Lionel Trains And The Birth Of Model Railroading

June 2, 2006

Model railroading has been around since 1825, when Joseph Ritter Von Baader built a model railway in the grounds of Nymphenberg Castle. He built it for the King of Bayern in order to encourage him in constructing a real railway project. In London in 1862, Joseph, Myers and Co was the first company to feature a steam-powered model locomotive in a catalog. Since then, model railroading has grown into a hugely popular hobby, enjoyed by millions of enthusiasts worldwide.

What About Lionel Model Trains?

Lionel is a well-known name associated with O gauge trains. Joshua Lionel Cowen started the Lionel firm in 1900, later developing Standard gauge (2 1/4-inch gauge) and helped to popularize O gauge. Lionel trains became a major model train manufacturer during the late 1940s and ’50s. In 1969, General Mills secured the rights to manufacture Lionel trains under the names Model Products Corp. and Fundimensions. Richard Kughn acquired those rights in 1986 and formed Lionel Trains Inc. In 1995 he sold the company.