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Nostalgia: The Engine That Drives Train
LOU ANN GOOD
Food And Family
Features Editor
MOUNT JOY (Uncaster Co.)
As a 6-year-old, Ray Uverty
still remembers the thrill and in
trigue he felt when he received
his first train. It was a Lionel
placed to run around the family
Christmas tree.
That was in 1941. After Christ
mas, the train was packed away
with the holiday ornaments.
By the time, Laverty was 8
years old, he had talked his par
ents into letting him keep the
train on display year-round. He
set up an extensive display on the
pingpong table in the basement.
“I’m still down in the base
ment,” Laverty said of his train
display. By now, his extensive
collection has grown to include
hundreds of sets not only from
this country but from around the
world.
In his early years, Laverty
fashioned buildings, towns, and
boxcars from discarded wooden
boxes that packaged Philadelphia
cream cheese.
“I made the boxcars to the
scale of the trains and hooked
them to sets ot wheels that could
be purchased,” Laverty remem
bers.
For several years, Laverty’s
Hafner windup train in the box is valued at $l5O.
This standard gauge 1930 New York Central Lionel
commands'p'rices up to $2,500. '
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Ray Laverty holds a 1933 Lionel Standard gauge 390-E (electronic reverse). His base
ment walls are lined with shelves filled with his extensive train collection.
passion for railroading was
strong. He said, “About the time
I turned 14 or 15 and got inter
ested in girls, trains took a back
burner.”
But after college, Laverty was
stationed in Germany for two
years and his interest in trains
was rekindled.
“In Europe, trains are every
where real trains for transpor
tation, and hobby trains.”
After the service, Laverty even
purchased stock in a tourist train
company. He began attending
train shows, intrigued with the
buying and selling of trains.
Lionel, he said, produced top
quality trains until the 19505, but
by then people became more in
terest in slot cars than in trains.
To keep prices down, the quality
was often reduced. During this
time, several smaller companies
were founded that started pro
ducing good quality. The compe
tition resulted in Lionel again
producing quality train sets.
Today, Laverty said American
companies have their trains man
ufactured in the Orient because
they are able to manufacture die
cast trains at much cheaper
prices. Reproductions and newer
models are continually intro
duced to the market. One can
purchase a new, nice complete set
for $2OO-$3OO.
Old sets vary in prices. It is
often more affordable to buy in
dividual pieces to reconstruct
your own set, Laverty said.
According to him, there are
two groups of collectors: those
who run the trains and enjoy
them, and those who collect for
investment.
Laverty prefers to run trains,
but he does have many sets kept
in boxes or on display.
Outward appearance is every
thing when considering what to
purchase. If the train is scratch
ed, it’s worth less than one that
has been used but is in good con
dition. If packed in the original
boxes. poce& are. higher.. ■ • „
But some collectors aren’t as
concerned about the packaging.
They just want a train that runs.
On the other end of the spectrum
are collectors who don’t care if
the train runs as long as it is in
pristine condition.
“The big enemy (of antique
trains) is moisture. Since the ma
jority of trains have been set up
and stored in basements, which
generally are damper than other
areas of the house, moisture is a
big problem.”
Laverty examines a foreign-made train. Many are good
quality and quite okL Many of the original train manufac
turing companies are no longer in business.
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Some metals also disintegrate
with age.
Wiring that is brittle with age
can be replaced. Guidebooks
show how to repair them.
But Laverty said that many
trains that have sat for years and
will not run can easily be fixed by
spraying with WD4O, let sit to
dry, and refurbished with oil and
grease.
The production of trains was
most prolific from 1945-1958. O
gauge was most popular to place
beneath the Christmas trees.
Today, there are collectors for
every gauge. Some collect only
brass sets, steam, diesels, or en
gines.
Popular in the 1880 s were pull
toy trains. The late 1930 s was
noted for windup trains sold at
dime stores but today command
$l5O for an average set.
Laverty is a member of the
Strasburg Train Collectors Asso
ciation, which has an extensive li
brary and information on trains
of all sizes and types. In other
countries, such as the United
Kingdom, train collecting is even
more popular than in the U.S.
Laverty surmises this is probably
because most countries rely on
trains to provide public transpor
tation.
Laverty keeps in close touch
with collectors in other parts of
the world. They help find models
and train-related collectibles for
each other.
For those interested in train
collecting, Laverty advises read
ing about trains and going to
shows. He also visits museums
worldwide to expand his “train"
knowledge.