prewar American Flyer wide and narrow gauge, maybe? Do you have any IVES articles buried in the files anywhere?
I do like to see the attempt to incorporate more postwar Flyer (and I don’t even have any).
Anyway, I understand the challenges that you face, but, since you asked, I just thought I’d applaud your efforts to cover the bases. I simply hope that “classic” is one of the bases that will get covered.
Classic items are a staple of the editorial mix. For instance, the summer issue we have articles previewing two new books (a prewar Lionel and postwar Lionel). There may be some material on other manufacturers in the files but I’d have to look again. Roger does a good job covering some of these in the “collectible classics” column too.
Rene,
I think it might be interesting, if possible, to have a column or occasionally highlight “classics” from other countries. It may be tricky, but I think it would be a neat opportunity to show readers trains that they maybe didn’t know anything about.
I recently came into ownership of a couple Paya pieces from Spain, and was very amazed and impressed with their size, heft, and aesthetics. Mine require several replacement castings due to zinc rot (Paya had these issues very bad, much worse than prewar Lionel), but there are definitely complete examples out there.
PS: I am still working on that article you solicited. Trying to think of some good pictures to stage!
Rene, please understand that I was wishing, not complaining.
The debate about what classic in the title means goes back to when Dick Christianson was coining it. Roger has done a great job over the years, as postwar is the core audience. But others of us look further back for our idea of classics. No postwar piece really excites me, but a Flyer Flying Colonel makes me shiver
fwiw, here’s my Paya piece. The locomotive was known as the ‘Santa Fe’, as it is based upon a Renfé locomotive with a 2-10-2 wheel arrangement. Paya shrank down the proportions, but the engine is still about the same size as a Lionel F3, and weighs almost as much.
I agree with palallin’s observations about where your bread and butter comes from.
My vote would be for more prewar equipment and minimal focus on Lionel. In 2020 I started a thread called Heritage Tinplate Photos in the old forums. I have found it through the search feature and while the text is still there I can’t see any of the photos. I wonder if a page of photos from this era with this title in each print issue would find interest among your readers. I have plenty of photos of trains and accessories from American Flyer (Narrow and Wide Gauge), Dorfan, Ives, Lionel and Marx.
Those of us who collect this equipment are small in number and seem to be decreasing with each passing month. However the group that remain are fairly passionate. I think it is important to keep our feet firmly planted in our heritage. These are just some thoughts in response to your request for suggestions.
I hesitate to offer to write articles because while photos of the equipment are mine, the historical information that I can provide is not necessarily first hand information. Much of it is gleaned from other sources already in print. However through the collaboration of several collectors on the original prewar thread that I hosted we were able to find out the origins and the artist who produced the smiling boy holding an engine and a passenger car used in American Flyer/Chicago Flyer advertising and box labels.
I appreciate everyone’s comments so far. I will be pushing the envelope on some “classic” topics both online and in the print issues. Some examples are, postwar toy trains in Argentina (some neat stuff!), Lionel prewar boats, and Lionel postwar space and military items in the late 50s and 60s. I also have online articles coming on the “why I collect” series-including Kusan, Marx, MPC era Lionel, and the current one is Gilbert Flyer (Why I collect Gilbert American Flyer - Trains)
I’m not worried. From what I’ve been seeing here on the forums and based on what’s been happening on other forums that shall remain unnamed, I think we’re about to have an explosion of growth. Just keep promoting on outside social media platforms about how much better the new forums are and growth will continue.
I am kinda eclectic, Rene, but I have two specialty ares of interest that you don’t mention in your list. One is my Standard/Wide Gauge collection. I am no Chuck Brasher or Frank Petruzzo, but I am most active in this area right now. You can see most of my pieces in the relevant Prewar threads, and I am adding more. I became attracted to these old trains through seeing a set some relatives had, but I didn’t act on it until much later. I’m not sure how long a piece you might want, but I have become very much dedicated to them for sentimental and practical reasons.
The other area is oddball and probably not of interest to CTT: late-'60s/early '70s AHM O scale. They fit kinda, sorta sloppily into the gap between toy trains and scale models with pretensions of being fully the latter. I had an AHM HO set as a kid and felt it was somehow superior to my Tyco. When I discovered many years later that AHM had dabbled in O, I was intrigued and dug into it deeply. I do not actively collect it anymore because I have almost the entire line–still looking to get the 4-4-0s, though!
Anyway, I would be willing to pout together a "Why I collect . . . " on either or one on each, should you be interested. If not, I understand. SG/WG is a niche, even in the toy train field these days (despite its seminal role in creating the hobby), and AHM is a niche in a niche in a niche that’s really on the outer edge of CTT’s area
AHM O and Atlas O (the original kind) fit very well with the Lionel timeline considering Lionel’s Standard O was made by and/or from Pola molds. To me the introduction of Standard O is the true dividing line between the postwar and modern (MPC, Kuhn, LTI) eras. It’s got a lot of similarities with the late prewar era when Lionel started going for detail and scale rather than the toys they had been producing. Compared with what was to come from Lionel, MTH, K-Line and others in the 90’s postwar rolling stock started to resemble pressed tin toys in the eyes of modern modelers.
We’re in a new era now. This is the age of the smart train. Early ProtoSounds and RailSounds are more akin to the Electronics Set of the late 40’s than they are to the Bluetooth equipped hyper accurate scale megabuck locomotives in the catalogs today. So not to get too far off topic I believe the toy train timeline should be
Early period. Includes unconventional track gauges, uncommon scales (to Americans) and traditional cast iron and pressed steel clockwork and electric trains.
Prewar Classic period. 1906-1942.
Postwar period. 1945-1973(?).
Modern period. 1974-20??.
Smart period. 20??-now
The postwar era should be considered active until at least all the Irvington stock was used up and production ceased in the old plant. The Modern and Smart periods should end and start with the first mass produced locomotive that could be controlled with your smart phone.
Penny, In 2023, CTT decided to end the modern era and start the “digital” era. Roger Carp made this decision in our great locomotives special issue based on the introduction of command control.
Given that this era has nearly 30 years under its belt, it makes me wonder what the next era would be called.
Eras defined
Prewar: Before 1945
Postwar: 1945-69
Modern: 1970-1995
Digital: 1996-present
That’s why I think things have changed again. Special proprietary remote control devices are quite a bit different than devices with other, non train purposes. They’ve moved into a realm of every day life above and beyond special equipment.
I wouldn’t mind every so often to see a little more “how to” kind of stuff, especially in the realm of layout planning. I may be wrong, but it seems like all I hear about now is people hooking up a power pack to track and then whipping out the remote control. Definitely neat, don’t get me wrong, but I personally am not interested in this and operate all vintage equipment on a complex layout with 11 electrical blocks of track all of which can be controlled with either of two transformers for complete cab control, accessories activated by traditional insulated three rail track sections, custom signal light circuits triggered by latching relays, etc. etc.
That might be more than most folks care about in this digital era, but I sometimes just wonder if one or two times a year another reader besides me might want to be introduced to this aspect of the hobby.
2 rail but, with large enough flanges that the cars will run on tubular 3-rail track. They will track through some switches, but I have never tried to systematically figure out which ones. Their couplers are incompatible w/Lionel knuckles. Heck, their couplers are incompatible with any other coupler and darn near incompatible with themselves!
Here’s a close-up pic of a boxcar’s truck and the coupler:
