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Tracks Ahead.

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Kalmbach Publishing Company producers of an online source for rail-related information, where you can discover model trains, toy trains, garden trains and even real trains.

(Horn) Kato Manufacturer of precision railroad models and the UniTrack System Music Hi, I'm Spencer Christian.

On this episode of Tracks Ahead we'll visit the sunny south to see the large railroad empire at Florida's Cypress Gardens.

We'll visit a theme park in the Pacific northwest and it's own live steam railroad and we'll look in on one of the oldest railroad clubs in US.

But first, one man is largely responsible for the popularity of toy trains in the 20th century.

That man was Joshua Lionel Cowan.

A man who's started with an idea for a simple flashlight and what he ended up with has delighted train lovers for all ages for over a century.

Ancr: Joshua Lionel Cowan born in 1877 grew up in Manhattan the eighth of nine children.

An intelligent, curious and extraverted boy, he often took apart his sister's dolls in order to see how they worked.

As an adult Cowan took a job at the Acme Electric Lamp Company.

At the small electrical shop he would develop the skills that would eventually enable him to launch his own business.

On September 5, 1900, Cowan and a colleague from Acme, Harry C. Grant, filed to conduct business in New York.

The firm would engage in the manufacturing of electrical novelties and would be known as the Lionel Manufacturing Company.

Roger: He came up with the idea of taking his small motor and using it to power a crude looking railroad car on a small loop of track.

He took that motor and attached it to the underside what was really a little box on wheels, devised a loop of track that was two and seven-eighth inches between the rails.

This was not a gauge that was that was being used elsewhere in the United States or in Europe.

Ancr: Cowan sold his first railroad car, not as a toy but to a shopkeeper to attract attention to his store windows.

It sold for $4.00, nearly half a week wages for most people in 1900.

Pretty soon the shopkeeper came back for another, turned out he didn't use it in his window.

He had sold it as a toy for the general public.

Roger: Lionel now had it's own product, it was determined to establish it's own niche in a rapidly expanding toy train industry.

By the end of 1902, sales had reached $22,000; by the end of 1900's they nearly tripled.

Cowan wanted surpass Ives Manufacturing which was the leading producer of toy trains in the United States.

To do that, he had to come up with a more extensive line of trains.

He began doing this in 1906.

He introduced a line of stamped metal trains that was built to a gauge of two and one-eighth inches between the rails.

No one else in the world was doing this, not in the United States, not in Europe, yet he called it standard gauge, a very bold assertion, yet very quickly this did become the standard among the electric train producers.

Ancr: A marketing genius, Cowan came up with a line of accessories that sold each for $1.50, at $6.00 per set plus $1.20 for batteries, this toy represented a huge piece of the household budget in 1902.

Roger: Cowan quickly learned two very valuable lessons from his domestic and foreign competitors.

The first was to establish a complete line of trains.

He learned this Marklin and other German competitors.

That line would include trains, rolling stock and accessories and this would give children the opportunity over time to acquire more and build their own little empire, their own little network of trains at home.

The other thing he learned, which was important was from Ives Manufacturing, that is the importance of having an annual catalogue, a wish book, in which children could look and see what was available and dream all year what they would ask for their birthday or for the holidays.

Doing this, they would see what they wanted for their empire and then have the toys there that they could indeed get.

The idea was, this could hook them into hobby for three, four years of their lives.

Ancr: From 1910 to 1920, Lionel sales grew 15 times.

At the time Lionel employed 700 workers.

Sales kept increasing and the company was a year round success, not just a Christmas only toy for boys.

In 1931, Lionel had its first losing year.

The depression had hit and no one had extra money for luxuries like toy trains.

Roger: In 1935, working with Walt Disney, Lionel introduced a hand car with Mickey Mouse at one end and Minnie Mouse at the controls at the other.

They sold for a $1.00 a piece.

They were also popular.

Cowan thought the idea that if the mouse had saved the lion was a brilliant one; even though it wasn't true, he promoted it actively in the newspapers.

Ancr: Until 1937 all locomotives and cars had been tin and painted for detail.

But in 1937 a breakthrough, the Hudson.

For the first time Lionel was able to economically mass-produce a completely die-cast locomotive with scale model accuracy.

This brand new state-of-the-art set sold for $75.00 which equal about $1,200 in today's prices.

In 1937 the Lionel Train Corporation went public issuing 77,500 shares and raising almost a million dollars.

Roger: In the late 1930's Lionel began to move away from the color and the whimsy that distinguished it's earlier trains and come up with more realistic and detailed models.

Standard gauge was abandoned and there was no question about the direction that Lionel was moving with very realistic models of top of the line locomotives and rolling stock around the country.

No question about the direction that they were moving.

By the time World War II erupted in the United States in 1941 and the following spring 1942 when Federal restrictions prohibited the production of electric trains.

Ancr: In June 1942 production was stopped by World War II, Lionel helped the Navy with navigational products.

When the war ended Lionel trains had a decade of unprecedented success.

Baby-boomer children all wanted a toy train for Christmas and Lionel's creative wheels were really turning.

Roger: Lionel's engineering department was coming up with more and more innovations from the whistle, remote control for accessories, operating cars that they developed in the late 1930's and after the war you got smoke, radio wave transmitters on trains and you got realistic knuckle couplers.

Every year the trains are looking better and line is growing larger.

It's a very exciting time for Lionel.

Ancr: After the war the company continued churning out trains and accessories that were must haves for kids and adults.

Roger: After the war, realism is still paramount at Lionel but it's tempered by a sense of fancifulness, a sense of whimsy.

The great example of this is the operating milk car, which children flocked to by the thousands and they want that.

Also there are bright and new colorful theme schemes on new diesels, the F-3 diesel that they introduced, this was another great moment in the country and Lionel's history.

What makes this happen will be innovations in paint masking, injection molding in plastics and powdered metallurgy; Lionel has taken advantage of the latest innovations in technology and developing them, adapting them to their electric trains.

Ancr: 1953 was a peak year in sales but in 1958 Lionel had its first losing year since the depression.

Interests faded and Lionel turned to airplanes, racecars, fishing rods and reels trying to diversify.

In 1957, Lionel created the Lady Lionel Train in-quote fashion colors of pink and lilac; although highly collectable now, it was a huge flop.

In 1959 with the business in decline, Joshua Cowan sold his company to his great-nephew Roy Cohen.

For the next four decades the Lionel name bounced from owner to owner and managed to survive.

Through the years new models and fresh interest have turned the company around as we head into a new century; Lionel trains are going strong.

Joshua Cowan died at the age of 88 in Palm Beach, Florida.

He would no doubt be thrilled to see his trains are still beloved around the world.

hH was an American success story and innovator who created a display item and turned it into one of the most recognizable toys of the 20th century.

But the man and the company did more.

They created something that made a boy feel like man, and man feel like a boy again.

The Lionel Corporation is still in business and still turning out trains for all ages.

Let's head over to Baltimore, Maryland now for a visit to the Clubhouse of the Baltimore Society of Model Engineers.

Not only are the clubhouse and the layouts impressive, so is the club itself, one of the oldest in America.

Ancr: The Baltimore Society of Model Engineers is the second oldest club of model railroad enthusiasts in the Nation.

Since 1932 people who loved model railroading have gathered here in Baltimore to share their love of model railroading and to do their part to preserve the history of railroading.

Everywhere you look here you find museum pieces and impressive artifacts collected by club members during the past 70 years.

Doug: One of the members of the club had ties to the Baltimore and Ohio public relations department, I don't know if he worked there, but any case he had some ties.

He contacted his counterpart in the PR departments at a number of the other railroads and asked them to send to him an example of their railroad herald that they would put on their freight cars or boxcars, on a four by four sheet of material, plywood or whatever.

What we ended up with is a collection of 32 authentic railroad heralds mounted on a four by four board so as you go around and look at the different heralds you'll see that they're different shades of reddish brown color, and we all think of that as boxcar-red and if you buy of a bottle modeling paint and you just by boxcar-red.

Each railroad had its idea about what boxcar red was; here you can get an idea of what they actually thought it was.

I don't think your going to find a collection like this anywhere else in the country.

We have the number plate, the builder's plate and a whistle off a Pennsylvania K-4 along with photographs of that locomotive when it was in service.

Ancr: The historical artifacts aren't the only things that give this place flavor.

Take a look at the reason the club organized in the first place, O gauge.

There's a giant O gauge layout that wow's visitors the minute they walk in the door; 13 feet wide by 70 feet long, the Allegany Northern rolls through the gentle foothills of the mid-Atlantic Piedmont region.

It's a layout that's frozen in time during the 1950's when steam was giving way to diesel.

Extraordinary locomotives and rolling stock, realistic scenery and structures, the mainline runs from Baltimore to Johnstown with a few stops in between.

It pays homage to a different era; the 1950's, which also happens to be the time Carry Davis joined the club.

Carry: I've always been fascinated by trains, I always remember standing on bridge watching the B & O railroad switch cars around in the 1930's.

I was always a Lionel toy train buff.

When I found out about the model railroad club, the BSME, through the Lionel model builders magazine back in 1930's I got on the streetcar and went over to 1613 North Chester Street where the club is located and there was this world of O scale trains which I had never seen before.

I didn't think anything was available but Lionel except special built scale models.

When I found out it was a hobby that anyone could get into, I've been here ever since.

Many visitors are fascinated by the operation of the turntable how the engines go on the turntable, turned around backed into the engine house, switching the engines around from one track to another.

There's always a congregation of people right here during our open house shows.

Also, I would like to point out this freight house behind me, built by a man who cannot see, he can't see a thing, yet he built structures that were just magnificent.

Ancr: Not only are the cars and scenery realistic, take a look at the track itself.

Its Code 172 steel rail hand laid track work; the track work itself is antiqued and looks much like real steel rail.

There's a trolley and inter-urban that rolls between the two major cities as well providing passenger service that primarily the coal hauling mainline is not always able to provide.

As if all this wasn't enough to keep club members busy, they also have a wonderful and equally large HO layout that was originally added to attract more members.

Because HO was a smaller and less expensive end of the hobby back in the 1940's when this was added.

It was hoped that adding such a layout would broaden the appeal of the club.

It worked and now the HO layout has taken on a life of it's own.

Ben: The coalmines in the middle of railroad I think are very special.

The locomotive facilities, they are dual service facilities both diesel and steam engines.

The Baltimore Society of Model Engineers, hundreds and hundreds of members over the past seven decades who have contributed thousands of hours and an immeasurable amount love and dedication so that generation after generation of model railroading fans here have a place to call home.

Club members say one of the nice things about having two separate layouts comprised of two separate gauges is that it creas a little friendly competition to see who can operate a more impressive setup.

Just 15 miles from the scenic resort town of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, is a wonderful theme park with a classic antique train, it's called Silverwood and it's a great get away for the entire family, but first you know that Florida is one of the hot spots to visit in America but you might not know it's also the home to a gem of a model railroad.

In between the water skiing and the flowers step inside and take a trip along the eastern seaboard in HO gauge.

Ancr: Welcome to summer and fall and spring and winter, Winter Haven that is.

Welcome to the Cypress Junction Railroad in Winter Haven, Florida.

Since 1983 this vast layout has been delighting visitors to Cypress Gardens a place usually associated with water sports and gators and of course the gardens themselves.

Tracey: You'd have to go to 80 countries to see everything you could see in one area, thousands of different plants.

Ancr: There's even an elaborate railroad running through one of the gardens.

Gary: We've done all natural materials as much as possible; the buildings have build out of leaves, sticks, twigs, leaves and acorns.

The bridges are all built out of twigs and kept it as natural and different as possible.

We run one European steam train down here and also run some more modern trains, to keep things changed around.

Ancr: It's inside where you'll find one of the world's most popular railroad exhibits.

Tracey: It's quite an elaborate display, there are great miniatures, elaborate little scenes and it's really interesting because there's very obscure scenes and makes people think, where do I know that from?

It's great.

Ancr: You can go from Florida to Maine on this HO layout and you can enjoy all four seasons.

Tracey: It gives you a feel for each section of the United States, what kind of season goes on there maybe what pertains to; like a little October fest going on, people enjoying lakes, Grand Canyon, that kind of thing.

Ancr: With all this track, more than 1,000 feet, you might expect to find a whole room full of people running the rails, but you won't.

Or maybe you're expecting racks of computers making sure these trains run on time, nope.

Bob: Actually they're all on separate circuits and somebody comes in the morning, the attendant who works here at the gardens, flips two breakers in the room and one of them is for lights and the other is for trains.

They just come on and run all day.

Ancr: But that doesn't mean that there aren't people involved.

It's thanks to the Cypress Garden's Model Railroad Society, a group of dedicated volunteers who keep everything going smooth and strong.

Tracey: When this display originally came to Cypress Gardens, there was a call out for volunteers who had the love of HO railroads.

They came in and made sure everything was proper to scale, they do come in and man that for us from time to time.

It doesn't take a lot of upkeep or maintenance, but they come so they really enjoy coming out here for that.

Ancr: For more than 15 years they made sure it looks great everyday for the thousands of people who come to admire it.

Bob: This is the workroom and this is one of the things that all of us volunteers really like because the garden has been very gracious to provide us with this big of room.

We have a lot tools, machines, we can use the mill, a lathe.

This is where we do the building of scenes, we try to build them back here then install them out there so it does not to take away from the layout on a longer period.

These are some rock molds, the whole front of the layout is rock molds that we made, and they're made out of latex rubber.

What we do is take an original rock, petrified wood, or coal makes a good base and we paint the latex on there in layers and about the second or third layer of latex you put gauze on there, impregnate it with the latex and then paint three or four more coats, maybe couple more coats of gauze then you have a good mold.

Then you pour plaster in there, keep it for enough time where it starts to cure a little and put it on where you want to be.

Ancr: It's this kind of attention to detail that makes this attraction a crowd pleaser.

You realize as you stroll alongside the Cypress Junction, that you're taking a trip, not just staring at a bunch toy trains and fake trees.

Bob: That happens to be my particular thing, all the rest of us feel the same way, but I'm a detail freak.

If we're going to have a scene it needs to look real, you don't want somebody to come in and say, "Is that something" you want them to come in and say, "That's something", a particular scene.

That's what we're after with the people making it look real.

We try not to put a semi in a place where the jolly green giant would had to pick it up and sit it down there, we make it so it could have backed in there, that's the way it should be, if it's going to look realistic.

Ancr: There's no way you can gaze over this meandering layout without realizing the love and passion this club has for this railroad.

It's one of the reasons that no matter which season you choose, it's always warm and exciting in Cypress Junction.

Music Ancr: Just 50 miles from Spokane, Washington, the Silverwood theme park is as unique as it is fun.

It attracts nearly 350,000 visitors every season and it's getting more popular and bigger every year.

They come to ride some of the fastest roller coasters in the country, including one that goes underground; it actually reaches speed of up to 60 MPH.

They come for the wet and wild splash of the water rides, they come for the beautiful scenery and they come to ride a full size classic narrow gauge train called the Silverwood Central.

Gary Norton a local inventor and entrepreneur founded Silverwood in the late 1980's with money he had made in the computer business.

It began as a unique showcase for vintage trains, planes and automobiles built nearly single handedly by a man who both loves and respects the history of transportation.

Gary: I like theme parks I always enjoyed theme parks and being around them having fun.

I spent time in Disney and other parks not just enjoying the park but sitting there watching and seeing what it made it tick, watching the operation side of it.

I didn't think I was going to build a park at that time, then this started, this kind of grew.

I like the mechanical end of it; I enjoy the simple mechanics of the old engines and some of the old aircraft.

It was interesting to fly all the old airplanes that I did; it was great deal of interest working on the train.

I enjoy getting in the middle of this and the machine shop making parts for it and there was a lot of fun laying the rail.

That was interesting story in itself.

We didn't know much about laying rail, we started putting it down with spike hammers like we saw movies of old Chinese doing it originally and we found out that's not the way to do.

We killed everybody we had in the first four, five hours the first day then figured with three miles to go we only went 60 feet and everybody was dead, there must be a better way to do it.

Then we found out about jackhammers and other ways to put down rail.

Eventually we got it all down.

Ancr: The Silverwood Central Railroad fits perfectly into the Victorian mining town motif of this beautiful park, a place that brings to mind a simpler and less hurried age.

The train is pulled by old number seven, a Porter 2-6-2, which was originally built for the Eureka and Palisades Railroad in Nevada.

Norton bought it at auction.

Norton: It was being sold at an auction, Disney was bidding on it they wanted it for their theme parks and a number of other people wanted it, but I said I'm leaving with that train, that's what we did.

Train, a lot old antique cars, some track, I didn't know what I was going to do with it, just shipped it up here and them just started planning from there.

Ancr: If number seven is resting, the train is pulled by locomotive number 12, a 1928 Baldwin 2-6-2, which was originally built to haul sugarcane for a railroad in Hawaii.

No matter which one is doing the work, you can just sit back and enjoy.

If you love trains and you love history, and your kids love to have fun, you have a golden opportunity to find all three at Silverwood theme park in northern Idaho.

If you're planning a nice long summer trip to the northwest, we might also point out that the Canadian border is just 90 miles north of Silverwood.

Thanks for being with us and please join us next time for more Tracks Ahead.

Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Kalmbach Publishing Company Bringing you Model Railroader Magazine every month for over 65 years.

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