Realism is in the eye of the beholder
When you think of toy trains, do you think of realism? Twenty years ago, my answer would have been a firm “No.” In the intervening decades, though, I’ve seen and learned some things that have shifted my opinion. It might be a matter of semantics, but “toy trains” really predate “model railroading” as a concept. First, there were trains that were moved by hand that were primarily meant for children. Once the miniature (relatively speaking) electric motor came along, and households were electrified, the needle really started to move toward “realism.” Scale O gauge models came to exist, and the pastime of “running trains” evolved into a hobby. Al Kalmbach’s first trains were O gauge and ran on three rails. They were also very rudimentary, but ultimately, made up a railroad. Locomotives and…
