Lionel Train Set Overview

The first train Joshua Lionel Cowen designed was the Electric Express. In the beginning, Lionel train sets were powered by wet-cell (acid-filled) batteries, but were soon replaced by train sets powered by a 110-volt electric transformer. By 1906, with the introduction of pre-assembled tracks and an extensive selection of engines and cars, the Lionel train sets we know today were taking shape. By the 1920s, Lionel train sets were getting more elaborate and lifelike, with working accessories such as crossing gates, highway flashers, and traffic warning bells.

The 1930s saw a rapid decline in profits for the company, due mainly to the Great Depression. But Lionel's bottom line was boosted by the debut of the incredibly popular Mickey and Minnie handcar, a $1 windup toy. Lionel showed profits again in 1935, and soon introduced the No. 700E New York Central Hudson, which, with blueprint-accurate details, appealed to children and adult hobbyists alike.

The company's product line took several twists and turns throughout the next few decades, and in 1965, Cowen died at the age of 88. That same year, Lionel filed for bankruptcy, later licensing its electric-train manufacturing to breakfast-cereal conglomerate General Mills.

In 1989, Lionel released Railsounds, heralding in an era of high-tech audio realism for Lionel train sets. In 1994, Railsounds II debuted with Lionel's Santa Fe Mikado. The new digital system captured a real-life Mikado train's actual sounds, propelling Lionel train sets to the forefront of model-train technology.

Today, the company continues to push the envelope of model-train design, inventing new technologies while keeping alive the century-old tradition that has built the Lionel brand.