Model Trains

Reviews

Be warned... this is the video that tripped my son's obsession with trains! He has been wathching this one probably at least weekly for a year and a half. He loves looking at the trains, singing the songs, and listening to Jeff (the narrator). I was looking for something innocuous to be an electronic babysitter, and even better than that my son now spouts tidbits about trains.

A little too much Lionel (as opposed to Flyer)and a little too much of "Jeff", but then this is a children's video. Overall, this is about as good as an electric babysitter gets. Our 3 year-old grandson never tires of watching, and has memorized about half of "The Wabash Cannonball" . Definitely healthy, educational faire, very tolerable for grandparents too (as compared to, uh, Barney.)

I got this DVD out of the library after my almost-2-year-old fell in LOVE with parts 1 through 3. I expected more of the same, but with better production values; I was not disappointed by the production values (the sound and video quality is EXCELLENT, particularly in comparison to 1-3), but I have to say that both my son and I aren't very interested in watching it. Instead of train footage accompanied by music, this video has huge amounts of commentary by the young boy "host," almost entirely talking about things we could care less about (loooong details of different models, when they came out, what their specs are, etc). The script was clearly written by someone a generation or two older than the boy reading it, so his comments come across as awkward and stilted. I'm not saying that a boy his age would not know those words, but I have a hard time believing he would use them while gushing about his favorite engine. Since at my son's age he speech music over long, drawn out speech, and the speech makes it hard for me to talk to him about what's going on - this is not a keeper for us. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library before buying it.

You have to get this series if you have a train fan in your life. It's just that simple. Aimed at toddlers, it is narrated by a child but it makes it all that much more interesting from their viewpoint. These trains do just about everything and it's neat to hear your toddler's reactions to what is going on. My favorite is when the trains get a bath - I heard all about that one from my little one! Grab all these that you can - they really are great videos and clean, which is definitely nice!

My son and daughter (ages 2 and 3 respectively) and I have been watching this series off of RFD-TV and we love it. It's got music, lots of action, some humor, great photographic quality and lots of history. It's hosted by a kid, which should tell you what audience this is aimed at. We don't have the DVD yet.. but if it's the same as what's shown on RFD-TV, which I'm sure it is, it's sure to be a favorite. At this age, they like it much better than "There Goes a Train", which has very little train action and lots of adults talking

Reviews

We enjoyed this DVD. It is interesting info on Lionel trains and their history.

This Video is an anniversary of the first 100 years of America's Favorite Model Train. Lionel! Tom Snyder hosts this special and this video shows the history of Lionel, some of the Classic Lionel Trains before World War II. This is actually containing two videos and in the second video, it shows the guy who brought back Lionel Trains, Richard Kughn. President of Lionel and it's Marketing. Also it shows some of Lionels biggest accessories too such as, the most favorite Milk Car, Water Tank, Cattle Car w/ loader to load cows. And also shows some old ads and what caught on the interest for Lionel trains. I got an old tin poster that my helping teacher gave me in 3rd Grade. It is the one from 1955 with a boy with his hands up and 6 trains below a bridge. I'm not much of a Lionel lover because I model with HO Scale trains and accessories. I used to be interested in Lionel though when I got my first Lionel set in December, 2001 as a birthday present. Then later on, I bought a Pipe Car which is a flatcar and I asked my cousin for a Milk Car on Christmas, it was the same thing only it was a Cola Car. But it did exactly what the Milk Car did, throwing cans out onto the platform. But later on in July, 2002, I started to go onto HO but I still like Lionel though and this video is for any Lionel lover out there. And it will bring back your childhood memories as well. Especially if you were a Lionel fan then.

Reviews

I was glad to get this item but a bit disappointed too. I thought I might give it to my grandson who is 3 because he loves trains so much. However I will have to wait until he gets much older to enjoy it. I think it is for older boys.

I made a mistake in picking this up. From the cover and title, I thought it would be about the Lionel trains I and so many other kids grew up. Not remotely. This is a book for Lionel hobbyists and aficionados, people who dote on every detail of Lionel's history. It is a biography of the company, a detailed exposition of the Lionel manufacturing process, its buildings and people. It is predicated on an early ad for the company featuring founder Joshua Lionel Cowen inviting boys (back then, the target market for toy electric trains) to join him on a "trip thru my factory" so they could learn "why Lionel trains are better". Author Robert Osterhoff is a retired Xerox executive. He is a mediocre writer, with s ponderous style - but a superb researcher. The amount of detail contained in this book is nothing short of astounding. Reproductions for old city platbooks show where the factories were located; copies of incorporation forms; reproductions of stock certificates reflect the growth and decline of the company. Catalog covers are reproduced, but alas, not the products within their covers. There are dozens of photographs of factory buildings occupied by Lionel during its histories, including many of the facilities as they exist today, abandoned or being used by others. Above all, this is a history of the origins of Lionel, its rise to dominance in toy trains and its rather sad decline, something many of the boys who played with Lionel trains paid no attention to. Reading about it decades after I last played with a Lionel train is sad. Lionel became a victim of the "conglomerate" craze of the 1950s - 60s when entrepreneurs used buckets of borrowed money to create hodgepodges of unrelated companies that were supposed to create profits through "synergy". A lot of money was lost and many fine old companies went down the tubes. Through his rather dense prose and abundant illustrations, Osterhoff does tell the story of Lionel trains. While this volume is clearly aimed at the Lionel enthusiast, the casual reader may find it interesting as well - but the hobbyist will gain the greatest benefit from this book. Jerry

I gave this book to my brother-in-law for Christmas. He already had a copy which he bought at a train show when it first was published. He was thrilled to get another copy because he is a collector and he loved the book. I would recommend this book to any adult who collects trains because, according to my brother-in-law, it is a must have book.

This book gives one a lot of interesting facts about the history of the greatest toy train maker in the world. They have survived all kinds of problems, and are still producing trains for collectors/operators of all ages.

I have to admit that I am not a collector of Lionel trains nor do I own a train set (no room at home). Having said that, let me now say that this book is indeed a very detailed history of the Lionel company, focusing mostly on the time period 1900-1960. The narrative is accompanied by a variety of photos, documents, and other items that help tell the story of this legendary company. This book is a good model for other writers to consider, if they are looking to write similar books on other companies. Personally, I could have passed on the incredible detail given to the first ten years of the Lionel company, but then I am not a collector, just a curious passer-by. This book is best suited for Lionel collectors. Also for people who are interested in an aspect of the toy manufacturing industry.

Reviews

The Model Railroader's Guide to Diesel Locomotives is an invaluable reference for model railroad hobbyists of all skill and experience levels. Absolutely no historically-accurate detail is spared in this minutely specific guide to history and development of diesel locomotives, from the boxcab switchers of the 1920s to the passenger and freight locomotives of the 30's and 40's to modern-day AC-traction-motor road locomotives. Charts of construction and service dates for each locomotive type will aid the hobbyist in selecting a historically appropriate model for each setting. It should be noted that The Model Railroader's Guide to Diesel Locomotives is a guide to the history, function, and appearance of diesel locomotives - it is not a step-by-step how-to guide for building them. Indeed, the wealth of researched information ultimately warrants its classification as a book about railroading history rather than a hobbyist book, even though the primary intended audience is model railroad hobbyists. An unparalleled resource on its chosen topic, highly recommended for anyone interested in pursuing detailed research on diesel locomotives.