My primary collecting focus is on European tinplate/3-rail, 0 gauge trains such as Marklin, Hornby, Darstead, PAYA, and ACE trains. I am fascinated by the colorful steam locomotives. But I certainly can’t afford all that I would like to purchase and I have taken up writing about European toy trains as a way to expand my knowledge of the various train brands while keeping myself “plugged into” the toy train community. I have limited my articles to train marques that are not well documented but are still collectable. Most of these are trains produced since World War II.
Most of the articles are now published in the online magazine “Tinplate Times” (www.tinplatetimes) created and edited by Jim Kelly. The Tinplate Times provides a wide range of articles on American and European tinplate trains and a large print format that allows for many photos and illustrations which is essential in this “visual” hobby.
In addition to the research that I enjoy one of the pleasures of writing the articles is meeting and communicating on-line with new individuals who share my interests in toy trains. I am always impressed by how willing people are to share what they know, discuss what they have, and offer to assist me in my search for some relevant piece of information.
Here are the articles that have been published on-line todate:
Modern European Outline 0 Gauge Trains: What’s Happening Today? (2009)
Modern European Outline 0 Gauge Trains: A Look at the Continent (2010)
Modern European Outline 0 Gauge Trains: In the Style of Märklin (2011)
European Outline 0 Gauge Trains: An Introduction to PAYÁ of Spain (2012)
Modern European Outline ‘0’ Gauge Trains: “AS” of France (2013)
Brilliantly Old Fashioned, The Story of ACE O Gauge Trains, by Allen Levy (Book Review 2006)
An Introduction To “Arts & Crafts-Restorer” Wolfgang Bauer – And His Work (2015)
“Out Of The Display Case — To The Top Of The Rail!” (2015)
Fred's Trains 