I’ve never read anything about Edison and electric TOY trains but according to Anthony Bianculli’s “Iron Rails In The Garden State” Edison DID build an electric locomotive in 1880, a 12 horsepower unit that ran on a 1,400 foot track on the grounds of the Menlo Park labs. Some bugs had to be worked out and on a test run on June 5th the engine got up to between 25 to 30 MPH. It derailed on a sharp curve throwing off the riders but no-one was injured, in fact ol’ Tom after picking himself was laughing and jumping yelling “She’s a daisy!”
A year later Henry Villard of the Northern Pacific contracted with Edison to build two electrics that could pull ten ton loads at 60 MPH. The engines were built and running but the NP deal fell though when the railroad encountered economic difficulties.
Villard later became one of the organizers of the Edison General Electric Company which evolved into the General Electric Company who became builders of electric and diesel electric locomotives but that’s another story.
Even Lady Firestorm picked up on the incorrect locomotives in that series and she’s not even a railfan! “Those engines look like something out of Thomas the Tank Engine!”
That one always makes me laugh! 
. Kinda like the diesel horn sound my Lionel Lone Ranger General makes! 
NP was pretty good at having “economic difficulties” in the 19th century, including one that was a large factor in the Panic (Depression) of 1873.
That they did. I’ve always been pleased that their more northern neighbor, the Great Northern, wasn’t such a financial nightmare–plus, it matches up with some of my favorite economic theories!
Hadn’t Carlisle and Finch been manufacturing electric toy trains since 1896? They had a range of interesting things available by 1900 which, even if Edison didn’t have available for Morgan, could easily have been used for true-to-the-era props had anyone at the channel actually cared much about history.
That they were! C&F came out with a 2" gauge trolley in 1896 powered by wet cell batteries. It was followed by a miniature mining train in 1898 and an 0-4-0 steam profile locomotive with tender in 1899.
Carlisle & Finch was the first American company to produce electric trains in volume.
Yep, but they cared about constantly recapitulating, not history (as a general rule). This was one of the few series from the History Channel that I consider even watchable.
That’s a common problem with historiography, especially when authors or producers think they have an ‘agenda’ to push, or are overly concerned with realizing telos.
Yet another reason why high-schoolers ought to be exposed to the specific subject of historiography early – not coincidentally as they are introduced to how to lie with statistics.
One of Leonard Williams teaching videos! 
Man, and the H-C used to be SO good!
I remember when they launched the H-C back in the 1990s with a series on the American Revolution hosted and narrated by veteran newsman Bill Curtis. It blows the most recent effort by Ken Burns out of the water! Fast-paced, action-packed, informative and correct AND with voice actors that ACTED instead of just reading the script.
I watched the Ken Burns doc and while it was interesting it was just “so-so”. Not one of his better efforts.
He’s been following the same format for too long. He probably doesn’t think he has to innovate anymore. 
Knapp was founded in 1895 but they didn’t produce an electric train until 1902. Lionel 1900, Howard 1905, Boucher 1905, Elektoy 1910, IVES 1910 and Voltamp is noteworthy for inventing in 1907 the first toy train that could operate on household AC current rather than giant piles of DC dry cells, dangerous wet acid batteries or dynamos turned by hand, flowing water or other means.
Woke_Hoagland, that is very true.
marxalot, that’s interesting. I’ve always liked their mine train.
Flintlock76, oh, yes. I might catch some flak for this, but I do kind of like American Pickers…
You’re probably right. After all he’s “Ken Burns.”
Yeah, “Pickers” is fun, I do enjoy that one when I catch it.
Harder to watch now knowing Frank is deceased.
Leonard’s incredible and so’s his collections!
I wouldn’t be surprised if I opened his garage door and found a King Tiger tank inside!