Vintage Model Railroads
I know people collect lots of things. Some people collect stamps, some hobbyists collect coins and some collect trading cards. There’s something ususual about collecting historic model locomotives though. When you collect something that actually still does what it is meant to in real life it is different than when you take that thing out of real life. So it’s not like you are just taking a gander at them in some book or on some wall. They still can be caused to serve their function in the world. Try doing that with your stamp collection!
What are the cool collectible locomotives today? Here’ the large three:
Lionel [train|locomotive]s:
First of all there are Lionel trains. Lionel train has been the longest lasting model crafting obsession. When you collect a Lionel locomotive you are collecting toy train royalty. Through savvy advertising they connected their locomotives with Christmas and by World War II when Lionel was forced to shut down manufacturing to aid in the patriotic struggle Lionel was the accepted gold standard of the model train world. Lionel’s historic model trains are some of the most popular and widely purchased locomotives around. The rocker, Neil Young fell in love with Lionel locomotives as kid and became a collector and then part owner of the company as an adult. Lionel has a strong literature that helps support it. Because Lionel was on top in the 1950s and because the post War era was the high point of model hobbying, it is no surprise that Lionel should be as well regarded as the company is.. The truth is that Lionel was in the process of being usurped by other companies during that period and that most of us, like Neil Young, didn’t actually get Lionel trains as Christmas gifts only makes Lionel more popular now as a collector’s item.
American Flyers:
The only model locomotive brand that can really give Lionel a run for its money is American Flyer. A. C. Gilbert’s attempt to take the Midwest company and make it a challenger of the juggernaut Lionel ultimately failed. Gilbert’s effort, however, created some of the most beloved trains around and collectors go absolutely ape doo doo over these vintage toy trains. The uniqueness of s scale adds to the mystique of the American Flyer brand. Perhaps no model locomotive release has been more anticipated by enthusiasts as the upcoming American Flyers release by Lionel LLC. They are sure to sell like hot cakes.
Ives:
If you actually want to get a locomotive that no one has try locating an old Ives train. Just before World War II it was an Ives, American Flyer, Lionel three way fight for supremacy. Ives did not survive but if you are lucky you might be able to discover one of their classic locomotives. Most are in O gauge just like Lionel but they are real collector’s items these days.
Clock operated [train|locomotive]s of the Victorian era:
If you really want to go old school you can’t go older than a 19th century clock operated train. These are mostly shown at shows these days but if you can actually find one, you’ll have a locomotive that is really a part of the creation of model locomotives. During this era in model training the toy locomotive market was dominated by German imports. This would persist until World War I when a sense of patriotism pushed potential buyers away from these foreign models. You can really make out the hand crafting on these simple wooden trains. No plugs, no batteries, no electricity—these are wind-up trains in the truest sense. They were largely purchased by the upper class back in the day and that’s who can afford to collect them now. They clearly had the children of the rich in mind. These trains can really capture the imagination of another age. In fact, you might say that model training came to us just like kindergarten. Both were part of Germany’s obsessions with childrearing in the early 20th century.
Whatever kind of historic model locomotive you choose to collect you will no doubt learn quite a bit about the history of toy trains, toys in general and us as nation. You could choose a far worse hobby.
Here is more information on Model Steam Trains. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.
Historic Model Trains
It’s really hard these days to persuade kids to be interested in our traditions. If it doesn’t connect to the power grid and add to the monthly electrical bill, lots of boys and girls are just not that into it. This is after all the cyber age and if a child isn’t reading three things at once he feels like he is slacking. Even though they consider history to be what happened last week, it’s still important to find ways to get them involved with it. It’s not enough to know that there were some guys named Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Benjamin who now have their faces on our money. I don’t mean to get on my high horse, but it’s our duty as patriotic Americans to pass on some sense of our rich traditions to them. So how do we get them to crack the book on the traditions of this country without feeling like we’re pulling teeth? model locomotives can put our youngsters on the track to becoming more culturally and historically literate. Yes. That’s right, historic model locomotives. Here’s how to teach history with toy locomotives:
Use locomotives as a subtle vehicle for history:
If you’ve already gotten your kids involved in model locomotives, a great second step is to create a model train set-up that accurately reveals a particular period and location. Imagine a set-up that is set during Reconstruction in the American Southwest. You can get your kids to research this period and then add period details that will really add to the enjoyment and historical accuracy of your toydesign. They might read about the telegraph and add telegraph lines next to the tracks. A ghost town that failed to capitalize on the railroad because it didn’t get a stop might be shown tantalizingly close to the track. Maybe even have a few washed out prospectors still panning for gold in the nearby stream.
Spice up the tired old school project by swapping in a toy train setup instead:
You might also manage to talk your kid’s history teacher into allowing him to bring in a historic model locomotive set-up in place of the usual boring diorama. You will need to lay it out on a portable table and possibly help your youngster bring it in on the day that it is due, but the combination of historic detail and the fascination that such trains inspire simply on their own are likely to really go over well. Just imagine, for example, adding a toy locomotive display to your kid’s essay on Jesse James. As your period specific train rounds the curve there are Jesse and his whole gang just waiting to attack and continue his wrong headed crusade. It’s sure to be a coup!
Visit a model train Museum:
If you’re anywhere in the American West you are never far from historical train sites and museums where toy trains are often featured. If your local historic train site doesn’t have model locomotives consider suggesting they incorporate some to the curator or manager of the site. In some places, model locomotive clubs often put on model train events.. Just google it and you are sure to come into contact with your local toy train society.
Whatever you decide to do, you will find that model locomotives are a door to the past even if you don’t explicitly use them as such. Even if you just do model training without even considering the educational possibilities you will inevitably foster a greater sense of historical knowledge simply by handling these little mechanical doorways to the past.
Here is more information on Model Steam Trains. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.