The History Of Model Railway Trains

Model railway trains have been produced ever since the first train started rolling along the tracks in real life

. These giant, powerful creations captured the minds and attentions of the children, which created an industry for toy makers. Adults bought these toys for their children and helped them to set them up in the basement and other parts of the home. There was not much realism in the models at the time, but there did not need to be. The idea for the children was more being able to control the train as they sent them around the track.

More and more, parents became involved in the model railway trains their children were playing with. They sought out more detailed models to purchase for their own displays. New manufacturers emerged which started making models that looked very realistic. These models did not start out with any kind of standardized scale, so it was impossible to buy track from one manufacturer to use with the train from another. Standardization did not come along until much later. This posed a problem for people who already had a train and wanted to buy a new car from a different manufacturer.

Most of the major manufacturers of model railway trains were located in Germany. When WWI started up, it caused a disruption in the production and distribution of model trains in the United States and Europe. This opened up the door for many manufacturers like Lionel to get started in the United States. Lionel is a brand still known to model railroaders today as a good starter for those new to train modeling. The details are good, but not as detailed as many of the other trains that are available. This makes their price low, and sales high.

One of the big innovations in model railway trains has been in the material used for the tracks. A very big issue many encountered when setting up their model train was making sure there was proper grounding. Many times, the track would get shorted out because it was made completely of brass. When plastic rail ties became a common base, it made it possible to put the track in more places including a tabletop. The material of the rails themselves changed over the years from brass to the more common aluminum and stainless steel. Many still prefer brass for it's easy to maintain quality in all weather.

An issue many model railroaders have encountered over the years has been the issue of controlling their trains. In order to control multiple trains on the same track, it was necessary to have several junctures at which the power was connected to the track. You would then have to switch between these junctures in order to control the individual train. There was a switch in which you could reverse polarity so your train could go in reverse. These days, there are computers, which will effectively control every train on the track remotely without incident. There are sure to be many more innovations in the years to come.

David Blackburn has had a passion for Model Trains for over 20 years. His enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject of model trains can be found in his writing and his new book.

by: David Blackburn

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