The Tale of Lionel (Both of them) | The Masters of Classic Toy Trains | History in the Dark

[@ShadowScrub]

Anyone else notice basically all the footage from this video is from I Love Toy Trains? I loved watching those videos as a kid, then going downstairs to play with Grandpa's Lionel trains... Good memories...

[@Smug_1996]

RIP Tom McComas

[@Marx-109]

@@ShadowScrub yes I did, It's Nice. I had the DVDs. Thanks for noticing 👍

[@JohnSaavedraLikesTrains]

@@Smug_1996 Did he die?

[@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore]

Yeah. I used to have DVDs of that series as well. So much childhood nostalgia.

[@Marx-109]

@@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore I didn't have the whole set. But just A some here and there.

[@theconceptualist8626]

My grandpa has a Union Pacific F3 freight train from 1951, who got it for Christmas when he was 3 years old. I found it buried in the garage in a box that used to belong to a portable toilet, along with all the original papers, catalog and packaging, and loved it so much I sent it off to be restored. When I brought it back from the shop, fully restored, my grandpa was so happy. Best $900 ever spent.

[@Butchybub1975]

Yesterday the creator of I love toy trains passed away. RIP Tom Mcomas, hope Mr. Cowan is waiting for you at the gates.

[@justinyoung109]

No way! RIP man! his videos helped get me into toy trains and I still watch them today with my train buddies.

[@railroadmillion681]

What's gonna happen to TMBV since Tom Mcomas is dead?

[@theshinxhunter]

This was surprisingly nostalgic for me. While I didn’t own a ton of Lionel stuff myself growing up, I did watch virtually all,of the I Love Toy Trains videos from the time, which heavily featured Lionel products in their model railways - and a good deal of footage from it was used here. Thanks for covering this, great topic idea!

[@ThomRealEstate-k1y]

I never had Lionel trains as a kid. Back in the early 1950s my mom had a very bad experience when she applied for a job there. She swore she’d never get her kids Lionel. My first train set was an American Flyer but they were out of business. I then got a Marklin set.. I still have it and have expanded it ever since. Now 56 years later I’m still collecting Marklin today.

[@e-train765]

Holy hell I had no idea Johnny Cash did a Lionel commercial

[@BB_Sebring]

@@e-train765 He did multiple, even doing a jingle for one of them

[@deerfoxthunderteam1649]

My grandpa had a model railroad when I was a kid. He modeled East Broad Top. He told me his favorite model he owned was the M-1, a gas-powered railcar. He now lives in a retirement home due to Alzheimer's disease, but he still remembered things like that. Seeing a model train always makes me think about him and how much fun we had together.

[@jaxonchavez7025]

I love how most of the footage is from I Love Toy Trains; this is just huge nostalgia. and to hear more about the famous Lionel?! this is just perfect!

[@tacticalcalebgaming7264]

Do Athearns next One of the toughest build and stupidly reliable If you have old one like about 80s it can still run

[@justinyoung109]

Seconded

[@Marx-109]

Did you know that Lionel built the compasses on the Iowa class battleships.

[@tacticalcalebgaming7264]

I did not know that that’s awesome

[@SamuTheHamu.]

I’m sorry what?!

[@Marx-109]

@@SamuTheHamu. Yes, the deck compasses on Iowa class battleships were built by Lionel trains. It's something very random but cool. And now you know.

[@BattleshipOrion]

Those compasses were also used on other ships, the South Dakota's, and North Carolina's mainly. Dunno about the others, or any of the ships salvaged at Pearl Harbor...

[@LevinCrawford]

I will admit, you can’t beat the sound of a classic Lionel whistle.

[@Marx-109]

@@LevinCrawford mine shorted so I removed it.😞

[@colestrains1]

@@Marx-109replacements are easy

[@Marx-109]

@@colestrains1 where can you find them? I would like to fix it. Also I like your content.

[@colestrains1]

@@Marx-109 thank you! It depends on what whistle tender you have, you can usually find out what version by the number stamped on the bottom

[@Marx-109]

@@colestrains1 thank you, this information is helpful.👍

[@ALCO-C855-fan]

Yeah Johnny Cash really loved trains.❤ In fact when I first heared Cargo movin' people, I thought it was him XD.😂😂😂

[@NepsiaV2]

Awesome Video! I currently own Postwar and MPC Lionel Trains and still do use them ❤

[@frederickbooth7970]

Absolutely a fantastic display of model trains. My Father & brother had many of those you showed. My father had the large scale with all steel locos & cars & rails while my brother had a very elaborate large table set of HO scale with many bldg.s he made himself along with trestles, tunnels, stations, farmhouses. Makes me miss the mid-60`s when my family were all alive & living in Eastmoreland Portland , Oregon where we had all these model train sets along with a player piano in our old 1922 built Cape Cod stye home. We used to play the player pianos music rolls by pumping the pedals & playing Christmas music in July!

[@hunterschwartz256]

I own exactly 1 Lionel train that my grandpa left me from his childhood. But very strangely enough, I own a LOT more Lionel but not trains. Lionel also makes and distributes Nascar die cast racecars. And I have a large collection of those.

[@joshuacampbell9990]

Being a postwar Lionel collector/operator, you can tell how in the early years of the postwar period Lionel was trying to make as realistic products they could for the time. As the times went on they started focusing on making stuff to sell and would catch a kid’s eyes. Personally, I love finding this stuff!!

[@josephchavez91]

Absolutely love Lionel. Grew up with it and still do with all modern Legacy Locomotives

[@alfonsolanzagorta5138]

Awesome video. You treated the Mexican disaster quite fairly. Here you have some information about it Since the early 70's, Lionel signed a dealership with a long tenured mexican toy manufacturer (Lily Ledy). As a matter of fact, a hughe portion of Lionel's HO production was made in Mexico by them. I have 2 of those Ledy Trenes (That was their name here) and they still work wonderfuly. But there's one issue. Lily Ledy was bought by MPC in 1979, and they have hughe problems with the union, so Lily Ledy's plant in Naucalpan (Mexico City area) closed in 1981. They switched production then to Tijuana (Frontier city, next to San Diego) with highly unskilled laborers and they had also union trouble over there. That was told to me by a former Lily Ledy plant manager who was hired to start the plant at Tijuana, but quited after 3 months knowing the mess to come. Who knows, maybe in a few years, they will bring some production back to Mexico, now better prepared to do it right.

[@SteamKing2160]

Lionel trains are definitely a treasure that is quite close to me and I got Lionel trains from each era: - Prewar - Postwar - MPC Fundimensions - Modern Era - and contemporary/future era? Im not sure if the modern era ever ended.

[@RoadWarrierPosers]

What else on the planet outlived ALL it's owners. What a legacy he left behind. Thank you!

[@KarlBisila261]

I recently got into lionel trains, i had only ho bachman but found a Milwaukee road 261 legacy for sale and jumped on it! My dad has an old cannonball express from his younger days so I know it's special for him to see me join the hobby. It's definitely a unique hobby, spendy but definitely a great hobby!

[@EmmetBrickowski]

Great video enjoyed it very much. I have two of the g gadge polar express that I bought when toys r us was around. I still have them to this day. But you should do one on lego trains since there are thousands of steam locomotives and layouts done by many people in the lego community mainly people that mocs (my own creation). That would be great to see.

[@NotGavin]

I own a few of the original Postwar models from the 50's, it's amazing how long they last with only simple maintenance

[@kennethross786]

My parents got me into model railroading when I was a kid (this would have been the early/mid 1980s), and I had several Lionel pieces. The iconic Santa Fe F-unit, a dummy "helper" locomotive, and three passenger coaches in matching silver finish. I also had a 4-4-2 steam locomotive (I don't think it was based on a specific type, however). It was one of the models that had the smoke and the speaker that gave the chuff-chuff sound and I think the smoke actually came out the stack in concert with the chuff-chuff sound (it's been years so I can't recall for sure). I also had an "electric" locomotive, complete with a dummy pantograph and some freight rolling stock as well. I ran that Santa Fe diesel until it quit (either the motor wore out or the gears connecting it to the drive bogey failed).

[@johncmitchell4941]

Must have been Christmas of '58 that Brother & I got our start with Lionel. From then on all I ever wanted to find under the tree was train stuff. Still have all the pieces but have accumulated way too much more since then. lol

[@BattleshipOrion]

You're right I do own ONE Lionel...a relatively new Southern Pacific caboose in HO. Got it to run with my Ho GS4 and 0-6-0.

[@JarradBruessel32]

You didn't mention their christmas ornaments.... I own many lionel christmas ornaments. My parents buy me a new one each year for christmas. They have since I was a baby

[@colestrains1]

Those are bassicly completely made by hallmark

[@Thebenvars]

i love this, good job

[@vinceargado9892]

I have quite a few Lionel trains, Thomas and friends, (James Percy, Thomas, Diesel, etc) and other awesome things

[@Indy500huskfolf]

Anyone remember the computer game Lionel Train Town? I still have a CD copy and still play it from time to time.

[@ALCO-C855-fan]

Wait, there are 2 Lionels?!❤

[@Marx-109]

This is a video I have wanted to ask you for. But you got to it first ❤👍🙂

[@fireutility21]

I recognize A LOT of the footage used in this video from a VHS tape I had as a kid that showed something like 5 or 6 high quality train layouts... I loved that video and watched it all the time. I wonder what happened to it?

[@TrainMedia00]

I own a Lionel lines from Model Railroad Crossing in Texas and a classic old lionel train from someone near Houston. I love Lionel trains, not only is on of my favorite model train company but they are good at building the trains from the real life counter parts (Barely) expensive to buy but it's a good looking train from images and catalogs, I wish Lionel lowered their trains cheaper or card availability but I don't know yet, but still the locomotives and trains are awesome just to look at. I was dreaming of creating my own train simulator (To beat up Trainz and Microsoft Train Simulator) I called it Lionel Train Simulator builder your own train, add more than 200 cars, locomotives and stuff from real life counter parts, color your own locomotives and cars, your own layout, online with friends and etc.

[@EdsBrain]

While I never owned Lionel, it is most well known. In fact I know it due to I love Toy Trains and the PC Game 3D Lionel Train Town. My Grandpa had a HO set from Athern and it was the first thing I was fascinated with as a kid. While other hobbies have added afterwards like cars, video games; Trains will always be my first.

[@csxtrainfan319]

I’ve got NASCAR’s Racing cars made by Lionel ( Like Denny Hamlin’s 2023 Mavis Tire and Brake car from Pocono ) but never got a model train set from them. I learned a lot about Lionel from video like them dating as far back as 1900

[@justinyoung109]

hey, fellow NASCAR guy!

[@bigcstrainsthings6149]

I'll like to see on on Bachmann

[@buecomet831]

I think you forgot the J1 700E Hudson, one of the most iconic lionel trains produced.

[@kensbackshop6399]

Do a video on MTH that would be really cool ,,,MTH was far ahead of lionel in the 90s

[@justinyoung109]

This! Their history is frankly just as fascinating as Lionel despite them only dating back to the early 80's.

[@MilePost106]

The best Lionel’s were the prewar and postwar. Those are the only ones I prefer and will buy.

[@andrewbowen4544]

Has you're on the model train debate Darkness, How about you talk about the UK model train company Hornby

[@clevelandmaker386]

Are you kidding?..... Lionel was always expensive as hell....

[@harrisonallen651]

Lionel did have a Thomas And Friends license during the 90s and the early 2000s plus 2010s. Not entirely sure if they still own the Thomas license today?

[@Biker_Gremling]

Ok Darksness, Know you opened the floodgates and must satisfy the old world model trains brands: Hornby, Märklin & Jouef. Bonus points for Roco, Lima & Electrotren/Ibertren. Too easy? Japan awaits with Kato. Cheers!

[@Alpha-oo8]

I think I’m in the wrong country to own at least one Lionel. I imagine for people in the UK, the phrase would be probably be at least one Hornby. Here in Australia, I haven’t a clue what we’d own at least one of

[@atshinkansen7439]

Per country, these appear to be the big names: USA: Lionel UK: Hornby Germany: Märklin Japan: Kato

[@francisboyle1739]

Well if you're my age it would be Hornby. I have no idea what kids these age are into but I suspect it's nothing to do with trains.

[@dracoarton94]

Lionel may be a master of model trains, but their treatment of Nascar diecasts are atrocious

[@TerminalSports45]

You know you gotta do Athearn now, right?

[@TimOGhoul]

Ugh Darkness, I’d hate to pull my nerd card, but Lionel makes toy trains. Other scales by other manufacturers are model trains. The difference is like a Tyco Hammer R/C vs a Losi LMT.

[@justinyoung109]

Funny thing about your comparison is both companies Tyco and Losi have a connection to the model train hobby. Tyco made RC cars (in fact it was the last thing they ever did) and model trains. Briefly alongside each other; and Losi is as of 2001 (or 04 actually) a sister company to Athearn. I know this because I have owned both one car and one train from each company at different points of my life from the age of 5 to the present day (I'm 29 now)

[@TimOGhoul]

@@justinyoung109 lol I didn’t do that intentionally. I picked Tyco for the toy-grade r/c monster truck we wanted as kids (the Hammer) and Losi for their “everything we used to have to custom build for our Clodbusters” LMT. I’m well aware of Tyco’s HO train history. Most of my father’s trains are Tyco (brown box era) and a lot of mine were as well. I actually forgot that Horizon Hobbies owns both Athearn and Losi… it now makes me suspicious that I heavily favor both brands, lol.

[@justinyoung109]

@@TimOGhoul I've been embracing it lol. I actually ended up starting my RC life out a Tyco and ended up at Horizon. I just wish Mattel didn't eat Tyco alive in the 90's. Tyco would've been a goldmine for them. And to further add to the crazy. Lionel made a diecast car of a car sponsored by Horizon Hobby. Their direct HO competitor.

[@lirreckvelilla8274]

You got to do the story on how MTH tried to steal from lionel and ended up getting sued sending MTH under

[@SamuTheHamu.]

19:40 and you’d be right darkness.

[@carolinarailfanning]

The only lionels I have are vintage, and there in the garage somewhere... no idea where. I have no track because the track that they were bundled with was also vintage, therefore steel, therefore rusty. And I don't want to spend money on that new plastic roadbed stuff that doesn't wanna work sometimes.

[@brendanliamgill99]

Frankly my biggest problem with lionel is simply there steam locomotives are to dang high in price. I just want a Chicago&Alton 4-6-2 pacific locomotive for under 500$. There newest version is over 1000$. And frankly some of the second hand sellers of there stuff want dang near new production sticker price for a model made 10 years ago. Other than that i like them there neat.

[@brandonharris7516]

Wow

[@J50Fan20]

Do you take suggestions for videos?

[@CountryCarReviews]

No if you want toy trains made in the USA you’ll have to purchase Micro-trains N scale line.

[@PRROcto1361]

no Bachmann is way older then Lionel

[@LucianoSalazar1776]

I Have A Lionel Polar Express And Hogwarts Express!

[@sonic23233]

O Gauge the most expensive

[@Militiaman71]

I have an old HO scale brass DL-702 diesel locomotive made by ALCO models.

[@machanicalgu]

Too expensive from what I seen

[@markvogel5872]

You sir are a traitor. MTH is the best for O gauge trains! Lol😊

[@justinyoung109]

I love Lionel as a company, but as a lifelong Marylander, you are right about MTH lol