What are the greatest toy trains of all time? This article takes a fascinating look at a perennial boyhood favorite. The fascination with toy trains is one that appeals to the boy in us all.
Posted on 01/17/2015 5:03:44 PM PST by goldstategop
What is it about toy trains that has continued to entertain children, admittedly mostly boys, for nearly two centuries? A major new exhibition is about to find out.
They ran to your own personal timetable. Engineering work at weekends was rare. And there were never leaves on the line, just the occasional bit of fluff from the living room carpet.
For decades, toy trains have enthralled generations of youngsters - and this coming March the National Railway Museum, in York, looks into why children love them so much, in its exhibition Playing Trains.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
What are the greatest toy trains of all time? This article takes a fascinating look at a perennial boyhood favorite. The fascination with toy trains is one that appeals to the boy in us all.
Lionel Hudson circa 1952. My first train!
Bump for later
My toy trains are 1:1 scale.
American Flyer, 1956 was my first train. I still have it.
The local YMCA sponsored train races once a year for about four years in the late 50’s early 60’s. Separate American Flyer and Lionel tracks were set up. About 200 or 300 people showed up. As I recall there were four oval tracks
for each gauge.
“Toy trains” are different from “model trains”. Model railroading is a muti-faceted hobby. I’ve been in it for 35 years. What I like about it is: I do what I want, how I want, when I want. I don’t have to meet anyone’s standards but my own. And my wife knows where I am: in the basement.
Greatest hobby in the world, right along side drinking good beer.
Willie Green have an opinion on this?
American Flyer 4-4-2, May Dads Train from his childhood given to me back in the 70’s as a Christmas present. Still run her today and added more to the Collection.
God Bless A.C Gilbert!
The Man Who Saved Christmas: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339343/
Also American Models (S Gauge!) http://www.americanmodels.com/
I had a plastic G scale train that I set up around the Christmas tree. For close to two decades, each year, my three sons spent many an hour stacking the presents to make tunnels, mountains, etc.
Three years ago, my then 23 yr old son showed up at our house and noticed that the old train was missing...
Him: “Dad, where’s the train?!?!”
Me: “It died last year after Christmas.”
Him: “We HAVE to get another one!! The tree isn’t complete without it! You have grandkids who NEED to play with one!”
That year, I found a Lionel Polar Express G scale plastic train. Just a bit after watching the movie with our grandkids. The memories continue to be built...
Well, 1758 saw the first horse-drawn trains starting, they became more comon by 1808 when the first early steam trains started up.
1814 - George Stephenson constructs his first locomotive, Blücher for the Killingworth wagonway. The locomotive was modelled on Matthew Murray’s. It could haul 30 tons of coal up a hill at 4 mph (6.4 km/h) but was too heavy to run on wooden rails or iron rails who existed in that time.
That would be 201 years ago this year.
First successful commercial railroad as we would recognize it today was 1825 with practical engines and a money-making reliable product of transporting the public and public goods. Then they exploded between 1825 and 1830!
My half-brother stole the toy train I got for Christmas when I was six. He stole and wrecked my flying model airplane, too. I hate his guts.
Where’s Gomez Addams now that we need him,lol!!
(Actually, I love trains too!!)
This is from years back, I admit I am woefully overdue for a visit to the local railroad model club.
Now that I can do 4K, I should go back when I have a suitable lens. Right now just a general purpose.
I wished I had the space here to go into model RR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85_WYWnQUMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VTobWJlKlQ
Rather ascetic expressions on those boys' faces. Don't British lads smile at the sight of a toy train?
Ah, that's better!
As a kid, I particularly enjoyed playing with my father’s old Lionel trains from the late-1930s. The engine was one of those modernistic, art-deco streamliners. Looked great, going down those tracks. My own personal train-set (being of a later generation) was a really nice Tyco set-up. My parents allowed me to pick out a new ‘car’ each Christmas, to add to it.
Reminding me of which, it really saddened me when (real) railroad trains dispensed with cabooses. Seeing a train go down the tracks without a caboose at the end still strikes me as discordant, all these years later.
I still have by 1939 Lionel that I got for Christmas and it runs.
That’s really cool. I’ve been working on a giant HO layout in my once car garage. Lol. About a week away from laying track bed, hope to have this extravaganza ready by next Christmas. My grandson gets so excited when he gets to help me. We will of course find track to run Thomas on.(Big Smile)
Ummm..
Your backyard - you know, where you keep these 1:1 toys - is it also known as "Oak Island" or something along those lines?
And when you play with your toys does it resemble this?
(Colors, logos, and equipment may vary...)
My dad was a conductor on the Pennsy rail so we all grew up loving trains. My brothers actually got to go on a GG1. If anyone is ever near Flemington, NJ there is a model train museum that takes 2 hours to go through. Thought I better find their site...
It truly is amazing
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