Lionel Trains of the 1940s

I’m pleased to introduce Lionel Trains of the 1940s, the latest special issue from Classic Toy Trains, for 35 years the premier source of information and inspiration for people who operate and collect toy trains. Our editorial and art teams have spent much of the past year gathering information to present in a clear and comprehensive manner so readers can appreciate the landmark trains and accessories the Lionel Corp. developed and put on the market during one of the key decades in its history. The articles are new material. Some of the topics, notably those dealing with the years after World War II, have been covered in CTT. The great work of postwar expert Joe Algozzini has influenced the articles and photos presented here. We’re grateful for his contributions, as…

So many decades in the 120-year history of Lionel stand out as having witnessed a transformation at the firm. Experts have made solid cases about the significance of the 1910s, the 1930s, the 1960s, the 1980s and the 2000s. The focus in this special issue – the title should give it away – will be on the 1940s as a momentous and meaningful decade at Lionel, a time with lasting impact. The 1940s take on significance for three notable reasons. First, over that decade, executives worked closely with their counterparts at Lionel’s industrial facilities to achieve profitability by developing a group of trains differing in appearance, operation, and price. They sought to offer consumers a choice between reasonably priced, fanciful, and colorful toys and more expensive realistic scale replicas of…

The leadership at Lionel, like most Americans in 1940, tended to look forward with both hope and trepidation while at the same time never forgetting the recent past. President Joshua Lionel Cowen and his top assistant, National Sales Manager Arthur Raphael, knew that war had broken out in Europe and President Franklin Roosevelt was planning to run for an unprecedented third term in the White House. They likely worried about what might happen if the U.S. entered what would be a second world war and whether the Democratic administration could go on steering the nation through economic uncertainty and foreign threats. The same tendency to regard the present with guarded optimism explained how Cowen and Raphael, recently joined in the upper ranks of the corporation by the former’s son, Lawrence,…

Examining the trains from 1940 often leads to the conclusion that a quest for realism governed everything Lionel did for that pivotal year. But an investigation of the outfits available and the assortment of rolling stock listed in the catalog reveals a more balanced view. Much of the line consisted of beautifully painted models whose bold and brilliant hues, compact bodies, and shiny details announced unashamedly they were toys. It’s time to shift attention from the classics – the Hudson and the four new O scale replicas of freight cars – to the wonderfully colorful and toy-like boxcars, gondolas, tankers, and more carrying on long-standing traditions at Lionel. Let’s concentrate on the No. 2650 series of models. They were used to fill many of the O gauge freight sets cataloged…

There was much to appreciate about the line Lionel released for 1940. The No. 700E Hudson returned for another year and was for the first time pulling O scale replicas of contemporary freight cars. Also on the market to satisfy model railroaders and toy lovers were the classic Union Pacific and Milwaukee Road streamliners, along with a superb assortment of stations, tunnels, and signals. Accessories also distinguished the lineup. Besides introducing three automatic trackside items that would become postwar stalwarts, Lionel brought out two freight loaders and an operating bridge unlike anything ever offered. All succeeded so well corporate leaders reissued them after the war. The Nos. 164 log loader, 165 magnetic crane, and 313 bascule bridge transformed the toy field while entertaining operators. Their details and animation have been…

An interview with virtually anyone employed at Lionel during the 1930s would have focused on what he or she did with electric trains. Circumstances changed dramatically by the closing months of 1941. The jobs of increasing numbers of engineers, toolmakers, assemblers, and even sales personnel were related to the development of products for the U.S. Navy rather than electric trains. A few other employees were involved with a new product aimed at reaching more youngsters – chemistry sets made under the brand name “Chem-Lab.” Still, trains were the bread and butter of Lionel in 1941. Dozens of outfits – from the small OO gauge ones to the big O gauge ones using O-27, O-31, or O-72 track – filled the consumer catalog. The quantities offered might not have surpassed what…