Lionel Motor
Posted in Uncategorized on 05/11/2009 07:51 am by admin
Lionel Motor
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 O ga lionel 4 wheel motor unit  US $18.99
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 lionel mpc motor US $.99
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 Lionel 42 large early standard gauge loco Twin Motor US $430.00
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 Lionel 675 Motor Roller Bracket Assy Stamping Flat RARE US $9.95
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The American Flyer Model Train
Although The American Flyer model trains were at their peak of popularity between the 1940s and the 1960s, they actually had a long history before that, and their popularity seems to be on the increase again today. William Hafner, working as a toymaker in Chicago, developed a clockwork motor for use in toy cars in the very early part of the 19th Century and by 1905 was making toy trains using that clockwork motor.
With a friend, William Coleman, and using a small hardware manufacturing business known as the Edmonds-Metzel Hardware Company, Hafner began producing toy clockwork trains during 1906-7. These Edmond-Metzel trains were sold so successfully through some major retailers that the brand name The American Flyer was adopted for marketing purposes and by 1910, the name of the hardware company had been changed to American Flyer Manufacturing Company.
The American Flyer trains proved very popular, in part because they were lower priced than other makes popular at that time, and also because their detailing made them more realistic than other low budget model trains.
Hafner left the partnership in 1913 to start up his own company and Coleman's American Flyer trains did extremely well during the First World War as they had no competition in the US from the German companies. By 1918, the first of the American Flyer electric trains were in production and business boomed during the 1920s but declined sharply during the Great Depression.
In 1938, William Coleman Jr, son of the company's founder, who had taken over the business following his father's death in 1918, sold the American Flyer to the A C Gilbert Company. Gilbert had been manufacturing and selling an extensive range of toys but not toy trains. He moved the company from Chicago to New Haven, Connecticut and immediately began to re-design the trains. He re-developed the American Flyer as S-scale in 1939 , a scale which was a modification of the very popular O gauge model trains then on the market. The S scale, which scales trains to the 1:64 ratio and made them smaller than the O scale trains, had a number of major advantages in terms of the track and track layouts.
In 1946 Gilbert made another major change to the American Flyer. Until that stage model electric trains had run on three rails, with the centre rail carrying the current. Gilbert developed a two rail system for running the American Flyer. This two-rail track, which had seven-eighths inches between the rails, made the track layout, and hence train operation, more realistic as the track now looked like 'real train track'.
With the advent of television - to distract both younger people and older people from their regular hobbies - together with the rise of the discount chain stores which undercut prices and demanded lower wholesale prices, A C Gilbert Company ran into trouble and in 1962 was sold to Wrather Group. The new owners produced lines of toys, including model trains, which were of very poor quality and sales dropped sharply until in 1966 production of the American Flyer ceased. By 1967 the Company was bankrupt.
At this time, Lionel Corporation, which was itself in financial trouble although it had been the leading model train manufacturer for many decades, bought the rights to the American Flyer. However, by 1969 Lionel Corporation itself was bankrupt and sold the rights to the manufacture of its model trains, including the American Flyer, to General Mills.
General Mills began selling some of the original Gilbert designed American Flyer trains by 1979 but in 1984 sold its Lionel Company section to a toy manufacturer, Kenner who on-sold the company to Richard Kughn in 1985.
Kughn was very successful for over 10 years with the Lionel and American Flyer trains but sold in 1996 to Wellspring Partners who set up the company Lionel LLC, which operates today selling a range of model trains, including the S-scale American Flyer. Initially Lionel LLC concentrated on promoting the O and O27 scale model trains of its original lines but since 2002 has been releasing more and more American Flyer models.
The American Flyer then, is now more that 100 years old, and has gone though a number of ownerships and fluctuations in popularity. Dedicated S-scale enthusiasts now believe that this renowned model train is once again making a resurgence.
About the Author
John Vanse, a model train enthusiast, has a number of websites concerned with model trains. All these sites can be accessed through the hub site:
The Model Train Guide
For more specific information about American Flyers see:
American Flyer Model Trains
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Lionel $29.99 Liv & Flo Lionel - Framed Art Print |
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Lionel LIO18436 Dodge Ram Track Inspection Vehicle $85.18 Shown in Lionel's 1997 Heritage catalog, the Dodge Ram Track Inspection Vehicle was introduced as the boldest, most aggressive design in truck history. Blueprint-accurate styling and contemporary Lionel-New York Central markings make the Dodge Ram a must-have for any Lionel railroad. The Dodge Ram includes in electronic reverse unit, giving your customer complete freedom with forward-neutral-reverse operation! Illuminated head and taillights, precision can motor, metal wheels and axles, and top-quality Lionel decoration. Length: 7". |
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Lionel Richie $6.49 Lionel Richie |
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Lionel LIO28425 Polar Express Elf Handcar $133.08 The elf hand car to go along with the Polar Express features a powerful maintenance free motor and traction tire. Look for the other Polar items as well. Powerful maintenancefree motor. Traction tires. Gauge: O Gauge. Minimum Curve: O27. Dimensions: 4 . Suitable for use with any Lionel Train Layout. |
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Lionel LIO18054 1665 Nyc 040 Steam Loco $396.19 These diecast metal switchers are ready for action on any layout. Push or pull rolling stock with dual operating couplers. Each locomotive also includes an allnew realistic steam whistle. Operating whistles headlights and couplers. Realistic smoke. Minimum Curve: O27. Affordable additions to Lionel train sets. Perfectly matched to Lionel Traditional Rolling Stock. Transformer controlled forward neutral and reverse operation. Electronic steam whistle. Powerful maintenancefree motor. Diecast metal locomotive body and frame. Traction tires. Puffing smoke unit. Diecast metal tender trucks. Diecast metal tender frame. Directional lighting including operating headlight and backup light. Front and rear operating couplers. |
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Lionel LIO18454 7-1/2 Length 68 Blue Inspection $156.17 Lionel's original Inspection Car debuted in 1958, decorated in red and cream. Planning to produce another version, Lionel experimented with this baby blue color, very similar to the hue used on the Girl's set caboose. When sales of the original red model did not meet expectations, the blue prototypes faded away into history - until now! You'll want to own this great companion piece to our recently-produced red model from 1999. Pullmor motor, Two-position reverse, Metal chassis, Detailed molded body, Operating headlight and taillights. Features Body, Molded Plastic Body, Lighting, Headlights, Motor, Pullmor Motor. Gauge: Traditional O Gauge. Length: 7-1/2". Minimum Curve: O-27. |
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Lionel LIO18454 71/2 Length 68 Blue Inspection $193.35 Lionel s original Inspection Car debuted in 1958 decorated in red and cream. Planning to produce another version Lionel experimented with this baby blue color very similar to the hue used on the Girl s set caboose. When sales of the original red model did not meet expectations the blue prototypes faded away into history until now You ll want to own this great companion piece to our recentlyproduced red model from 1999. Pullmor motor Twoposition reverse Metal chassis Detailed molded body Operating headlight and taillights. Features Body Molded Plastic Body Lighting Headlights Motor Pullmor Motor. Gauge: Traditional O Gauge. Length: 71/2 . Minimum Curve: O27. |
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Lionel LIO30118 A Christmas Story Set $341.87 It wouldn't be the holidays without A Christmas Story, so far 2009 Lionel produced this tribute to this classic movie. Set includes. 0-8-0 steam locomotive and tender. Boxcar. Gondola with box load. Caboose. FasTrack to create a 40 x 60 layout. Powerful CW-80 transformer and smoke fluid. Locomotive features include transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation; operating steam whistle with ON/OFF switch; operating headlight; puffing smoke unit; die-cast operating coupler on front of loco; operating coupler on rear of tender; powerful maintenance-free motor; traction tires. Rolling stock features include operating couplers; opening doors on reefer and boxcar; box load on gondola; die-cast sprung trucks on boxcar, reefer, and gondola; die-cast trucks on caboose; interior illumination in caboose. |
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Lionel Messi $99.99 Lionel Messi - Wall Decal |
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Lionel Barrymore $7.99 Lionel Barrymore - Photo |
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Lionel Stander $7.99 Lionel Stander - Photo |
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Lionel Jeffries $7.99 Lionel Jeffries - Photo |
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Lionel Ritchie $7.99 Lionel Ritchie - Photo |
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Lionel LIO28427 Christmas Snowplow $242.55 with its headlight ablaze, the Christmas snowplow is ready to work through the night to keep the mainline clear. Painted in bright holiday colors, this decorative car features the legendary power of a genuine Pullmor motor. Additional features include transformer controlled forward neutral and reverse, operating coupler on rear of unit, traction tire, and die-cast metal frame. |
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Lionel LIO18054 1665 Nyc 0-4-0 Steam Loco $320 These die-cast metal switchers are ready for action on any layout. Push or pull rolling stock with dual operating couplers. Each locomotive also includes an all-new realistic steam whistle. Operating whistles, headlights, and couplers. Realistic smoke. Minimum Curve: O-27. Affordable additions to Lionel train sets. Perfectly matched to Lionel Traditional Rolling Stock. Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation. Electronic steam whistle. Powerful, maintenance-free motor. Die-cast metal locomotive body and frame. Traction tires. Puffing smoke unit. Die-cast metal tender trucks. Die-cast metal tender frame. Directional lighting, including operating headlight and back-up light. Front and rear operating couplers. |
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Lionel LIO14097 Rotary Aircraft Beacon $81.07 Rotary Aircraft Beacon with vibrating motor that rotates beacon light. Metal construction Vibrotor motor Red and green lighting. Made with the Best Quality Material with your child in mind. Top Quality Children's Item. |
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Lionel The Trainer - WakeUp $10 Lionel The Trainer - WakeUp |
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Lionel Richie: Live In Paris $16.99 Lionel Richie: Live In Paris |
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Line Dancing With Lionel Blair $13.99 Line Dancing With Lionel Blair |
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Lionel Hampton Story $13.49 Lionel Hampton Story |
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Sonatas Arranged By Lionel Tertis $22.99 Sonatas Arranged By Lionel Tertis |
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& Lionel Hampton (Japan) $44.99 & Lionel Hampton (Japan) |
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Lionel LIO48062 Prr Dockside Switcher $129.48 In the American Flyer S gauge line, this Pennsylvania dockside switcher is an affordable addition to any layout of that gauge and is ready to work!. Transformer controlled forward neutral and reverse operation. Powerful maintenance free motor and momentum flywheel. Directional lighting including operating headlight and back-up light. Front and rear operating couplers. Traction tires. Puffing smoke unit and die-cast metal frame. |
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Lionel LIO31960 Polar Express Set $343.9 It's back! What is now called a Christmas Classic movie right next to "It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Christmas Story". It is even improved from the previous versions AND will have additional add-ons that will be coming out in the months to come!. 2-8-4 Berkshire steam locomotive (one of the most massive train engines to exist). Two illuminated passenger coaches that have silhouettes at the window depicting movie action. One passenger observation car with a new rounded platform and also with silhouettes. Three straight FasTrack sections. Eight curved FasTrack sections. One FasTrack terminal section. CW-80 transformer. Four articulated movie character figures, and smoke fluid. Air whistle in tender as well as operating coupler on rear. Engine with operating headlight. Powerful maintenance-free motor. Two traction tires, and puffing smoke as well as die-cast metal body and frame. Separately applied metal handrails and all-new pilot and headlight lens shield. Interior lighting and decorated drumhead on the obse |