Circa 1921-1923 - Rubber stamped lettering, plain black trucks, round-top multi-colored window transoms. The car below is stamped "187-1" and has interior lights. The 187-1 designation was first listed in the 1922 catalog, but lights did exist on these cars in 1921.

The example above is marked 187-1, it has 1 gauge trucks - Circa 1921-22.

Circa 1922 - Yellow/Orange 187-1, Buffet with round top transoms, plain black trucks, wide couplers and rubber stamped lettering.

Circa 1921-1923 - No. 187 Buffet in red with round top transoms, plain black trucks and rubber stamped lettering. This is the unlighted version that probably came with a 3242.

Circa 1923 - 1924 - Flat top, multi-colored transom windows differentiate this from other variations.

Circa 1923 - 24 - Orange 187-3 Buffet

Circa 1925 - Rubber stamped lettering with journal trucks, square-top, multi-colored transoms. 

Circa 1925 - Common? .... NOT! this may look like an ordinary 187 Buffet car from the period, but it has several Not-so-common features. Note the PULLMAN lettering above the windows and the IVES stamp to the right of the door. We've only seen a couple of these, like this 188 Pullman

Circa 1925 - this unusual shade of red also has unusual round top transoms that are painted white.

Also from 1925, more classic shade of red but unusual round top windows in white.

Circa 1925 with journals, but round top windows and numbered "-3"

Circa 1926 - unusual car dark green. looks like it was made in 1926, but no brass plates.

Circa 1926 - 1927 - These cars have journal trucks, brass plates, square-top plain transoms. Orange car above and cadet blue below. The orange car came with the Bankers Special.

Circa 1926 - 1927 - These cars have journal trucks, brass plates, square-top plain transoms. Light green car above and dark olive green below.

We've put this picture here, but not sure what the story is - rumor is that it was part of a late circus set. It's a 187 car with construction circa 1927 painted in National Limited colors.

Circa 1928 - Pale or light green No. 187 with brass window inserts, snake pull trucks and American Flyer air tanks. Below is a cadet blue car from the same 1928 period, if you're color blind the cadet blue car has orange windows, the green car has white window shades

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Pictured above is a 1928 car in cadet blue, below is the same car in orange

188 Parlor Car

Circa 1921-1923 - No. 188-1 Buffet in red (below) and olive (above) with round top transoms, plain black trucks and rubber stamped lettering.

Unusual round top transoms, painted white??

Circa 1922-23 - Yellow/Orange 188 Parlor with round top transoms, plain black trucks and rubber stamped lettering.

Circa 1923 - 1924 - Flat top, multi-colored transom windows differentiate this from other variations.

Circa 1924 - 188 passenger with round top windows.

Circa 1925 - Rubber stamped lettering with journal trucks, square-top, multi-colored transoms. 

Circa 1926-27 #188 in cadet blue.

Circa 1925 with journal trucks and rubber stamped lettering - Note this the unlighted version (No '-3') so it probably came in a set with a 3242

Circa 1926 - 1927 - These cars have journal trucks, brass plates, square-top plain transoms. Dark green (Bankers Special) above and pale green below.

Circa 1926 - unusual car dark green. looks like it was made in 1926, but no brass plates.

A rare bird is this brass plate 188 in orange, the orange cars were used in the Bankers Special which only had two cars (187,189)

Circa 1928 - Pale or light green No. 188 (below) and orange (above) with brass window inserts, snake pull trucks and American Flyer air tanks. 

Circa 1928 - Cadet blue with brass window inserts and American Flyer tanks.

Circa 1921-1923 - Rubber stamped lettering, plain black trucks, round-top multi-colored window transoms. The two cars below are stamped "189-1" and has interior lights. The 189-1 designation was first listed in the 1922 catalog

Circa 1921-1923 - No. 189 Observation in Yellow/Orange with round top transoms, plain black trucks and rubber stamped lettering.

Circa 1921-1923 - No. 189 Observation in red with round top transoms, plain black trucks and rubber stamped lettering.

Close up of windows from early car.

Not intended to be a crackle finish, but the above observation shows something that Ives did a lot of... repaint one color over an existing color.

Circa 1922-1923 - No. 189-1 Observation in White with round top transoms, nickel trucks and rubber stamped lettering.

Circa 1924 - Another Display Special 'white' car this one is stamped 189-3 and has multi-colored flat top windows with black rubber stamping and nickel trucks.

Circa 1925 - Flat top, multi-colored transom windows, rubber stamped lettering and journal trucks. 

Circa 1926 observation

Circa 1926 - unusual car dark green. looks like it was made in 1926, but no brass plates.

Circa 1926-1927 - Observation No. 189 can be found these years in Cadet Blue (above), Orange (below), Dark Green (below) and pale green (below)

This is the observation car that came with the Bankers Special.

Circa 1926-27 - Two different shades of green. The one above came with either a 3237 or 3243, the one below came with a Green President Washington Locomotive as part of the Capital City Limited.

Circa 1927 - This observation is from the rare Capitol City Limited. Cataloged as a 4 car set with a matching green President Washington cast iron 1134

Circa 1928 - Orange car with brass window inserts, American Flyer tanks and a Lionel observation deck above. The example below has the all IVES deck.

bottom view of car above note special 4 wheel truck, snake pull couplers and that the coupler is actually two pieces that have been soldered together to make one. This picture shows the 'common' or late 1928 truck, compare it to the early 1928 truck shown on the light green car below.

Circa 1928 - close up of the Lionel style observation deck used on these cars after the take-over in July of 1928.  Compare it to the cars below which has American Flyer air tanks but an all IVES observation. 

bottom of early 1928 car shows unusual two piece coupler, IVES steps, NO cross brace and thin metal coupler hanger.

Close-up of 1928 car with All IVES Observation deck. Below is a pale green car with a Lionel observation deck.

1928 observation in cadet blue with brass window inserts, American Flyer tanks and a Lionel observation.