The Edwardian Era of the United Kingdom reigns as the birthplace of model railways. The era served as a development catalyst for amateur model engineers. Live steam locomotives emerged as a result of the engineer's studied focus on the real railways. One young man, W. J. Bassett-Lowke, recognized the potential of the German toy trains. He believed a train with more accurate details, tracks and sturdier mechanisms fashioned after the prototype, would appeal to an adult market rather than a toy trains market for children. He recruited Henry Greenly, a young designer to produce the models. Marklin toy gauges inspired Greenly to establish a new system of scales. He went on to establish the first periodical solely about model railway trains.
From the beginning the model railways hobby was on the one hand a toy and on the other, a model. The model makers were in part amateur and in part professional, a shaky coexistence. Bassett-Lowke used the services of manufacturers Bing and Carrette for his own models. The Germans were well aware of the British models and moved to produce models for other importers.
While Marklin was selling Europe on the toy train, American developers continued to be focused on electrical novelties. The American electric toy train resembled the pre-Marklin type of train. A range of the electric toy trains was available in the late 1800's and they gathered a following despite the plethora of German imports. Ives, a major US toy maker decided to compete with Bing and offered in the early 1900's clockwork tinplate trains in 0 and 1 gauges. A synthesis occurred when Lionel, a novelty maker, combined the European tinplate tracks and some constructional approaches with their electric trains. The results forced the Germans to stay innovative.
Throughout the Edwardian period and until 1914 the toy train industry grew and matured. Marklin and Bing lead the pack, but the English and Americans were fast on their trail. The competition resulted in beautiful toys, more realistic but still seen as toys.
Live steam and electricity were gaining favor in the US; yet, in England clockwork still remained number 1. Then came 1914 and the game changed. Germany was blocked from exporting to the US and Europe, so local toy train industries emerged or expanded. In Europe, near the end of the war, Hornby Trains in Britain and France and JEP in France developed. Even the Swedes kick started their local production.
In the US domestic market Lionel, Ives and American Flyer battled for market share with the Germans blocked from importing. Louis Marx introduced his affordable trains and the working class had an entry into the blossoming hobby. With the effects of averse feelings for Germany and the era of protectionism, the Germans never regained their dominant market share in the US, Britain or France.
Reynolds Maxwell (Max) Mathes-Redd is a model train hobbyist and coach. For more great tips on model train scenery visit http://www.lovingmodeltrains.com/creating-model-train-scenery and http://www.LovingModelTrains.com
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