Presentation by Phil Howe on Model Railroading. he is president of the Lionel Operating Model Society which has 1900 members.
There have been trains around for almost 200 years. Starting in the 1870s, there were model trains for kids brought over from Germany. However, World War I proved a boom for U.S. model train makers since the ones from Germany could no longer be imported.
Electric model trains were made in Cincinnati in 1896. Joshua Lionel Cowen began making them in New York City. He also invented flashlights and electric fans. Two things that helped him with the model trains.
I wonder why he used his middle name instead of his last for his company's name.
He realized that merchants could sell more items if they had a model train running around display windows.
The Lionel Train Company headquartered in New Jersey.
The Ives Co. of Bridgeport, Connecticut had "O' Gauge. Lionel had "standard gauge."
--Cootrain
No comments:
Post a Comment