The History of Model Trains

Joshua Lionel Cowen invented model trains (and model railroads) in the early 20th century. While brainstorming creative uses for electrical current and tinkering, Cowen came up with the concept of model trains and the working model railroad. Using an electric motor attached to a blade (resulting in a battery-powered fan), Cowen was able to move a miniature car around a set of handmade tracks. He brought the idea to a local toy store and the owner purchased several sets. The sets quickly caught on, in part because railroads were at the height of their popularity and importance in America at the time. Cowen founded Lionel Trains and began producing miniature locomotive engines and railroad cars that could move around a track under electrical power. Cowen became famous for producing accurate replicas of real trains and continued to introduce new innovations to his model trains and tracks throughout his lifetime. Today, Lionel Trains are among the oldest and most respected model trains on the market, but many other companies also produced their own in the intervening years. Even in today's modern age, when train technology is far from new to the public, model trains are popular with children and adult collectors alike.