American Model Trains

Pop quiz:  what are the three most famous American miniature trains makers? I bet you’ll remember them when I give you the answer.  They are: “Lionel, American Flyer and Bachmann Trains”. Bachmann’s American also. And you might have believed that American Flyer was just a line of trains and not a manufacturer, but it used to be both.  Here’s the facts:

Lionel Trains:  

Lionel was perhaps the gold standard of model train makers back in the day.  Thanks to great marketing Lionel out flanked its enemies. It was Lionel’s marketing campaign that placed model train tracks around Christmas trees.  Their O [scale|gauge] trains which were one 48^th the size of [regular|real world|actual] [trains|locomotives] ruled the roast up until the 1950’s when HO scale trains started to take over the market.  Lionel began to have problems in the 1960’s and went through several rebirths before coming back in it current incarnation.  Now Lionel is making a comeback, again offering its O scale and some G scale models to a new audience of model train hobbyists. Their great trains are well loved by all.

American Flyer:  

We mostly recognize American Flyer trains as a line of trains now, but they were their own manufacturer until 1966 when they were bought out by Lionel. American Flyer was born in Chicago around the turn of the century.  They were bought out by A C Gilbert who also popularized the famous “erector sets” of the early 20^thcentury. American Flyer is partly still so popular as a collectible today because it offered such a strong alternative to Lionel’s O gauge trains. Switching to S scale, the company failed after World War II, even though the trains it produced turned out to be some of the most popular. Lionel kept and maintained American Flyer’s model manufacturing equipment when they took them over in 1966.  Lionel’s newly produced American Flyer trains are a top seller since the turn of the millennium.

Bachmann Industries:  

This is actually the most venerable of the three model train makers, created way back in the 1830s but was the the latest of the three to enter the model train business. Despite its move from the U.S. to China, the Carlisle’s and Bachmann’s ancestors still hold positions on the company’s board. Bachmann actually began to catch fire just after World War II when it began producing starter kits for middle class hobbyists.  Their success continues to this day and they remain one the leading HO producers in the world.

We have never had more choices in model training. The World Wide Web has created whole new possibilities for model train enthusiasts.  You can choose from almost any gauge and from any era of train at just the touch of button. It is not overstated to claim that these three companies are truly American classics.

Here is more information on Toy Model Trains. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.