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We do not know when the first toy trains appeared. We would guess probably the 1830s soon as real trains appeared, certainly by the 1840s. We would guess they first appeared in Britain, but some reports claim the first toy trains were made in Germany. Germany appears to have become a leader in the manufacture of toy trains. Grains today except for the bullet trains are primarily seen as slow-lumbering freight movers. This disguises the excitement at the time. They were for about a century the fastest way of moving. They revolutionized transport. Trains significantly shortened travel times between cities and into and out of cities. It is hard to conceive of industrial society without trains. Thus thy were popular toys with boys. The first toy trains could be pulled or pushed. Many like the actual locomotives were made of iron. We do not have any photographic images of early toy trains. The earliest image we have found at this time is an American boy, probably in the 1870s. As far as we know all the early toys were locomotives, perhaps with a coupled car or two. We are not sure when the first train set complete with tracks appeared. Of course the tracks were needed when the first electrical trains appeared after the turn of the 20th century. And we are not sure when the first model electrified train appeared. It appears to have been at the turn of the 20th century. Apparently, Joshua Lionel Cowen passed a New York toy shop and saw a toy train (1900). But it was just sitting there. All of the toys were just sitting their motionless. Cowen offered to make a moving train to the window display that would attract customers. And he did just that. The first electric train was the Electric Express. But it was not a model train, it was more like box on wheels. The track was tin strips. Cowen used a fan motor powered by a battery. Cowen was right. It did attract customers, but the customers wanted to buy the train. Cowen saw the potential and founded the Lionel company which began producing model trains with motors (1907). Other companies followed like American Flyer. European companies were very important toy manufactures, but American companies were very important in model railroading because there were so many more families in affluent America that could afford to buy an electric train set. Electricity was still very new;. The first electric train ran on batteries. Lionel and other companies steadily improved their product shifting tg model railroading with locomotives and trains looking like real railroads. Lionel came out with a transformer to make electric trains safe to use at home. As the electric trains at first ran on DC current which mean only one way. Lionel invented a three-track system which allowed the trains to run on AC current . It meant the wiring was simple and the trains, including multiple locomotives, could tin all round the track. We think this became a popular pastime for boys (of all ages) during the 1920s. A good example is an American boy, Dick Trippe in 1921. I remember being fascinated by our model train set by my father and brother during the 1940s. They had a wonderful set. I was a little to young to work on it myself. Model railroading was still very popular in America during the 1950s, but began to decline during the 60s. I think about the same timeline was the case in Britain. I still see model train stores in the malls in America, but the customers seem more adults than boys. A reader writes, "I wonder how many boys of the modern computer generation would have been content to pushing a toy train around a track!"
We do not know when the first toy trains appeared. We would guess probably the 1830s soon as real trains appeared, certainly by the 1840s. We would guess they first appeared in Britain, but some reports claim the first toy trains were made in Germany. Germany appears to have become a leader in the manufacture of toy trains. Grains today except for the bullet trains are primarily seen as slow-lumbering freight movers. This disguises the excitement at the time. They were for about a century the fastest way of moving. They revolutionized transport. Trains significantly shortened travel times between cities and into and out of cities. It is hard to conceive of industrial society without trains. Thus thy were popular toys with boys. The first toy trains could be pulled or pushed. Many like the actual locomotives were made of iron. We do not have any photographic images of early toy trains. The earliest image we have found at this time is an American boy, probably in the 1870s. As far as we know all the early toys were locomotives, perhaps with a coupled car or two.
We are not sure when the first train set complete with tracks appeared. Of course the tracks were needed when the first electrical trains appeared after the turn of the 20th century. And we are not sure when the first model electrified train appeared. It appears to have been at the turn oif the 20th century. Apparently, Joshua Lionel Cowen passed a New York toy shop and saw a toy train (1900). But it was just sitting there. All of the toys were just sitting there motionless. Cowen offered to make a moving train for the window display that would attract customers. And he did just that. The first electric train was the electric Express. But it was not a model train, it was more like box on wheels. The track was tin strips. Cowen used a fan motor powered by a battery. Cowen was right. It did attract customers, but the customers wanted to buy the train. Cowen saw the potential and founded the Lionel company which began producing model trains with motors (1907). Other companies followed like American Flyer. European companies were very important toy manufacturers, but American companies were very important in model railroading because there were so many more families in affluent America that could afford to buy an electric train set. Electricity was still very new. The first electric train ran on batteries. Lionel and other companies steadily improved their product shifting to model railroading with locomotives and trains looking like real railroads. Lionel came out with a transformer to make electric trains safe to use at home. As the electric trains at first ran on DC current which mean only one way. Lionel invented a three-track system which allowed the trains to run on AC current . It meant the wiring was simple and the trains, including multiple locomotives, could run all round th track. We think this became a popular formidable pastime for boys (of all ages) during the 1920s. A good example is an American boy, Dick Trippe in 1921. I remember being fascinated by the model train set by my father and brother during the 1940s. They had a wonderful set. I was a little to young to work on it myself. Model railroading was still very popular in America during the 1950s, but began to decline during the 60s. I think about the same timeline was the case in Britain. I still see model train stores in the malls in America, but the customers seem more adults than boys. A reader writes, "I wonder how many boys of the modern computer generation would have been content to pushing a toy train around a track!"
We are not sure when the fist train set complete with tracks appeared. Of course the tracks were needed when the first electrical trains appeared after the turn of the 20th century. And we are not sure when the first model electrified train appeared. It appears to have been at the turn of the 20th century. Apparently, Joshua Lionel Cowen passed a New York toy shop and saw a toy train (1900). But it was just sitting there. All of the toys were just sitting there motionless. Cowen offered to make a moving train for the window display that would attract customers. And he did just that. The first electric train was the Electric Express. But it was not a model train, it was more like box on wheels. The track was tin strips. Cowen used a fan motor powered by a battery. Cowen was right. It did attract customers, but the customers wanted to buy the train. Cowen saw the potentiate and founded the Lionel company which began producing model trains with motors (1907). <>br>
Other companies followed like American Flyer, . European companies were very important toy manufacturers, but American companions were very important in model railroading because there were so many more families in affluent America that could afford to buy an electric train set. Electricity was still very new. The first electric train ran on batteries. Lionel and either companies steadily improved their product shifting to model railroading with locomotives and trains looking like real railroads. Lionel began making realistic locomotive (1910). Lionel came out with a transformer to make electric trains safe to use at home. As the electric trains at first ran on DC current which meant only one way. Lionel invented a three-track system which allowed the trains to run on AC current . It meant the untiring was and he trims, including multiple trains, could run all round the track. At first the focus was on the locomotive and a few usually passenger cars. Gradually more specialized cars were added, box cars, cattle cars, Pullman cars and many more specialized cars.
We think that model railroading this became a popular and affordable pastime for boys (of all ages) during the 1920s. A good example is an American boy, Dick Trippe in 1921. A train set wasn't a cheap gift. This it became a popular special gift, usually the min Christmas gift for boys. Stores began pushing train sets in September with special seasonal displays. The problem was, train sets needed space. So many parents put away the sets, bringing them out again at Christmas. Of course if there was room a permanent set up in a basement or recreation room, especially if dad got involved.
The Wall Street Crash (1929) led to the Great Depression of the (1930s). Most American families were affected in some way. This of course affected the market for toys, especially expensive toys. The Depression lasted the entire decade. Only at the end of the decade did the United states begin to come out of the Depression, buoyed by war orders from Europe. Companies displayed wonderful model train sets at the New York World's Fair (1939). Model train were soon the best selling boys' toy in America..
Model trains disappeared from European toy stores in Europe because of World War II. They were still big sellers in America (1940-41). After Pear Harbor (December 1941), America girded for war. Metal was desperately needed for the war effort. Kids could no longer get model trains. and other metal toys like bikes and trikes. Lionel tried to cope. They put out a paper train, but of course, it wasn't the same. I remember being fascinated by the model train set by my father and brother during the 1940s. They had a wonderful setup in the basement. Dad got involved. I was a little to young to work on it myself, by I enjoyed playing on it. .
Model railroading was still very popular in America during the 1950s. And after the War, in the economic boom of the 1950s, many parents could afford to indulge their boys with a train set.
Model railroading began to decline during the 60s. I think about the same timeline was the case in Britain. Boys began to see trains as old fashioned and with the coming of the Space Age, boys became interested in jet aircraft and rockers. Of course they could not be turned into working models. We still see model train stores in the malls in America, but the customers often seem more adults than boys. A reader writes, "I wonder how many boys of the modern computer generation would have been content to pushing a toy train around a track!" The first high-tech high-speed rail system began operations in Japan (1964). It is known as the Shinkansen, or 'bullet train'. Japan today has a network of nine high speed rail lines serving 22 of its major cities, stretching across its three main islands. Others were developed in Europe and China. But they did not generate much interest among boys.
A series of books appeared about Thomas the tank engine for per-school boys. Thomas was turned into a popular TV series. Wooden Thomas toys appeared, but it did not generate interest in model railroading. .
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