What do you like best about Tinplate?

Has to be the colors and robust craftsmanship...

I don't have any tinplate but I've thought of adding some made by MTH to my roster. Tinplate trains are true toy trains. They are colorful caracatures rather than accurate scale models and have a charm that is unique, plus they connect us with the early days of model railroading.

Its funny too because when I went to the TCA museum in Strasburg PA last April, I sat for seemed like hours in front of the standard gage diorama watching those trains go around that layout. Its like I was catapulted back in time.

BTW … I am just captivated by these 800 series cars!!!

the Shell tank is of course a 600 series car... but these beauties I found for cheap at the bandit meets before York. All well loved I was able to get parts at York as well.

Hang in there, Emile, all you have to do is ask. 

Here's a short lesson in car numbering, starting with freight cars:

100-series: these were very early standard gauge cars fairly primitive in design compared to what was to come; they are also fairly small. 

200-series: these are the largest freight cars Lionel made, and were generally run with the 400E steamer, the 402/408 electrics, and perhaps even a 380 but not 100% sure on that one, and in a rare case they were also run with the 390E coupled to a rare 390X tender. Most 390 tenders had the smaller 500-series trucks, but the 390X had 200-series trucks so it would mate with the 200-series cars; to my knowledge, Lionel made that tender one year only, either 1929 or 1930, so it is rather difficult to find. The 200-series also had some operating cars such as the 218 dump car and 219 crane. 
 
500-series: these were slightly smaller than the 200 series, but beautiful just the same. These cars were pulled by a variety of the smaller and mid-size Standard Gauge locos: 384, 385E, 1835E, 392E, 8, 10, 318 etc. Unlike the 200 series, there were no operating cars, other than the searchlight. 

One thing in common with the way Lionel numbered the cars is the use of the last number: there may be a few exceptions to this, but if you're looking at car numbers, if the last digit is a 5, you know it's a tank car; if it's a 7, you have a caboose. If it's 2, it's a gondola. It's a pretty nice system to keep everything straight. 

That's it for the first lesson, Emile. Emile?? Emile? Are you awake??

Come on up to Maine sometime and spend as much time in my train room as you'd like; take notes, take pictures etc. No better time to spend in the train room than a cold, winter day with a nice steady snowfall; I'm ready for toy train weather!!