Toy Train History
A collection of Public resources detailing the history of Toy Trains by well known manufacturers
A History of Marx Trains.
From the Train Collectors Association, Western Division.
A History of Lionel Trains
Courtesy of Lionel Trains LLC.
The rise & fall of K-Line Trains
How a press release led to the demise of K-Line trains. How did K-Line rise from obscurity to a major power in the world of toy trains, and how did K-Line fall so quickly and so dramatically into oblivion? Here’s the story.
A collection of intriguing insights on the history of toy trains from our members
These articles, submitted by our members, reflect the passion we have for certain topical areas of interest. Thanks to the expertise and knowledge obtained from years of collecting, dedication and research into their favourite toy trains, CTTA is proud to publish these fine articles. Enjoy!
Got something to share ? Please do.
Member’s Stories
The wrong Christmas
The wrong Christmas by Frank L. Schmidt, CTTA, March 2017 I recently received an early American Flyer train set in the original box. Before I purchased this set, there was […]
Wartime trains article
Wartime trains By Charles Reif, CTTA, TCA Is it “Prewar” or “Postwar”? With North American toy trains, that distinction has become a natural dividing line. This divide may be generational […]
Mettoy wind-up train set
Could this clockwork O gauge British train have been sold at Eaton’s in 1948 – 1949? Tinplate fan Charles Hare from San Antonio shared this with us. A British clockwork […]
Marklin figures set
Marklin’s Railway Accessories Figures Set, 2748G By Frank Schmidt, CTTA Published June 2016 This railway figures set first appeared in the 1934 – 35 Marklin catalogue (D11) as code 2748G […]
Marklin factory tour
My Marklin factory Tour By Frank Schmidt, CTTA The toy and train manufacturer Marklin was founded in Goppingen, Germany in 1859 as a family run enterprise. Despite many setbacks from […]
If trains could talk
A Hornby Princess Elizabeth has something to say By Frank Schmidt October, 2017 All trains have a story. I’m sure many collectors have bought a special locomotive and wondered ‘What […]
A brief history of Toy Trains for Canada
A brief history of toy trains for Canada By Charles Reif, CTTA, TCA, with an addendum by Robin Dodson, CTTA Originally published 2001 in the Canadian Flyer The first toy trains […]
Collecting trains – old and new.
Part 1 – A perspective, by John Constible.January 2019 Collecting trains over the years has been nothing less than enjoyable, fascinating, and intriguing. The new products and the many companies […]
Bing trademarks for CA & USA
Sequencing Bing trademarks for Canada and the USA By Charles Reif, CTTA, TCA Introduction: The Bing toy company was founded in 1863 in Nurnberg, Germany by brothers Ignaz and Adolf […]
Adventures in American Flyer tinplate lithography
What happened to the other half? By Frank and Melanie Schmidt This question has probably been asked a few times over the past decades by early American Flyer (AF) collectors. […]