History of model trains
Model trains have been the Christmas delight of youngsters for many generations. From the most primitive replicas of the "iron horse" in the 1800s to the most sophisticated railroad sets of the today, trains have remained atop the Christmas lists of both the young and old.
Many boys and girls who were introduced to trains as young children have never lost their fascination with them, and still enjoy settling in to recapture childhood fantasies on a cold winter's day at home. For some, trains conjure up images of mystery and adventure while other folks simply enjoy the engineering challenges of the railroad era.
Steam engine trains and locomotives were not invented until the 1800s, but the basic idea of trains dates back much further in time. The ancient Romans developed a paved railway system for beast-drawn wagons. Then later, in the coal mining regions of England, horse-drawn wagons were built on the same basic idea to carry coal from the mines to river loading sites. Both of these are the predecessors of the modern trains of today.
During the 1800s, our countryside was laced with railroad tracks, bridging vast territories and making it possible for America to grow and prosper as a large united nation. Towns sprang up along these railways, and people all across America had the easy opportunity to relocate and build new lives anywhere they chose. The railroad provided easy means of transportation for both goods and services and quickly became "the heartbeat of America." Toymakers saw the potential market for model trains, as people everywhere were wanting a little piece of the action. Soon miniature replicas of these giant trains appeared on storekeepers shelves everywhere, especially during the Christmas Season.
The idea of collecting miniature railroads, however, did not start in America. German crafters in the 1830s made the very first miniature trains. These could be pushed along a track. They were made by pouring molten brass or tin into a mold, much like the popular tin soldiers were made. Hand-carved wooden fittings were fastened to the metal bases, creating a complete toy train. They were usually very fragile and contained no moving parts.
The French, who were the master tinsmiths, were responsible for making elaborately decorated toy trains with ornate designs, tall chimneys and spidery spoked wheels. They were gay and fanciful, but did not run on rails. Instead, they were pushed along the floor. Paint does not stick well to tin, and consequently, these early French beauties are rarely preserved with their original decorations.
England was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and toymakers there took model train making seriously. Sir Henry Wood is credited with building one of the first steam powered toys. The "Dribblers" and "Piddlers" were nicknamed because of the tell-tail trail of water left behind from the steam cylinders.
It's interesting to note that European craftsmen who made musical instruments were the first to make beginner toy trains. They soon began fitting their toy trains with clockwork mechanisms to eliminate the mess of the first steam powered versions. Highly complex brass models were made for the children of wealthy families by Newton & Co. of London. They were, however, neither realistic nor made to scale, and were primarily made to trigger the imagination of the collectors. These individually hand-crafted toy trains made in Europe were too expensive to be sold here in our nation. Toy manufactures in the U.S. had to mass produce train replicas economically to be competitive in our marketplace.
Mathias Baldwin, founder of the Baltimore Locomotive Works, made an early passenger train model in the 1830s. By the end of that decade, several other toymakers had produced their own versions. George Brown & Co., of Connecticut is credited with making the first known self-propelled American model train in 1856. It utilized clockworks.
American trains differed from European ones because they had to be durable enough to ship over vast areas of rugged wilderness and yet authentic enough to true collectibles. French trains were much too delicate to ship safely, and the German lead and wood trains along with the English "dribblers" were simply not sophisticated enough for the American market.
The American model was fashioned from heavy tin-plate. The locomotive (not the cars nor track) was made during the early 1800s. From 1860 to 1890, during "the golden age of American tin train making", many famous train makers gained the American limelight. They were: Ives; Hull & Stafford; Althof Bergman & Co; Francis, Field & Francis; and James Fallows.
From 1890s to the early 1900s, American toy companies produced train replicas at such reasonable prices that most middleclass families were able to buy model trains for their children. As the demand grew, American people began to expect more realism and authenticity from toy manufacturers.
It wasn't long until the American public cried out for more than just a simple locomotive. They wanted to buy complete train systems with tracks, passenger cars, stations and wagons.
Toy trains are for kids of all ages! While real trains go back to the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s, toy trains emerged later. Wooden and metal toys resembling trains were first made in Europe in the 1860s.
By 1901, Lionel made its first electric train for use in store display windows. A number of famous manufacturers, including Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx, Marklin, and LGB have made toy trains. Some of the most historic ones are on display in the National Toy Train Museum. These are commonly referred to as tinplate trains.
"Tinplate" is a term applied to toy trains originally built of thin stamped metal, but more broadly it includes trains composed of plastic parts as well, their over-riding characteristic being that they were built for mass-market enjoyment rather than the precise scale that some of today's model railroad craftsmen build and enjoy.
There have been models and toys of trains for as long as there have been real railways. Indeed some early 'models' of locomotives were made first as sales promotional tools for the early railways, even if they later might have become playthings. Among the earliest of all commercially produced metal toys dating from the second half of the 19th century are tinplate and cast iron trains. During the Victorian period toy and model trains and locomotives fell into a number of categories. There were the live steam engines, some expensive and usually only for the wealthy, but also cheaper ones often made in Birmingham hence the nickname "Birmingham Dribblers". There were pull along trains in all shapes, sizes and materials, penny toys in lead and tin and latterly clockwork engines. The steam and clockwork engines might be intended to run on the floor, or a simple track assembled by the user, but there was no real sense of system about these trains. Most of these toys were made in Germany. Britain and France tended only to make the better class of steam engine. There was an indigenous US industry, with considerable use of cast iron rather than tinplate.
The first Marklin models were made in three gauges. Gauge 1 was 1¾" track gauge; gauge 2 was 2" and soon became obsolete and gauge 3 was 2½". Painted and soldered tinplate was the main material and clockwork provided the driving power. Marklin expanded and improved its range, after a few years adding a fourth small Gauge O 1 quarter; inch whilst the range of accessories was greatly expanded. Other German toy makers introduced competitive products, most importantly Bing (then probably Germany's, and hence the world's, largest toy maker) and also Carette. Despite the odd divergence these makers generally adopted the same standards as to gauge as Marklin, while developing new production techniques, in particular the use of lithographed (printed) tinplate. The lithographed technique facilitated the production of much cheaper and more colourful items, at the expense of some robustness. By the start of the 20th century other methods of propulsion were being applied. Live steam and electric powered models had taken to the model rails, although clockwork was still the prime mover. More importantly the first ranges of Marklin and Bing and others were growing and improving each year, and as with the rest of the German toy trade, was strongly export oriented and thus spreading toy trains world wide. The main markets were Britain, France (and their Empires) and the US. Britain at the time had no indigenous toy maker to compete with, nor really had France, but there was home based competition in America. Britain however had something else - model railways.
The history of model railways is almost as old as railways themselves. Early models of the late 1800s and early 1900s were usually made from metal and were often powered by steam or clockwork mechanisms. Many homes did not have electricity at that time. Model or toy trains were relatively expensive and only the wealthy, or at best, the moderately well off could afford them. Model railways for the masses became more common from the 1920's with more affordable mass produced models being made available. In Australia the most commonly available brand of toy or model trains appear to have been Hornby. And until recent times, this was still true. Hornby trains are still manufactured, but bear little resemblance to the tin toys of yesteryear.
The models improved over time and became more accurate. They also got smaller as houses got smaller. Or perhaps more accurately, as the models became more affordable, those living in smaller houses were able to take up the hobby.
Early electric models had 3 rails on the tracks. This was due to the problems of insulating the wheels in an age where plastics were still some years away. Modern 2-rail models have plastic insulating the wheels from each other.
The ubiquitous Tri-ang B class locomotive. Since opening Hobbies Plus in 1988, I feel I've seen more of these models than any other. About once a week I get somebody in the shop talking about the old dust-covered Tri-ang train set they've rediscovered hiding on top of a wardrobe, under a bed or in a shed for the last 30 years and wanting to know if it is worth doing anything with it. And almost always, they have at least one of these double-ended blue and yellow diesels included in the box of bits and pieces. The Tri-ang range begun its life in the 1950's. It was among the first range of plastic bodied model trains and was cheaper than the Hornby-Dublo range with which it competed. Eventually the Hornby-Dublo range was absorbed into the Tri-ang group and was known as Tri-ang - Hornby. Until recently, some of the modern range of Hornby trains could still be recognised as coming from the original Tri-ang range. However by 2008, most of these have been replaced with more accurate and detailed models.
The History of Model Trains as a Hobby
The history of model trains traces back as far as actual railroads themselves. The earliest model trains were made from metal and powered by steam or clockwork components. The average home did not have electricity to power model trains in the same way that modern homes do. As a result, the earliest model trains had high price tags that only the wealthy could afford. As the prices began to drop in conjunction with the improvements involved with model railroading, more enthusiasts started to get involved with the hobby. Model railroads started to become more common from the 1920s as they were mass-produced for the general public.
Model Train Producers, Museums, and Exhibits
Hundreds of model train manufacturers provide scores of products for enthusiasts. Bachmann Industries, one of the oldest model train manufacturers, have remained as one of the leaders in the industry since 1833. Lionel developed and maintained its legacy as a leading model train producer since 1900. Other recognizable manufacturers include USA Trains, Atlas O Trains, Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC), and the Rokenbok Toy Company. Over the years, enthusiasts have formed organizations, museums, and exhibits to help support the hobby of model railroading. This has kept the hobby alive, while also keeping the model railroading market rejuvenated for future generations.
