This model train collection began when one of my Scouting friends mentioned Lionel issued a "Boy Scouts 'Scout Law' Add-on Boxcar" in 2009. I decided to investigate. Found out this was the first of many BSA-licensed items that Lionel would be issuing for the 2010 BSA Centennial. I decided to purchase it. And then in 2010 Lionel issued a lot of BSA Centennial items. I figured it would end in 2011. It didn't! Lionel issued BSA items through 2014.

Not only was Lionel authorized to issue BSA Centennial and other items, but Bradford Exchange was also approved to do so. However, the Bradford Exchange items are HO scale and only available as a subscription - which I ended up subscribing to!

Fast forward to May 2013: The Lionel 2013 Signature Edition catalog displayed a series of "U.S. Made: Armed Forces" freight cars. In honor of my 24 years in the US Air Force, I decided to purchase the set of 3 Air Force freight cars (boxcar, flatcar, and tank car). However, just having three freight cars and nothing appropriately-related to pull them with, I went in search of a suitable locomotive and hopefully a suitable caboose. Luckily I found both: A set from 2011 honoring President George Bush 41. I also found a couple other US Air Force cars to compliment the latest three freight cars.

Fast forward again – this time to fall 2013: The Lionel 2012 Signature Edition catalog displayed a series of Alaska Railroad locomotives. I have a passionate love for Alaska. While in the Air Force, I spent 5 years in Alaska at Eielson AFB which is 26 miles SE of Fairbanks. Seeing those locomotives got me wondering, could I put together an Alaskan Railroad train? A little investigative work on the Lionel product finder web page showed over 50 Alaskan Railroad issues! I was hooked. So now my Lionel collection includes not only BSA and US Air Force item, but also items bearing the Alaska Railroad name!

Another fast forward again – this time to early 2014: Happened to see something that previously Lionel had issued a set of 50 boxcars - one for each state, plus a 1776 locomotive and accompanying caboose in honor of our country's bicentennial.

Thought about purchasing the entire set until I found out it was not cheap - $3,000 for the entire set. Didn't want to pay that kind of money for something I couldn't set up in my small apartment so I wondered if I could at least purchase a box car for each state I've spent more than a couple of years in - those states being: Wisconsin (born there); Alaska (stationed there 5 years); Alabama (lived here 16 years!); Washington (where I'm currently living); and Idaho (a beautiful state where I recreate). Found out I could. So my collection now included these states plus the 1776 locomotive and accompanying caboose.

May 2015 – here we go again! Got notification from eBay the Alabama box car was being auctioned! Bid and won! Found out the seller had a lot of other items I might be interested. So further investigation and ended up buying the complete set of box cars in honor of Joshua Lionel Cowen's 100th anniversary of his birth! Plus some State Quarter cars to match the "I Love U.S.A." cars.

Fall 2015: I have always had a fascination with Schnabel Flatcars. Found out MTH Electric Trains would be issuing two different Schnabel Flatcars in fall of 2015. They are used for transporting very large items – oversized transformers, large generators as well as parts for nuclear reactor plants. They are unique in that the item they transport is actually part of the car. The car is transported as a whole to the loading location where it is split into two parts with the item being transported as the middle part of the car. The car can be well over 100 feet in length and can weigh as much as 2 million pounds – including the weight of the item being transported. The car is so large it requires special routing including a physical inspection of the entire route to ensure clearance of any trackside obstacles. In case there are trackside accessories that cannot be moved, the item being transported can be moved four feet vertically and/or horizontally to ensure clearances. It requires a special train moving not more than 40 MPH!

Having purchased a Schnabel Flatcar, I purchased a couple of other flatcars to show how smaller items are carried.

November 2019: Received an inheritance. Time to clear out my list of "wanted items".