Lionel Lines

I have recently pointed out that Lionel trains have a rich history. Thesignificance of this is that they reflect the concerns of their times and thusoffer insights into the changing history of the United States in the TwentiethCentury. What I have not stressed yet is the scholarship involved in theresearch into these trains. By examining the trains themselves and notingvariations in the manufacturing process, we can reconstruct the history of anentire company right through the present day. We can look at the literature —the catalogues,service manuals, and instruction sheets — and find out what advertising“pitches” worked in a given time. We can even note changes in language over theyears. If you are intellectually inclined, Lionel trains have much to offeryou.
Another reason to develop an interest in Lionel trains involves socialconcerns. All of us want social outlets of all kinds to meet new friends aidshare experiences. Most hobbies offer this, but the pursuit of Lionel trainscan introduce you to some interesting people from all walks of life. The commonbond everyone shares can lead to a real education about people for you and yourfamily. Meeting the many people associated with this hobby can help you avoidbecoming locked into just one little world, because inevitably you will sharethe political and social concerns of many segments of our society. That’s areal education!
One importantreason for developing an interest in Lionel trains is their educational value.Remember that setting up Lionel trains involves a great deal ofdecision-making, and in the end you will be exercising your own creativityinstead of playing with someone else’s designs. The operator of Lionel trainswill learn a great deal about electricity and its functions, just as JoshuaLionel Cowen had the sense to foresee. The operation, repair, and maintenanceof small electric motors can lead to a career interest. The problem-solving andvisualization skills involved in designing, building, and operating a Lionellayout can enrich the developing intelligence of young children better thanalmost any other toy. Young children can also profit greatly from the exerciseof gross and fine motor skills needed to operate a set of Lionel trains. Thereading and research involved in the building of a collection and the operationof a layout can stir a great interest in reading. In an age when literacy is soimportant to our newly-emerging technical society, an interest in reading canpay great dividends. As an educator, I recognize the many instructionaladvantages Lionel trains can offer to the whole family, not to mention thegreat creative outlet these trains can provide.
If you want more formal association with people in the hobby, I’d suggest thatyou join one or more of the collecting and operating clubs which have arisen inthe years of the hobby’s development.
The Train CollectorsAssociation (TCA) is the largest collecter’s organization in the country, with morethan 20,000 members. The TCA sponsors several regional divisions and chaptersthroughout the country; this organization, founded in 1954, operates the superbToy TrainMuseum in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. The TCA is noteworthy for itstwice-a-year train meets at the York,Pennsylvania fairgrounds. Theseshows, for members only, are the largest train markets in the country; theyusually feature seven buildings full of trains!
The Lionel Collectors’ Club of America (LCCA) is another large organizationwhich specializes in the collection and operation of Lionel trains. Like theTCA, the LCCA has a national convention, often featuring special rolling stockmade for the organization by Lionel Trains, Inc. These cars are usually highlyprized special issues. The LCCA publishes a terrifically interesting, livelymagazine called The Lion Roars. This journal features up-to-the-minute information onthe latest doings of Lionel Trains, Inc., as well as fine articles andoperating tips.
The Lionel Operating Train Society(LOTS) is a relative newcomer on the toy train scene, but it has built agood membership in the last few years and it features national conventions andyet another fine journal, The Switcher, which features layout contests, maintenancetips, and many other articles of concern to the Lionel layout operator. Likethe LCCA, LOTS has special cars made for the club by Lionel Trains, Inc.
The Toy Train Operating Society(TTOS) does not limit itself to Lionel operations, but many great articlesappear in its journal which can add to the dimension and strategy of the Lionellayout operator. The TTOS also publishes many articles of great historicalsignificance, in addition to featuring national convention where all kinds of exotictrains from the past can be seen operating in all kinds of gauges. Highlyspecialized collectors of scarce antique toy trains favor the TTOS and arefrequent contributors to its activities.
The National Model Railroaders’ Association (NMRA) is mostly concerned withscale model operation in 0,5, HO, N and Z Gauges, but that does not mean Lioneldoes not get a share of attention. There is one special interest group (SIG)within NMRA, the tinplate SIC devoted to Lionel trains. In any case, the Lioneloperator can profit a great deal from the electronic and scenic skills of thefine railroad craftsmen who belong to this organization. Since scale modelersinsist upon absolute realism, they can offer many decorating tricks which canreadily be adapted to Lionels. This organization is also on the cutting edge ofthe latest electronics, including the use of computer technology.
First of all,consider the gauge, or size, of Lionel trains. Lionels are made for 0 Gauge and027 Gauge, which means there is a space of 1-1/4 inches between the outsiderails of Lionel’s three-rail track. Larger gauges, such as LGB’s G Gauge, maybe easier to play with, but they are also much more expensive and for some,limited in play value. The American Flyer trains are made in two-rail S Gauge(by Lionel Trains, Inc., ironically), and they are very impressive. However,the two-rail configuration leads to wiring complexity and limited operationalvalue. The smaller gauges favored by scale modelers, HO, S. N, and Z, are notvery durable if they are inexpensive and, if they are of high quality, muchmore difficult to maintain and repair. For a family hobby, therefore, Lionelseems the best choice. To be sure, not all “tinplaters” agree with thisassessment, especially the “Flyer Guys.” However, my experience with toy trainsstill points to Lionel as the best choice for a family hobby.
Another significant practical advantage of Lionel trains is that they are available inabsolutely staggering varieties and quantities. Remember that these trains havebeen produced for nearly a century. A quick glance at the Greenbergpublications about Lionel trains tells an interesting story. There is a two-volume guide to the prewar Lionels produced from 1901 to 1942. It is matched bya two-volume guide to the postwar Lionels of 1945-1969, and there is a heftyone-volume guide for the Lionels of the modern era produced from 1970 to thepresent day.
More important than the sheer quantity ofLionel trains available to you is the unbelievable variety of these trains. Youhave three distinct eras to choose — prewar, postwar, and modern era. The couplersof the prewar rolling stock are not compatible with the other two eras, butpostwar, and modern era Lionels are completely interchangeable. Steam, diesel,and electric engines, boxcars, hoppers, gondolas, crane cars, bunk and toolcars, refrigerator cars —you name it, Lionel has produced it. Operating accessories? Lionel’s productionwill do everything but jump up and sing grand opera! Buildings and structures?Signals? Tracks? Believe me when I tell you that they are all available!Naturally, a Lionel collector and operator accumulates trains based uponpersonal preferences. My point is that with Lionels, you have ample room topick and choose. No other American manufacturer has produced these trains in somany varieties. In terms of money, the Lionel operator and collector can buildan excellent collection on a very limited budget (as I think! have) or an evenbetter collection on a lavish budget, as some more monetarily blessed friendsof mine have managed to do. Used Lionels for operation are a great value; forexample, a 2034 Steam Engine produced in 1953 can be found used in greatoperating condition for about $50 at the time of this writing. This littleengine does not have smoke or a whistle, but it has an excellent spur-gearmotor which runs very well. If you want smoke and a whistle in your steamer, anold 2025 in excellent condition will cost you about $150 at this time. Thislocomotive represents Lionel’s finest craftsmanship. Lionel Trains, Inc. sellsgood starter sets, ready to run, for less money.
Another significant practical advantage to Lionel trains is their quality ofconstruction and operation. Like any toy manufacturer, Lionel has made itsshare of shoddy equipment. However, these trains are, extremely reliable anddurable. Many a Lionel locomotive has dived off a layout onto a floor and comeback for more punishment. On the whole, the electric motors in the locomotivesare simple and rugged; they are also relatively easy to repair, thanks to all therepair literature produced by Lionel over the years. Lionel issued servicemanuals in the same way that auto companies still issue parts and servicemanuals — they’rethat comprehensive. No other toy company has ever provided so much service andoperating guidance, and you should take full advantage of this literature soyou can maintain and operate your trains yourself. There’s no guesswork withLionels!
Electrically, Lionel’s use of three-rail track has always paid great dividends.As you’ll see later on, you can take advantage of the extra ground rail tooperate accessories automatically, using thetrain itself to turn the accessories on. Wiring procedures are relativelysimple, and the electrical devices themselves are highly reliable. Lionel’stransformers are protected by circuit breakers for the most part, and sincethey are basically very simple devices, there’s not much that can go wrong withthem. They also can handle considerable abuse without burning out. Most of theaccessories work by either solenoids or vibrator motors, both of which aresimple and reliable mechanisms. I have an operating gateman on my layout madein 1939. After nearly half a century, the little gateman flings open the doorof his shack and meets the train with his lantern every time without fail!Finally, you must consider that no other toy makes a better long-terminvestment than Lionel trains. Collectors of dolls and other antique toys maydispute this with some justification. However, I have seen the toy trainmarketplace grow tremendously over the years, and some astute purchases now arelikely to accumulate value later on. I hasten to add that Lionel trains are notmeant for the speculator who wants to make a quick fortune (although somerecent limited production has offered even that opportunity). These trains areexcellent long-term investments which, in the meantime, can be enjoyed by thewhole family in a thoroughly constructive activity. I doubt that thesetrains will lose their value; I sometimes think of my own collection as a formof savings. The whole issue of play versus investment is a complex one, butspeaking for myself I do not view Lionel trains as bank- vault articles. Ibelieve in running these trains as they were meant to be run, for only then dothey truly come alive, as I hope you will soon discover.
All of these advantages —the history, the social contacts, the quality, and the quantity — add up to anunbeatable combination of stimulation and enjoyment. If you’re just beginningyour involvement with Lionels, you have some great fun ahead of you! Let usassume, therefore, that you have made your decision to collect Lionel trains asa hobby and build the best operating layout you can. Once this decision ismade, you need to address several other questions before that layout-buildingproject gets started. Which Lionel trains should you look for? Where can youget them at the best prices? How can you find out which Lionels are “outthere?” Should you buy new Lionels, used Lionels, or a combination of both?

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