Join the discussion on the following article:
Working on the railroad
Nice little video. I’ve seen the “second half” of this video before on one of TM Books and Videos products.
Now here is some vintage 1950’s Lionel memories. What great archival footage.
250 diesel locomotives every hour! 80,000 pieces of track a day!
No wonder it seemed there was a new Lionel train under every Christmas tree in the country. Certainly the golden glory days at Lionel, and alas, for America.
The first segment of the film was totally new to me but the second one, I believe, I’ve seen before at one time. It’s always a pleasure to see a factory film from the big toy train manufacturers. Thanks for sharing these with the many train enthusiasts out there in internet land!
The Lionel plant building still stands on the Irvington/Hillside border but is now home to other companies. For those who are surprised Lionel Trains were made in New Jersey take a look at the names on those postwar passenger cars: Madison, Maplewood, Irvington, Hillside, Chatham, Livingston, Clifton, Elizabeth, Plainfield, Westfield, Summit, Newark … all are New Jersey municipalities with commuter rail service to New York City. It would be wonderful if Lionel production came ‘back home’ to New Jersey.
i loved the video
i would like to have the wore out sample
yes i have more trains from the 40s and 50s
and i was not born till the 60s
Nice video, it would be nice to see a longer version of it. Those kind of numbers for production you could see how a error could make its way into production.
Three words WON DER FUL!!!
After watching the care and conscientiousness that went into Lionel production, I undestand why all of my precious pre-war and post war Lionel trains still run like the day they were made. These were true American products, albeit toys, that were built to last. What happened to the pride that was once a part of our national consciousness? Employees actually being accountable for a job in which they took great pride. My trains are not just fun toys, but an investment inthe America I once knew.
It was awesome !!!
Wow! Americans at work in an American factory! What happend to this country? What Lionel Trains was is what the large electronics / video game companies are today. It was a time in which kids use their imaginations and creativity. Today, it is a different story. Thanks for sharing this video.
this is a great video i received lionel trains every christmas while growing up in the 50’s and 60’s i still have them and they run great
Now I know where my first train set came from in 1947! I heard the comment on the newsreel about Lionel making sensitive parts during WWII. While they were doing that, I was sending for and receiving their wartime publications telling me to be partient, Lionel will be back after helping Uncle Sam win. And Uncle Sam did and Lionel did too…in a big way as the newsreel shows. Thanks for the memories. P.S. My 1947 train is still running like a champion!
Great Video
Would like to see more like this video
Absolutely fascinating to see how it was all assembled by hand, and hearing the number of items made in a day. Growing up in the 50’s, I had some of those prized possessions, with a lot of operating accessories. All those gone when I was a teenager, but now getting back into the Postwar stuff again, with a granddaughter that loves trains.
Great reminder of the past. Since we lived in New Jersey my father often stopped at the factory to purchase an accessory of two for me for Christmas. What a time it was…the Golden Years for sure…still the “Greatest Hobby in the World” and I have a 700 square foot layout to prove it.
A special tribute to the men & woman who created the “Worlds Grestest Toy’s”. These marvels of engineering have stood the test of time, and with proper care, will live on in toy history forever. No other toy can make the claim of the most durable & fun object ever built for a man or child. The thrill of these train legends is burnt into the fiber of any person lucky enough to own of a Lionel engine. Bravo & kudos to the makers of classic Lionel products.
I doubt these people went home and played with trains.
Truly a great video. I guess that running the trains until they break down, then re-designing and replacing the worn out part(s) with ones better engineered for durability has disappeared from Lionel’s manufacturing process. I know that have seen, and owned MPC-era (and before under Roy Cohen) Lionel trains that were redesigned with the primary focus being to make the item cheaper to produce rather than to ensure better quality. Watching all those New Jersey workers makes me wonder what the Chinese versions look like today.
I am always curious about what life was like in the Lionel factory. This video is one of the best I have seen in depicting just how various items were mass produced and quality tested. Of course, though what the workers are doing may appear to be fun, in all probability this probably was just another day at the factory for them. Anyway, this was a most enjoyable video. I would love to see more like it. Thanks.