My niece (now 21) would play with the trains I fixed a junker 2046 for her it became her train
On the computer I would show her pics at auctions of the layouts with and without track stuff I had stuff I wanted
then I showed her the Girl’s Train pic She did not respond but her face pretty much said
“Why is it pink?”
Works for Thomas Rosie is pink
That was a fun clip. We all like what we like. It’s all good.
He’s running outdoors, which is interesting. Garden Railways had an article in about 2000 with a guy in Western Pennsylvania with a garden line, running postwar Lionel. I like to flip back to that sometimes.
Paul
Despite its history, I’ve always liked it. I remember showing pictures of K-Line’s version from the 90s to my daughter. (She was always very girly and pink was her favorite color.) She thought it was great! I would have bought it at the time, but I just couldn’t afford it then. Now she’s grown up and married. I hope to give her one for Christmas either this year or next. I figure in the future I can always give her the extra add-on cars K-Line and Williams produced.
When she was growing up, it was her (and her sister’s) Barbies who were continually traveling back and forth via Thomas’ and James’ Troublesome Trucks.
I personally think that the “girl’s set” was a great idea. But not because it was what those girls wanted! It wasn’t the train that most girls wanted, but, it was a train, specifically marketed at a female market. Kinda broke the unspoken rule, “trains are toys for boys and boys alone”. So, at least this was a step towards folks getting what they really wanted. Maybe if your parents were finally willing to buy a train, you could convince them to pick a different one. Or you could take the train for a visit to your grandfather’s garage, and have him help you “set things straight”, eh? If I had recieved one of these as a youngster, I might have liked it at a younger age, but I grew out of pink, fast. And you bet I would have repainted that train. It wasn’t valuable when it was new, it’s only a rare collectable because most girls who like trains, are like most all us train people- we don’t want pink barbie trains, we want REAL trains!
Yeah, even considering the prewar tinplate vibe this one looks like Flyer didn’t have the best expectations for high sales figures. It also looks more like “The Green Aeolus” to me. [;)]
I’m hip. Pride Lines had a few Disney trains I always wanted. Oh well, onto the “lottery list” they go! [:D]
You know, I’m sure I mentioned this before, but here goes…
Over the past 29 years or so I’ve read articles in CTT, Model Railroader, and OGR about husband-and-wife-team model railroaders, and I’m reminded that a lot of the wives got into toy trains as young girls courtesy of the American Flyer Circus Train.
The Circus Train pre-dates the “Lady Lionel” by eight or so years, and it certainly had everything a girl would want in a train set, at least in my estimation. It was colorful, and not condescendingly so, had a sleek steam engine, and had animals, and what little girl doesn’t like animals? AND it had “Big Top” accessories as well!
I don’t know if AF had girls in mind with this set, but they may have swerved into something without realizing it.
Have a look and tell me what you think.
http://thegilbertgallery.org/Sets%20Gallery/freight_sets-5002T-Circus-Train.html
Lady Firestorm agrees, she would have loved to have had a set like this!
I’m surprised it was made only in 1950. I suppose it wasn’t a good seller? Can’t imagine why not.
PS: A lot, if not all of the wives I mentioned still had their Circus Trains!
How’s about a video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcTrC4phk6Q
Some one on you tube in England Runs stuff on an elevated line INCLUDING Lionel
(Seeing aTurbine at full speed with the VERY wide curves is quite a sight
If one wants to buy one I would recommend the K Line set you get buildings with it
Perhaps if Big L had marketed the “Girl’s Train” as an Easter Eggspress instead, the conversation changes…?
The girl who lived across the street from me recieved an original 1957 Girls Train Set from her parents when they introduced her to trains. She was born in 1966 and her dad was a Lionel Factory Trained Authorized Train Repairman. Her grandparents owned the store from which the set came.
She didn’t want the trainset because of the pink locomotive so they took it back and gave her a Super-O General set which she still had the last I knew.
K-Line was always offering the best deals and most play value for the money.
Wow, has this thread come back to life?
Gee, I started it and I forgot all about it.
Well, Frankenstein’s are good at bringing thing back to life, aren’t they?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xos2MnVxe-c
Sorry man, couldn’t resist.