Toy Trains

History of Toy Trains

The first toy trains date back to the nineteenth century. Soon, motorized editions followed, and they were typically powered by a clockwork engine or steam. Banking on the fact that toy trains would be a marketable product if accessories and add-ons were made available, German manufacturer Marklin created a series of trains, tracks, and other train paraphernalia. By the twentieth century, electric trains were introduced and continued to evolve. Trains became a popular gift for kids of all ages. While teen boys were especially enamored of the electric trains, plastic and pull toy versions were used more often for small kids, such as toddlers and elementary aged children.

Thomas the Tank Engine

Today, preschoolers have joined the toy train craze with the introduction of the Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas was introduced by the Reverend W. Awdry in a series of books that were created in 1942 by the Reverend for his son, Christopher. The stories continued to evolve, and the first of these, Three Railway Engines, was published in 1945. While the engines Edward, Henry, and Gordon were featured in this story, Thomas wasn’t introduced until the second book titled Thomas the Tank Engine. Christopher Awdry continued his father’s tradition by creating train stories for his son, Richard.

The little train and his friends continue to be a big hit among preschoolers. The characters are now produced as toys, books, and videos. The toy train series is extremely popular. There are toy trains which do not run on a track and come in a variety of sizes suitable for toddlers. There is also a large series of Thomas the Tank Engine trains that feature a railway with add-on pieces, including people, buildings, trees, etc. There are also train tables which are sold to accommodate these train sets.

Brio Trains

Brio is another popular manufacturer of toy trains. Brio offers an entire wooden railway system that can be set up on a train table. The railway system is made of beech wood and lauded for its durability and timeless value. Children can create new designs by adding accessories and additional trains. Accessories include the following:

• Bridges
• Towns
• Engines
• Trees
• Expansion rails
• Crossing guards with real lights and sounds
• Tunnels
• Playscapes
• Additional tracks

Lionel Trains

Lionel trains are particularly popular with hobbyists. In fact, Lionel train enthusiasts can join the TCA, Train Collectors Association. Guidelines for this organization, as well as collecting tips, can be found here. Whether you are buying toy trains for a child or for yourself, you’ll find hints on how to save money, what trains to buy first, what scale to purchase, and how to add to your collection.

Other Train Sets

In addition, there are several more toy train set manufacturers, and many of these advertise that they are interchangeable with the more well-known brands. These train sets include the following:

• Construction Train Set
• Walthers
• Lego Train Set
• Live and Learn Train Sets
• Hornby Train Sets
• KidKraft Train Set
• Discount Trains
• Bachman Electric
• Maxim Figure 8 Train Set
• Peg Perego Ride-On Train Set