While having my Sunday morning coffee I turned on the T.V. and the History Channel was on. They have a show called “Lost and Found” which features strange historical novice artifacts… One of the items they did a story about was the first Lionel train build by a Lionel Cowan… It was a two railed circular display built by Mr. Cowan which made a loop in the display window of a New York city toy store to help boost the slumping sales of the store in 1900. The “train” was nothing more than a two wheeled cheese box with a small electric motor and a chain drive. It was named the “Electric Express”…It looked a lot like a powered European gondola … Everyone wanted to buy one, but it was just a display and not for sale …The original can be viewed by appointment in Michigan but i didn’t get the name of the town…I think they said Manchester…Just thought it was interesting…Chuck
I have the History Channel video titled “The history of model railroading” and it goes into great detail about that liitle invention and how Lionel started and competed with AC Flyer.
I believe that item is included in the Video, " A Century of Lionel Legendary Trains", a crude,
wooden gondola made in 1900.
Love that History Channel. They have such a diversity of programming…
It sure is!