A Guide To American Model Train Series - Lionel Trains
The American Flyer is probably the most well known of all model train series. They did achieve their peaks around the 40's and some other peak in the 60's, they had been around for much longer then that. Their popularity is also very famous now too and they are, I feel they are going to be still here another 100 years!
A toy maker in Chicago addressed as William Hafner, in the very early 20th century invented a model train built on a clockwork motor, actually for the use in toy cars. By about 1905 however he decided to put them into use in model trains as well. Good thing he did, the car didn't sell as well as trains.
William Hafner and his partner share the same name, William Coleman approached a small manufacturer of hardware, Edmonds-Metzel. They used this organization to start making clockwork trains in 1907.
They were first commercialized under the name of Edmond Metzel trains, because they were so hot on demand they needed a perfectly new name and they came up with the name of the American Flyer. This came about in 1910. Even the name of the hardware company they were using had too changed its name to incorporate the American Flyer name in it.
They begin selling like hot cakes for few reasons. They were quite cheaper then other popular makes of model trains at the time and because they were also quite a bit more practical then more budget style model trains of the time.
Mr William Hafner left the organisation around 1913. He used the funds he had already made and built up his own enterprise. Colemans American Flyer Trains. It did well for quite a period of time around the first world war. There were no competitors at that time due to the war. Right before the break out in 1938, the founders son with the exact name,took over the business after his father died in 1918 sold the American Flyer to a organisation called A C Gilbert Company. Gilbert already had experience in making toys, but he is clueless about trains.
At the same time he decided to moved the enterprise from Chicago where it was created to New Haven in Connecticut where he lived. He also begun to drastically re design the American Flyer and turned it into an S-scale model train in 1939. It is a copy of the popular O scale which is then the leader of the market.
The S-scale was much tinier then the O-scale and this made it more well known known with enthusiasts as it required less room to setup a proper track. The scale is 1:64, considerably smaller then the O-scale yet still very detailed and accurate.
He also made another change in 1946 that amended the realisticness of the American flyer more so. Model trains, electric model trains at that time had been run on 3 rail tracks. Not practical. He modified it so they ran on two rail tracks, much like their huge counterparts. These tracks had 7/8th inches between each rail. This made the trains operate better as well.
How ever, television was starting to take hold at this time also. This distracted many from their hobbies they would normally spend their extra time on. Likewise at this time, discount chain stores came into play, discounting train sets that organizations like A C Gilbert could not compete with. in 1962, Gilbert traded the American Flyer to Wrather Group. This organisation produced toys as well, but usually on a huge scale and tended to make poor quality as well. Sales of course fell through the floor and in 1967 the corporation went bankrupt.
A superior toy train maker and the market leader at time, Lionel Corporation purchased the American Flyer. This organization itself was having trouble with finances also and they too went bankrupt in 1969, so they sold off the rights to the American Flyer to another manufacturer, General Mills.
This enterprise, General Mills, started trading numerous of the designs of the original designed Gilbert American Flyer, it however sold off everything it bought from at that time Lionel Corporation to Kenner, who then in turn sold the organization to a man named Richard Kughn. This happened in 1985.
Mr Richard Kughn had large success with the firm and design for 11 years, but he sold out in 1996 to a enterprise also known as Wellspring Partners, who then took on the first name of Lionel and named themselves Lionel LLC, which still operates now.
They sell the S-scale American Flyer still. They were actually concentrating on selling other scale models, but in 2002 they started selling more and more of the American Flyer.
The American Flyer nowadays is more then 100 years old and has gone through many extraordinary hands. It is still well known and growing stronger and stronger. Lionel trains will not disappear so fast - 2368
A toy maker in Chicago addressed as William Hafner, in the very early 20th century invented a model train built on a clockwork motor, actually for the use in toy cars. By about 1905 however he decided to put them into use in model trains as well. Good thing he did, the car didn't sell as well as trains.
William Hafner and his partner share the same name, William Coleman approached a small manufacturer of hardware, Edmonds-Metzel. They used this organization to start making clockwork trains in 1907.
They were first commercialized under the name of Edmond Metzel trains, because they were so hot on demand they needed a perfectly new name and they came up with the name of the American Flyer. This came about in 1910. Even the name of the hardware company they were using had too changed its name to incorporate the American Flyer name in it.
They begin selling like hot cakes for few reasons. They were quite cheaper then other popular makes of model trains at the time and because they were also quite a bit more practical then more budget style model trains of the time.
Mr William Hafner left the organisation around 1913. He used the funds he had already made and built up his own enterprise. Colemans American Flyer Trains. It did well for quite a period of time around the first world war. There were no competitors at that time due to the war. Right before the break out in 1938, the founders son with the exact name,took over the business after his father died in 1918 sold the American Flyer to a organisation called A C Gilbert Company. Gilbert already had experience in making toys, but he is clueless about trains.
At the same time he decided to moved the enterprise from Chicago where it was created to New Haven in Connecticut where he lived. He also begun to drastically re design the American Flyer and turned it into an S-scale model train in 1939. It is a copy of the popular O scale which is then the leader of the market.
The S-scale was much tinier then the O-scale and this made it more well known known with enthusiasts as it required less room to setup a proper track. The scale is 1:64, considerably smaller then the O-scale yet still very detailed and accurate.
He also made another change in 1946 that amended the realisticness of the American flyer more so. Model trains, electric model trains at that time had been run on 3 rail tracks. Not practical. He modified it so they ran on two rail tracks, much like their huge counterparts. These tracks had 7/8th inches between each rail. This made the trains operate better as well.
How ever, television was starting to take hold at this time also. This distracted many from their hobbies they would normally spend their extra time on. Likewise at this time, discount chain stores came into play, discounting train sets that organizations like A C Gilbert could not compete with. in 1962, Gilbert traded the American Flyer to Wrather Group. This organisation produced toys as well, but usually on a huge scale and tended to make poor quality as well. Sales of course fell through the floor and in 1967 the corporation went bankrupt.
A superior toy train maker and the market leader at time, Lionel Corporation purchased the American Flyer. This organization itself was having trouble with finances also and they too went bankrupt in 1969, so they sold off the rights to the American Flyer to another manufacturer, General Mills.
This enterprise, General Mills, started trading numerous of the designs of the original designed Gilbert American Flyer, it however sold off everything it bought from at that time Lionel Corporation to Kenner, who then in turn sold the organization to a man named Richard Kughn. This happened in 1985.
Mr Richard Kughn had large success with the firm and design for 11 years, but he sold out in 1996 to a enterprise also known as Wellspring Partners, who then took on the first name of Lionel and named themselves Lionel LLC, which still operates now.
They sell the S-scale American Flyer still. They were actually concentrating on selling other scale models, but in 2002 they started selling more and more of the American Flyer.
The American Flyer nowadays is more then 100 years old and has gone through many extraordinary hands. It is still well known and growing stronger and stronger. Lionel trains will not disappear so fast - 2368
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posted by Frank Potter at 3:14 AM
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