The classic train, known as the Lionel Train, is an American based train that dates all the way back to 1901 and has continuously stayed on top in way of popularity.

Whether or not you are only starting your collection, or even adding to it, you will find that there are certain things you must do in order to purchase only the best and brightest of the Lionel Train available.

You can find everything from pre-war Lionel Trains all the way to more modern and innovative designs from present day train designers.  Whatever your reason, keeping educated is highly important.

Origin and History

First you need to understand the origin and history of the Lionel Train.

The inventor and entrepreneur who thought up these beautiful trains was Joshua Lionel Cowen.  He used the trains as a means to draw in customer attention by displaying the train in the store window.

Instead of the merchandise within the store, he found his customers continuously wanted the train itself and he started making them in order to keep up with the demand.

The trains fall into three basic categories or time periods: Pre-War Trains, Post-War Trains, and Modern Trains.

You are able to identify which time period the train falls under by locating a number on the bottom right hand side of the train itself.  Once you have the product number you can use a basic train guide to gather more information about that particular train!

  Accessories

Next, you need to choose the accessories you want to go along with your Lionel Train.

Many train owners have particular tastes, and tend to lean toward building a train for a specific era.

There are those who also look for collectible train sets such as Mickey Mouse and other name brand characters.  While these are very popular, the most popular train building trend by far is in way of certain road names.

Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Great Northern are often highly sought after Lionel Trains and collectors do what they can to get a hold of these particular names.

Other times users tend to go for different types of boxcars, or even those trains that make sound!  Whistles, bells, and other noises are all a part of certain Lionel Trains.

For your tracks you can even customize and choose particular types of pathways and signals just like a traditional and real time railroad track!  The Lionel Train has it all.

After you have compiled your train, you are now in a position to determine its value and see what other features you may, or may not, want to add to your system.

Determining the value is a big plus for first time and beginning enthusiast, and is always the second most fun part of the project.

The first?  Playing with the train of course!  By finding your perfect train you have not only made a solid investment, but created a thing of joy to share with your friends and family.

If you are truly a beginner and are looking for help, we’ve got it!   Check out our step-by-step guide on Model Railroading.  Here you will find everything you need to get your on your way to Model Railroading.

With a little basic research, and a bit more love and care, you can build the Lionel Train of your dreams in no time at all.