Lionel Train Information
Lionel Manufacturing Company, the makers of Lionel trains, was founded in New York City by Joshua Lionel Cowen in 1900, according to the Lionel website. The Electric Express was the first toy train he designed. With over 100 years of business under its belt, Lionel Manufacturing Company has made thousands of toy trains that people still buy to this day.
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1930’s Trains
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The Great Depression affected the Lionel Manufacturing Company as it did everyone else. But that did not stop the company from designing and selling the standard-gauge steam locomotive, No. 400E. This new Lionel train came with a staggering price tag of $42.50, according to the Lionel website. In 1931, this price was a small fortune and beyond what most families could pay. In 1934, Lionel was close to bankruptcy. However, the profits boosted substantially after introducing the Mickey and Minnie handcar. This wind-up toy train only cost $1 and was extremely popular amongst train enthusiasts, according to the Lionel website. The oompany also introduced a steam whistle train, No.45N, that is still made to this day.
1940’s Trains
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According to the Lionel website, the 1940’s saw the introduction to the first locomotive that puffed smoke. This train was called the Pennsylvania S-2 steam turbine. However, because of World War II, Lionel stopped productions on toy trains to build compasses for the war. For the holiday season, Lionel offered a paper train as a substitute to its normally well-crafted toy trains. The paper trains were hard to put together, though.
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1950’s Trains
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The 1950’s saw record profits. With the release of a set of passenger cars to trial behind the No. 2343 Santa Fe and the detailed No. 6417 caboose, Lionel became the largest toy manufacturer in the world. According to the Lionel website, in 1959, Lionel introduced the No. 6470, an exploding boxcar. Also in this year, Joshua Lionel Cowen sold his share of Lionel to Roy Cohen.
1960’s Trains
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The 1960’s were not good for Lionel. With the loss of its founder and America’s interest in toy trains waning, Lionel felt the pressure. The company introduced slot cars and science kits that failed in increasing sales. By the end of the 1960’s, Lionel filed for bankruptcy and signed over the train manufacturing to General Mills, according to the Lionel website.
1970’s Trains
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The biggest train to release for Lionel is the 1970's was the Mickey Mouse Express, according to the Lionel website. This train was a hit and became a collectible.
1980-90’s
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Seven commemorative boxcars were released in 1980 in honor of Joshua Lionel Cowen’s 100th birthday. On the side of each of these boxcar is a highlight of Joshua Lionel Cowen’s life. In 1989, RailSounds was introduced. This train had audio of train sounds that made the toy train very realistic. The No. 700E locomotive was reintroduced with massive sales. Many different toy train technologies emerged during the 90’s. RailSounds II was released that had better detailed sounds of a locomotive and a wireless train system called Trainmaster was released.
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