Odds & Ends

Selling trains and accessories was certainly the core activity for the Lionel Corporation during the prewar and postwar era. While these items undoubtedly generated most of the company's sales revenue, profits were also increased via the marketing of other items. These odds and ends included: items of necessity (lockons and electrical switches, contactors & controllers), upgrades (better track, larger transformers), expansion needs (track, turnouts, crossovers), dealer aids (special tools, bench testing devices) and disposables (lamps, lubricant, oil, smoke pellets, smoke fluid). Replacement items (car loads, coal, logs, barrels, canisters, and anything that the customer could lose) were another source of income for Lionel. Finally non-train-related products such as fishing reels, cameras and wartime goods helped the firm's cash flow and will also be shown in this section of The Library.

Click on any of the entries in the chart listed below. You'll be presented with detailed information on the specific item. Every listing contains specific product data with a brief history of the item and at least one photo. Whether doing some serious reseach on model trains or simply taking a stroll down memory lane, take your time as you absorb the pages that follow. Some of you will view the exact trains you had while growing up, some will recognize the trains your parents had, others will discover startling facts about the glory years of a company that has become a piece of Americana.

Odds & Ends Recognize Anything from Your own Collection in this Photo?