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| Hear the Train a Comin'? The nostalgia of model railroading Whatever your generation — whether drive-in movies, fountain sodas, poodle skirts or Elvis was hot, chances are, model trains were there, as well. Model railroading is not just a hobby, it’s an American institution which dates back nearly 100 years. From the time Joshua Lionel Cowen placed the first electrically powered car on a circle of track, individuals, fathers and sons, and entire families have joined together to experience the "magic" of model railroading. Whether placed in large public displays, in living rooms, basements or around the family Christmas tree, a train has a unique appeal for almost everyone. The man dressed in black sings about how he hears the train a comin’… coming round the bend. The man in black is Johnny Cash, who not only sings about trains, but has a special love for them. Many other well-known people like Tim Allen, Jay Leno and Neil Young have a passion that links them to model railroading. Aside from the rich and famous, Classic Toy Trains magazine reports the typical model train hobbyist is male, 48 years old, earns $67,916 a year, is usually college educated and married with children. He has been in model railroading for 18 years and spends 337 hours a year working on his hobby. And while the vast majority of hobbyists are men, the popularity of model railroading is growing among women, as well. As a child, Tami Jo Nix, active participant in many railroading clubs, would wake up on Christmas morning hoping for a train set, but was disappointed to find another doll. When she married another active collector, she was lucky enough to "marry" the hobby and currently shares her enjoyment with her husband. Some describe model railroading as an escape mechanism. "It’s an escape from everyday problems and leads you into a fantasy world of your own imagination," says Georgia enthusiast Gary Guntor. Others gather trains, sets and accessories as collectibles. These collectors are discovering that the model trains they had or dreamed of having as a kid are now worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For example, a 1957 pink and blue Lionel girls train set that sold for $37.95 when it was new can be worth as much as $4,000 today. What makes a model train collectible? Today’s collectors look back with varying degrees of fondness on the rivalry between "O" gauge Lionel and "S" gauge American Flyer. The A.C. Gilbert Co. sold an extensive line of American Flyer trains, track and accessories through the 1960s. Gilbert is no longer in business, but Lionel still makes American Flyer trains. For bigger, "G" scale trains, look at sets made by Machmann, LGB and Marklin. Purchasing a set is a good way to get started. A set will include everything you need to run trains: a locomotive, a few cars, track, and a transformer to control the train’s speed and direction. Buying a set usually costs less than buying each component separately. And if you get more serious about model railroading, everything in the original set will be compatible with other items, provided they’re in the same gauge. Some collectors prefer to concentrate on a particular make, like Flyers; or a particular scale, like "O"; or a particular style of trains, like cast iron. Others may form a collection based on personal experiences and shared passions, "Model railroading gives me fond memories of loved ones and meaningful wants in life. I treasure my collection so much because each item gives me a direct tie to a person or occasion," says Allan Miller, an avid collector. Miller has found new friends with similar feelings through model train collecting. On the other hand, folks who collect trains just for profit, not passion, are shunned by the model train community. Don’t go there. How it all Started: The Lionel Train Story The Lionel Manufacturing Company hasn’t always rolled down smooth tracks, however. History and market forces, and poor corporate decisions have, at times, nearly derailed the model train company for good. Born August 25, 1877, Joshua Cowen, the eighth of nine children, thought in mechanical terms at an early age. Once he was curious about the moving eyes of his sister’s doll, so he cracked the head open to see how it worked. Dropping out of college, Cowen became an apprentice at an early dry cell battery manufacturer, then took a job at the Acme Lamp Company. At the age of 20, he developed a fuse for igniting magnesium powder for photographers. The U.S. Navy heard about the invention and contracted Cowen to build fuses for 24,000 exploding mines. In 1900, Cowen and a colleague from Acme Lamp started a business called the Lionel Manufacturing Company. They produced fuses, small low voltage motors and electrical novelties. On a walk through lower Manhattan, Cowen stopped at a toy store window where he saw a push train. He had a vision of the train going around a circle of track without needing attention. The first product grown from this thought was a large, simple open gondola called the "Electric Express." The track consisted of two steel strips inserted into slotted ties with a 2 7/8 inch width between the rails. Business boomed. Lionel added a "City Hall Park" trolley and a two foot extention bridge to its line, and published the first train catalog in 1903. A few years later, because more homes were wired for electricity, Cowen developed a transformer to reduce household current to a safe voltage to run Lionel model trains. He added a center, third rail to the track which carried the current, in addition to the two outer ground rails. During the roaring Twenties, people had ample money for toys like electric trains. So Lionel made some of the most fanciful and elaborate pieces it ever produced. Some of the passenger cars even had removable roofs, and the detailed bathrooms inside even had moveable toilet seats! Lionel’s heyday lasted till the 1930s, and the Depression. In cooperation with Walt Disney, Lionel produced a Mickey Mouse hand car, that sold for $1. Over a million sold, helping the company weather the Depression years. After WWII (during which time Lionel produced no trains but navigation and communication equipment for the armed forces, instead), Cowen’s son became company president. Lionel began using plastic in the production of trains, and manufactured diesel locomotives along with the traditional steamers. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1950, and three years later recorded a yearly sales high of $32.9 million. With over 2,000 employees, it was the largest toy company in the world. What a difference a few years can make. In the late ‘50s, a recession reduced the money supply. Train hobbyists began switching from Lionel’s "O" gauge trains to other companies’ "HO" products because they were more accurately detailed. And children began to turn to model race cars rather than trains. Lionel lost money, and suffered through a decade filled with battles over control of the company. In 1969, General Mills purchased the Lionel name and manufacturing equipment. Lionel Trains became part of Fundimensions, a division of the General Mills Fun Group, which included MPC model cars and Craft Master paint-by-number kits. The company also moved from New Jersey to Mt. Clemens, Michigan. But in 1983, General Mills decided to consolidate its toy manufacturing operations and move them to Mexico. According to a NBC News report, "Lionel had hoped to save money with Mexicans working in this new factory for 55 cents an hour, but the planning was bad, the work was shoddy, and the move turned into a fiasco. So… Lionel moved back to the Chesterfield township, just outside of Detroit." Detroit real estate entrepreneur, Richard Kughn, purchased Lionel Trains in 1986. During his tenure as owner, Kughn introduced a large scale line in 1/24th scale. Lionel Classics, direct reproductions of metal Lionel trains of the 20s and 30s were reintroduced. And in 1988 Lionel Trains, Inc. posted record sales in both collector and traditional categories. In 1995, Wellspring Associates L.L.C. and the musician, Neil Young acquired Lionel Trains from Richard Kughn. The company currently markets over 350 products for children, hobbyists and collectors. |
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