historical perspective 1900-1950; 1950-2000

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

From a historical perspective, the first 50 years saw the development and refinement of toy trains. By 1950, conventional running was pretty solidly established.

The second part of the century refined what already was developed. For instance, in the 50s, there were cool accessories and a lot more motive power choices and in the 90s, command control and even more refinements to track and motive power, and the choice of toy or hi-rail or something in between.

In real railroads, modern steam, 1st gen. diesels and electrics, were all developed and refined in the first 50 years. The second 50 years was just fine-tuning.

Can you see a trend developing here? Although we live in exciting times, most of the big events, both good and bad, occurred during the first half of the century.

e.g.,

1900-1950
WWI and WWII
A bomb and H bomb
jazz, swing
by 1950 live expectancy had dramatically increased
streamliner trains and transatlantic luxury liners
NY subways and other cities
TV, radio, early computers
radar, mass production of cars
road improvements, airplane invented, improved
rockets
jet aircraft
movies

1950-2000
satellites
ICBMs
refinement of IT
Internet
Eisenhower interstate system
drop of railroad tracks by half
nuclear subs and ships
polio vaccine
rock & roll, hip-hop, hard rock
Korea, Vietnam, beginning of terrorism

I did this from memory, but you see that most of the fundamental achievements were made in the first 50 years of the century. I’m sure I left out some things.

In conclusion, we indeed live in exciting times, both good and bad, but arguably, someone born in 1900 might have had more excitement.

2

Yes, we experienced several advancements in technology. Then one day some one eliminated magnetraction and replaced it with tire traction. That’s when things went down hill.

3

Shoot want to see a big change? I recently worked on one of my Ives 3251s (comperable to a Lionel 153/154). If you have an electric locomotive from that era (early 1920s) take a look at the motor and workings. Very simple under the hood. Now look under the hood of a modern locomotive. What a big difference!!![:0]

4

Yes, and they both do the same thing. Move rolling stock and make noise.

5

I agree the life style changes from 1900 - 1950 were greater than 1950-2000. We went from horse carriage and oil lights to cars, planes, and electrricity.

But I think that some of the inventions since 1950 have been very important. One of these is the transistor which made the computer (first invented in the 1800’s) such a part of everyday life. The potential of the internet to transforms our lives is just now beginning to be felt - with online shopping affecting retailing, but also the migration of jobs overseas. Be interesting to see where this goes in the future. Will we have offices filled with screens of people talking and working with each other - but the people are really in their homes all over the world? Will we eliminate offices and all log into a server? Will we all become independent conusltants?
Enjoy
Paul

6

Dave,

Good observations and very thought provoking. Just what will our hobby look like in 2050? I was born in 1944 and according to today’s life insurance actuaries, I have a fair chance of being around to witness that year.

Unfortunately – maybe it’s because of the heat and my lack of air conditioning at home – all I can think of is the historical significance of pattern you outline. Throughout history the next step has been collapse of the society. Whether it begins with a whimper or a bang, it eventually gains momentum during the first half of its existence and soars, then it begins to slow down in the second half until it finally collapses (one way or the other).

Let’s hope our hobby (whatever it becomes) does not follow the pattern of human societies. With that, think I’ll get another cool one and get back to work on this old Lionel loco I got off eBay.

7

The transistor was invented before 1950; December 23, 1947 to be exact. More than anything it allowed miniaturization, lower current consumption and increased density of circuits already being operated with vacuum tubes.
Be careful with this kind of topic. I believe it was sometime around the 1860s that the suggestion was made to close the patent office because everything important had been invented.
Actually, to me, two of the most important inventions of all time are flu***oilets and running water.
Jim

8

Hello Dave: The ability to communicate with each other is still the best, it started with the printing press & being able to share ideas from country to country, Here we are sharing Ideas because of a little chip. ( How else could the Chief keep his eye on the Northeners). Regards Steve

9

One other item; virtually all of the inventions I mention post-1950, where done prior to 1970. That would include the moon landing. Since 1970 until today, virtually nothing of consequence except for various refinements, have been invented. We indeed are liviing in unexciting times.

10

I believe MIR came after 1970 and most medical people would consider this pertty good.

Also the stealth fighters, F22 and F32 are new. Sure the SR71 was from about 1970, but its not a fighter, nor made for low level high speed.

The energy fuel cell. Also the fuel cells used in race cars.

Our pc that we are using did not exist in 1970.

One that I really love is Digital Camera [:D]

11

I read an article recently alleging air conditioning the most impactful invention of the 20th cen. in America - aided population growth in the south and west; significantly changed neighborhood relations; allowed the growth of super skyscrapers…

I can’t get over how impressed visitors were by my ratty old 248 from 1927 vs. the sound-equipped, lighted and gleaming Santa Fe passenger train… The former ran like a top.

12

The B52, C130, and the U2 are about 50 years old and still on active duty. The space shuttle is 24 years old and (sort of) in use. At least in aviation there seems to have been some slow-down.

13

Everyone has made some very good points so far! Reading this topic made me think of a quote that I think is very appropriate and certainly is something to consider when it comes to many inventions.

“Television is like the invention of indoor plumbing. It didn’t change people’s habits. It just kept them inside the house.”
-Alfred Hitchcock

With every new invention and technology comes a new set of problems. Our grandparents had to deal with many things that we are glad we don’t have to worry about today. But, on the other hand, we have so many annoyances now that didn’t exist back then. There are viruses and spyware and other nuisances that come with computers. And don’t forget about the big Y2K scare! It’s something we laugh about now, but it wasn’t such a joke in 1999.

I’ll admit that I’m definitely not someone who eagerly embraces new technology, especially when it comes to my trains. I don’t have DCS or DCC or TMCC or whatever other letter combinations they’ve come up with and have no intention of ever getting them. I love my prewar and postwar toy trains. They look cool, there’s plenty of innovative, action-packed operating accessories to go with them, they can be easily repaired and maintained and a good old fashioned Lionel air whistle (or even a Marx whistling station) and pellet-fueled smoke unit never fail to impress visitors. Clockwork trains are great, too!

I agree a lot with Doug’s post. I personally consider air conditioning one of the greatest inventions of all time. I seriously doubt if I could live without it. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the heat! During the summer, I spend most of my time indoors. There no feeling like being outside in the sweltering heat (even for only a couple of minutes) and walking into a cool air-conditioned house!

One correction to make in your post, Dave. Movies were not invented in the 20th century. The first examples of motion pictures as we know them were created in 1895 by t

14

Well, maybe the invention has occured but it hasn’t yet had an impact. I always thought transistors were a 50’s thing and as Back2Trains pointed out they were actually invented in 1947. So something may be out there but it hasn’t really popped up yet

For the average person the excitment isn’t always when it is invented, but when it becomes available. TV may be a pre WWII invention, but it’s impact is post WWII. Arapanet may have started in the late 60’s/early 70’s but it was the 90’s that the Internet really began to have an impact.

Enjoy
Paul

15

From a medical care standpoint, there is no comparison. The year’s 1950 to present are much more important to our ability to mitigate pain and suffering and actually cure a few diseases than the years 1900 to 1950. Our understanding of proper nutrition, the baleful effects of environmental toxins and other such quality of life issues mainly come from the more recent period. The pace of change is accelerating dramatically. The first half century saw one major communications advance, the radio. The second half century saw the advent of television, the internet, and cellphones which have transformed life one way or the other. Bottom line, each age makes progress according to the scientific discoveries and needs of that age. I’m sure the period 2000-2050 will be characterized by dramatic changes in how we supply energy for heating, transportation, lighting, etc. And by dramatic changes in medical care and our ability to treat the diseases of middle and later life such as cancer, vascular disease and degenerative neurologic conditions. At least I hope so :).

16

David, you are absolutely correct!!
Between 1903 and 1969, Man not only flew, but flew to the moon!! Since 1969, no new advances, that we know about, have been invented. I work at an aircraft company, and the planes are still built the same way they were in the 40’s, with the addition of computers to make the Pilot’s life easier.
As far as toy trains go, plastic has gotten more refined (not invented), and computer chips have been added for sound and reversing. Other than that, nothing.
I really think the worst invention of all time, is what I am using at this moment. computers. Yes, I love mine, but depend on it completely for information, communication, and to do my thinking for me. If you ever saw Apollo 13, do you remember seeing the engineers with their slide-rules? that is how we used to solve problems. Today, we use the computer. We all believe if the computer can’t do it, nothing can. I have a MPC-era cheap steam engine that uses pebbles of some sort to make a steam engine sound. It actually sounds pretty real if you listen to it. Our computer chips in the new loco’s give us greater sound, but we all still complain about chuffs per revolution, and background noise.
I think we are becoming a nation of non-thinkers. If Microsoft can’t do it for us, it can’t be done. The term"thinking outside the box", has become just that. I know I reply on my computer way too much, but think about 50 years from now!!
We, as a nation, need to start THINKING again.
Dave has it right, what have we done lately? Our technological advances have all been geared to the computer, and not to anything else, in my opinion.

17

If you think about it, Technology went basically unchanged for centuries when we were on the base 12 numeral system (e.g., 12 in. in a ft, 24 hr. in a day, 12 mos to a year, 12 to a dozen). Then around 1700 or so (I can’t remember what I read exactly), mathematicians derived the base 10 system. Soon, technology began to explode. The base 10 system was the key to all the high level math formulas that are used in calculating electrical and electronic current, mechanical energy, structural forces, fluid dynamics, computer logic, elasticity, chemistry, etc.You have to wonder about the minds that created these formulas and the gruesome testing and experimenting they went through to derive and prove them.

I have a math history book titled “Against the Gods” by Peter Bernstein that tells this story and it is really fascinating to read how math was essential in spurring all this technology. Seriously, if it weren’t for base 10, we would still be riding horses and lighting oil lamps. There are exceptions to the rule such as the pyramids and the arch that were “invented” in medevil times. That still has scientists pondering today as to who and how those were thought out.

18

SR71 (Blackbirds) technology, Tom, was from the late 50s (we called them “Habus” when I was on Okinawa). Also, transistors and microelectronics that made digital cameras possible were started in 50s. BTW, my buddy said that in Russia, there’s still systems that use vacuum tubes, which are robust, in terms of electromagnetic interference of the type you might get from a nuclear blast or pulses.

Our old Lionel trains testify to the effects of their robustness as well and isn’t it interesting that with so many advances, we can still get enjoyment out of our older equipment.

Heck, I’ve got a car TV I bought in the early 70s that’s B&W that I still use.

BTW, I’ll further speculate by saying that so many people are wrapped up in the IT revolution today that many bright individuals are not focused on our other needs such as energy and transportation.

What we might need is an efficient monorail system that would span all major cities. As it is, our passenger trains are not efficient on tracks designed for freight.

Anyway, I agree w/mpz that it was a huge letdown after the last moon landing in 74. Heck, I thought we’d have colonies on Mars by now. I’m resigned to the fact that in my lifetime, there won’t be such thing. Have to admit that the pictures taken by the unmanned probes to other planets was pretty spectacular and exciting. But we can’t even fund the Hubble. And I’m getting sick of shuttles.

Neil has some points about medicine. The gene projects sound great. But we still haven’t conquered cancer and some of the other killers and we may yet have more pandemics, such as might come from China.

I think that there is some correlation between many of you who “play” with trains and your interests in technology. I for one immensely enjoy watching the history channel as well as Nat’l Geographic and Science. Also, it is our love of design and creating new things.

Oh, btw, J. Long brings up a good point about math bringin