Whether you are a novice or veteran collector, it is highly unlikely that you haven’t heard a thing or two about Lionel train sets. These are timeless pieces that anyone could be proud to put on display or hideaway for their own personal enjoyment.
History
Joshua Lionel Cowen was born to an immigrant family in 1877. His parents made the journey to New York shortly after the Civil War. Like many other young boys of the era, he grew up with a strong admiration for trains and founded Lionel in 1900. His mission was to make others understand the romance of the rails, how important they are and what they have stood for.
More than a century later, they remain one of the leaders of the toy train industry. They are known for their unparalleled customer service, attention to detail and innovative engineering. They take pride in knowing that many of their 50 million trains are still operating, even the ones sold back in 1900!
Getting Started
Train sets made by Lionel are only made from the highest quality materials. All of their sets come with everything that you need to get started. They feature a patented FasTrack system that not only snaps together in a breeze, it lets you run on a carpet, a hard floor or table. Lionel’s transformers are powerful, safe and easy to put together.
They do offer G-Gauge sets that use C batteries or rechargeable battery technology however, some of the most popular sets are the O-Gauge classics that have pretty much remained the same size over the past century. These are large enough so the trains stay on the tracks but small enough for little hands to enjoy.
The Lionel Thunder Valley Quarry Mine Set is a good example that comes with an 80-watt transformer, a gondola with rock load, flat car with steam shovel, searchlight work caboose, explosive cargo boxcar and more.
Adding On
Lionel train sets make it easy to add on! Anyone can join the Lionel Railroad Club for ideas on scenery, painting backdrops, adding dinosaurs or anything else that would make your scene more intriguing.
They also offer plenty of accessories you can always buy in the future to add on to your collection like railroad crossing flashes, bridges, illustrated bumpers, signals, station platforms, loaders, yard lights, covered bridges, freight terminals, park people, barrels, barrel sheds, carnival people, houses, switch towers, cooling stations and towers, construction zone signs, tunnels, metal bumpers, farm people, flagpoles, wildlife, ice packs, crossing gates, rock, Christmas accessories and so much more!
