Lifelike Train Sets
As a hobby, model railroading has been around for almost two centuries. In the early 1800s, model trains were made mostly for children and were constructed of wood and cast iron. Many were pulled along the floor with a string, though some were powered by actual steam, with the use of alcohol and a boiler. By 1868, the Ives Corporation had produced several impressive model trains, but even these were only fancy pull toys.
It wasn't long before model trains were being manufactured with wind-up clockwork motors, and by the 1890s many train sets were becoming more and more realistic and less toy-like, with a greater number of accessories. In 1893, Carlisle & Finch Co. introduced the first electric-motor-powered locomotive. By the time Joshua Lionel Cowen came along to start Lionel Trains in 1901, model railroading had become an international hobby.
Model Train Set Maintenance
Whether you've just purchased your very first model train set or you've rediscovered an old Lionel that's been boxed up in the basement for decades, proper maintenance is the key to keeping your set in good working condition. Dirt and rust can ruin both your cars and your track. Luckily, it isn't very hard to keep them clean.
Toy Train Set Features
Not your father's model trains, today's train sets include an array of different features that aim to make the cars and the layout as realistic as possible. From whistles to working lights, the latest trains are as lifelike as they can be. Children and hobbyists alike will settle for nothing less, and the sound and lighting upgrades are seemingly endless in number.
Thomas the Train Recall
On June 13, 2007, RC2 Corp. voluntarily recalled several Thomas and Friends wooden railway toys, sold at various retailers nationwide between January 2005 and June 2007, because of a lead-poisoning hazard. In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the corporation has asked consumers to take the toys away from children immediately and return them to RC2 Corp. for replacement products. As a result, many consumers have been left to wonder exactly which toys are at issue, and whether their children have already been exposed to unhealthy levels of lead-based paint.
Lionel Train Sets: An Overview
Since 1900, Lionel trains have brought smiles to young faces. Beautifully decorated and built to stand the test of time, they are both fun to play with and extremely valuable to model-train enthusiasts. For more than a century, people of all generations have enjoyed and collected Lionel trains, making Lionel an iconic name among American toy manufacturers.
