Freight train

The Ives toy manufacturing firm, established in 1868 in Connecticut, produced high-quality toys until the 1930s, offering chiefly toys for young boys. Though Ives offered a broad range of toys, including movable tinplate figures and cast-iron cars, the company became best known for its trains. In fact, in the 1880s, Ives pioneered the use of cast iron for toy trains, a material known for its durability and low production costs. Many other major manufacturers followed suit, but Ives remained a leader in toy trains, including windup and electrified models. When the company went bankrupt in the 1930s, Lionel Manufacturing Company absorbed its inventory.