SFX Whistle Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Rancho de Tia Rosa, a Mexican restaurant serving the Phoenix area since 1990.

Raildreams, a designer and builder of custom model railroads since 1994.

Hi, I'm Spencer Christian.

On this episode of Tracks Ahead, we'll visit an interpretive park in eastern Michigan that holds a steamy surprise.

We'll visit a man who has collected toy trains from the Louis Marx company, arguably the largest manufacturer of toy trains.

And we'll get to see a recreation of the 1949 Lionel showroom layout.

Now, everyone has heard of the famous Japanese bullet trains.

Started in 1964, they were the world's first high speed trains.

And they have continued to evolve into even faster rail transportation.

Annc: When you mention Japan, people immediately conjure up images of fast trains.

With help from the Japan National Tourist Organization and Japan Airlines, Tracks Ahead visited Tokyo for a first hand look at the high speed rail system.

They are called Shinkansen , which literally means "new trunk line."

These graceful machines combine creature comforts with extraordinary speed and reliability.

In this country of large and small islands, the city centers are bursting at the seams.

But out in the mountainous countryside -- which is dotted with active volcanoes -- much of the land is too fragile to build anything on.

Since Japan is almost 2000 miles long from top to bottom, the country needed a train network to accommodate its growing population.

Perhaps that's why Japan was the first country to build dedicated railway lines for high-speed travel.

The old network of narrow gauge lines was forced to take indirect routes from city to city.and they were slow!

But the Shinkansen are standard gauge lines.

They use tunnels and viaducts to go through and over obstacles, rather than around them.

Construction of the first segment of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka began in 1959.

The line opened in 1964, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics amidst much fanfare.

It was an immediate success, reaching the 100 million-passenger mark in less than three years and one billion passengers in 1976.

The first Shinkansen trains ran up to 125 miles per hour.

Takai: The Tokaido Shinkansen started in october 1964.

And took 4 hours between Tokyo and Shin Osaka station.

It was shortened to 3 hours 10 minutes the following year.

In 1992, the 300 model Nozomi made it's debut which shortened the time to 2 and 1/2 hours.

The train models are the 300, 500 and 700.

The N700 is under test run at the moment and will be ready in the summer of 2007.

Annc: Based on the theme of "more speed, more comfort, more beauty," the N700 series Shinkansen is the fastest train on the line, entering service in 2007.

Trains have a maximum speed of 300 km/h, and tilt up to one degree which allows the trains to maintain high speeds on curves.

This has reduced the travel time between Tokyo and Osaka to rwo hours and twenty five minutes, cutting five minutes off the previous schedule.

The N700's Aero-Double Wing nose shape provides optimal aerodynamic performance, while the interior offers a refined, peaceful, and tranquil riding space.

Comfortable seats, high intensity lighting, and such amenities as leg warmers all add to passenger comfort.

Today, the bullet trains carry over 154 million passengers each year and they are very much a part of the Japanese way of life.

One of the reasons for the success of the bullet trains is their safety and reliability.

Passengers expect them to be on time and they usually are, often to within a fraction of a minute!

Here at the control center, safety and efficiency are primary goals of the staff.

Kato: The main purpose of this center to allow the Tokaido Shinkansen to operate at the highest speed of 270km/h and in high density intervals which are 3 minutes in peak times.

There is daily massive traffic between Tokyo and Shin Osaka.

The center performs daily control to maintain safety, stability and accuracy.

Since the inauguration of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964, there have been no accidental casualties by train operation.

We are very proud of that.

From Tokyo to Shin Osaka, we average about 300 train services.

Today, for example, we have 316 train operations.

The center is divided into 6 sections.

Each section receives information from various places.

We process all this information and instruct the train drivers and conductors in order to maintain safe operations.

Annc: The bullet trains keep getting faster and faster with each new generation.

In 2003, a Shinkansen train reached a world speed record of 361 miles per hour.

With trains running at such high speeds and carrying millions of passengers each day, maintaining every aspect of the Shinkansen trains is critical to their safety.

The system shuts down between midnight and 6 am every day for a team of night workers to do their jobs.

Sato: We periodically inspect, repair, and clean the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Complete minor inspections are held every 48 hours.

There are on average 19 complete train formations.

One formation consists of 16 carriages.

Major inspections will be held every 30 days or 30,000km of running milage.

This will be done to 2 formations a day.

Complete cleaning will be done to 16 formations a day.

This work will be carried out by about 600 people, day and night, by JR employees and cooperative companies.

We do the maintenance during the day in between operations and after operation at night.

In the minor inspection we check and change parts regularly.

We check the condition and function of pantagraphs, tracks, running facilities, brakes, electric meters, and closing door operations.

On the major inspection, we again check pantagraphs depending on running milage, special high pressure route facilities, the main and supplemental circuit facilities, control circuits, door closers, brakes, trucks, meters, main and supplimental interior facilities, dialectric resistence units, etc.

Annc: Somehow, all this behind-the-scenes work doesn't seem to affect the cheerful and courteous Japan Railways' employees.

Passengers from outside Japan are often amazed at the professionalism shown by the Shinkansen staff.

Conductors bow when they enter and exit the cars; attendants offer food and drinks from carts with elegance.

It's very easy to buy tickets for the Shinkansen and reservations are a encouraged, especially for more popular trips.

Just look for this green logo to find the Japan Railways Office at the station.

There you can both make your reservation and buy a ticket.

Takai: JR Central and JTB have co-developed a plan called 'The Shinkansen Tour' which is a package of return tickets and accommodations of popular tourist cities like Tokyo and Kyoto.

The details can be obtained on our website and it is possible to purchase tickets at hotels after entry into Japan.

Annc: Passengers can look forward to even more comforts in the near future.

There are plans to equip many Shinkansen train with wireless internet access.

So you'll be able to get on board, have lunch, check your email and you'll arrive at your stop before you know it!

With all this - speed, comfort, safety and reliability - it's no wonder that the bullet trains have become a symbol for modern day Japan.

High speed rail service in Japan continues to expand as technology allows.

In the mid 1900's the largest toy maker in the United States was the Louis Marx Company.

They made a wide variety of toys, including trains.

And there were so many variations of each item, that it's a collector's dream.

Let's meet a man who can put an image to these varied items.

Annc: Before they were detailed scale models, electric trains were just toys.

From the 1930s to the 1970s nobody manufactured sturdier, more affordable toy trains than Louis Marx.

Today there are few collections of Marx toy trains and accessories that can compare to the one Ray Cox has assembled in this refurbished barn in southern Rhode Island.

Ray: What got me interested was, I had a toy train as a child.

It was a Louis Marx train.

I retired at 55.

I had a golden handshake and I said, "Well, what am I going to do in retirement? "

So I decided.

And I always was a collector of something.

As a kid I collected stamps or something.

But then I said I got the trains.

I never knew this was gonna grow this big.

Louis Marx.

Well, He was the toy king back in the 50s.

It wasn't just trains.

They had all kinds of playsets.

You couldn't beat him; he produced a lot of toys, like the tin plate gas stations I don't normally collect.

I got some of the old ones that went with the trains but I got one here I let the kids play with because I say, "Play with it.

It's a toy. "

And I let them play with them.

They're hard to break.

Annc: This extensive collection is the result of Ray's years of patient searching, shopping, and bargaining, and his development of a truly sophisticated eye.

And while the play sets are certainly a source for joy, Ray has focused mainly on the trains themselves.

Ray: Most of my rarest are my Joy Line.

which was back in the, started in the 20s right out of the Gerard Company, when he bought the Gerard company, and those would be my oldest and rarest.

I got some of the first trains he made, the Joy Line trains, and I only collect up to around 1975-76 when they kinda went outa business, when Quaker Oats bought the company, and then it faded out.

A lot of your pre-war, you got your pressed steel, tinplate and then later on, in 1948 and up they went to the plastic, but of course, some of it's mixed.

plastic and steel.

I started out just metal, but then I did venture into the plastic.

I have a lot of the 8 wheel tinplate from the 30s and 40s.

I like the lithographic tin, tin on the metal.

It's the tinplate.

I like the lithographing especially.

And they made a lot of it.

There are some sets where he only made them for a year.

They're rare.

I was looking for a Seaboard B unit they call it.

I found it, because it was only in one set for 1 year.

I believe it was 1953.

And then that was it.

I have one prototype, an army tank.

I cherish something like that.

I don't really look for prototypes because they're rare and usually another Marx collector has them.

they keep them.

Annc: Of course even a savvy collector loves to watch trains run.

So, Ray created a layout that would incorporate both the Marx trains and the Marx toys.

Ray: The layout, I decided to, I wanted to scale it to the best I could.

It's hard to scale it because it was made as a toy.

Most of the buildings from the playsets.

'cause Marx was big on playsets.

But I don't do the playsets.

I want to just, I look for just the tin buildings which I use in the layout to run with the trains trying to make it, trying to scale it down to the best of my ability which is tough to do but, you can do it.

It's total Marx, except for figurines.

He did not make metal figurines.

The figurines are all European, the ones I have up there.

But the track, transformers, everything is Marx, and the tinplate.

I used shingles for roads, stones.

I use lichen, moss, a lot of peat moss that I got right on my own property.

Ledge stones.

I didn't have to go out and buy it.

It's here.

Dried flows, pick 'em.

You spray paint them green.

You got a tree.

It's actually pretty simple, and very reasonable.

Annc: Thanks to Ray Cox for preserving an important element of our past.

the sheer joy of childhood.

Through his love and determination, he has helped us all, if only for a few minutes, to be kids again.

Most of us never got the chance to see the 1949 Lionel showroom layout in New York.

We'll get to see that in a moment, thanks to the efforts of a Missouri train and car enthusiast.

First, the Flint, Michigan area is famous for its car manufacturing.

But there's something here for rail fans, too.

Let's look in at an interpretive county park, where we'll find a railroad.

Annc: True rail fans often try to include a train outing during their family vacations.

It can be a visit to a rail museum, a famous layout or a ride on an authentic steam locomotive.

If you find yourself in the Flint, Michigan area, a trip to the Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad should be on your agenda.

This particular branch of the Flint Pere Marquette Railroad, which ran the 15-minute trip from Flint to Otter Lake, dates back to 1872.

Eventually, the track was extended for another 4 and a half miles to Fostoria, making the entire trip from Flint to Fostoria 19 and a half miles.

People used to say that the train was so slow that you could get off, pick the wild huckleberries that grew along the tracks, and then climb back on board with ease!

More recently, the railroad was acquired by the Genesee County Parks, making Huckleberry a jewel in the crown of the parks' system.

Amy: Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad is one of Genesee Country's primary tourist attractions.

In fact it is the largest tourist attraction in Genesee County.

And people come from all over the state of Michigan, all over the Midwest, all over the world in fact to visit Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad.

It's particularly interesting and exciting for people who are railfans.

We get emails for all over the world asking us about our equipment, and asking us about our programming.

Railfans are, well there's a reason why fan is short for fanatic because they are really passionate about the Huckleberry Railroad. "

Annc: A 40-minute train ride takes lucky passengers along Mott Lake and the scenic Genesee Recreation area.

Paul: We have two steam engines.

The engine behind us is former Denver & Rio Grande #464, currently the only operating K27 in the country.

Built in 1903, and came to the Huckleberry in about 1980, and it's been in service since its last overhaul for about 2 years now.

The second engine, more commonly known as Number 2, it's currently painted up as #152 for it's original owner, the US government.

It's a Baldwin built ten wheeler, built in 1920.

It has been the mainstay of the Huckleberry steam power since the park opened in 1976.

Annc: The completely restored Baldwin locomotives provide enough power to carry more than 400 people on its narrow gauge track.

Both locomotives are over 100 years old.

People have made interesting observations about the way they look going down the tracks.

Paul: The most common story I've heard is that when you watch her going down the track with the rods and counterweights, she looks like a hen with it's wings out, guarding it's chicks.

The mud apparently comes from one of the divisions she was running on where there was a lot of sloppy roadbed.

So she'd come back covered with mud.

Annc: Each of the historic coaches offers a unique glimpse into the bygone days of steam railroads.

There are 11 original and replica wooden coaches, followed by an original caboose.

Paul: The coaches we have from several different railroads.

We have two from the Denver & Rio Grande.

One from the Rio Grande Southern, then about a half a dozen cars that were built and ran for various railroads from Mexico.

Annc: Naturally, keeping the locomotives running and the coaches looking attractive requires a lot of care.

Paul: We do all the maintenance work in house.

We have a very well equipped machine shop in the locomotive end of the shop complex.

And the other end of the building is out coach shop.

WE do the majority of our woodwork and restoration in that structure.

From time to time we do bring in outside contractors or send stuff our for economic reasons, but we primarily do everything we need to do on site.

Annc: After your trip on the Huckleberry Railroad, you can relax by enjoying a 35-minute excursion on the Genesee Belle Paddlewheel River boat.

It's a replica of the paddleboats used in Mark Twain's era.

The Belle has an open-air upper deck for sightseeing and the lower deck is climate controlled throughout the summer and fall seasons.

The rest of Crossroads Village is filled with 34 historic structures for you to explore.

This 51-acre village features everything from working mills and shops to private homes, all from the 1800s.

There's even a one-room schoolhouse.

Throughout the village, each quaint structure comes alive with artisans and working craftsmen who offer hands-on demonstrations.

Amy: In the early 70s, the Flint area was going through what was then called urban renewal.

And a number of historic structures were being torn down in order to make way for highways through this area.

And rather than being torn down, some folks wanted to save some buildings.

And the Parks Commission owns this property, and they said, "Can we just move the buildings there?

And leave them until we can figure what something to do with them.

Annc: Every aspect of the Huckleberry Railroad and Crossroads Village is a living history lesson.a place where families and friends can step into a bygone era and enjoy the pleasures of simpler times.

Paul: One of the things that really makes this railroad unique is that it's one of the few places in the country where you can go and ride in an 1880, 1890's wood car, and really experience the period railroad.

Music Annc: For the folks of Washington, Missouri, spotting Dean Bittick cruising around town in his vintage roadsters or pickup truck is a sure sign that Spring has arrived.

And when Dean isn't riding around in his antique automobiles throughout the Summer, he's restoring them in this large, climate-controlled shop next to his house.

But as the leaves start to fall and winter approaches, Dean shifts gears to enjoy his other pride and joy: this impressive 11 by 21-foot model railroad.

Entering Dean's model train room is like stepping into another world, thanks to the hand-painted mural which perfectly matches the colors and hues of Dean's Lionel O gauge layout.

Painted by a local artist, the mural features hot air balloons drifting in the background.

Although Dean had been building layouts since he was a boy, there were two major influences on this particular layout.

Dean: I saw the very first issue of Classic Toy Trains Magazine.

And it had on the cover a picture of Dick Kughn, and he was the CEO for Lionel trains.

And I also read in that article that he liked antique cars, which I do too.

It so happened that the Model A National was being held in Dearborn, and I wrote him a letter, stating that I was going to be riding in a Model A and would like to tour the Lionel plant.

So I wrote him a letter.

And unbelievable, he answered that letter and invited me to come see CaRail.

So when I went in there, here I see all the cars and I also see all the trains, thinking that someday, I was going to build a building that would allow me to do those kinds of things.

I saw the 1949 showroom layout, a neat drawing about that.

So I thought that I would try to duplicate the 1949 showroom layout.

Annc: There are some key differences between Dean's current layout and Lionel's showroom display.

Even at 16 by 32 feet, Dean had to scale down a bit to fit his space.

And you'd certainly never see one of these in a Lionel showroom!

Yes, it's an American Flyer up in those mountains.

Dean had two reasons for putting it there.

Dean: Something called forced perspective, and that is the higher you go up, the smaller things get.

So American Flyer being S gauge, is a smaller scale so it makes you think you're looking further away.

The other is, my cousin and I argued continuously for the last 50 years, which was better, American Flyer or Lionel.

Santa brought him an American Flyer, Santa brought me a Lionel and we argue about that all the time.

So I had to put an American Flyer in this layout for my cousin.

Annc: And just to prove that he still believes Lionel was the victor, Dean crowned the center of his layout with an exact replica from the Lionel showroom: the J.L.C.

Manufacturing Company.

This stainless steel bridge is another feature that differs from the Lionel showroom.

Dean: I needed a certain length of bridge for this layout.

It went over the log loader in the back.

And I met a gentleman who was a welder by trade, very talented, Jim Baughman, and he made this bridge for this layout.

When I saw how neat it was, I said, Have you ever thought about selling these to other railroad enthusiasts?

He said, "No. "

So that was kind of the beginning of the company called Stainless Unlimited.

We make a variety of different bridges now.

We advertise in Classic Toy trains, O Gauge Railroading.

We also advertize in Garden Railways and also we have a website www.stainlessunlimited.com so that's mostly where our business comes from, though the mail order.

Annc: Dean has managed to bring his love for Lionel trains into his "day job" as a professor of business and marketing at East Central College in Missouri.

Dean: Good Morning.

(Class) Good Morning.

Dean: How are you this morning?

Was your day good?

Good, good.

Got a big weekend planned?

(Laughs) I use the history of Lionel in the marketing class basically because of the evolution of the train market and the evolution of our population.

No doubt the baby boomers and the group to follow are the largest segment of the population, And we are ever changing, and Lionel had to change.

Some of the early trains were standard gauge trains, and back in the late 30's, homes were huge, you had plenty of room.

Later on that changed, and you look into the 1950s, and the 1960s', subdivisions grew, homes got smaller, thus the trains got smaller and we get to O gauge.

Also our interests changed, and Lionel went through a period of lower sales, space age was popular in the late 50's early 60's.

They made a space train, you can see how they were basically trying to go after that segment of the population that had changed their interests.

So it was ever changing as we are today.

Annc: Although he's retired now, Dean still teaches part time.

And he still loves to share his admiration for Lionel model trains and antique cars with the next generation of collectors.

Dean: Preserving history is important to me.

That's why I run post war mostly on here.

That's why I restore cars back to their original condition, that we can kind of take a little step back in history and see what Lionel trains and antique cars were all about.

Dean has plans to expand his layout room and garage to enable him to display more of his collection.

That's it for this episode.

Be sure to join us next time for more, Tracks Ahead.

Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Rancho de Tia Rosa, a Mexican restaurant serving the Phoenix area since 1990.

Walthers, manufacturer and supplier of model railroading products; serving the hobby since 1932.

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