RC Cars, Collectible Model Train
Sets, Collectible Model Cars & More
Tips About Trains & Model Trains
The Design and History of
Wooden Toy Trains
In 1936,When he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, the doctors
instructed Marshall H. Larrabee to start taking things easy.
Marshall Larrabee's response was to create Skaneateles
Handicrafters. Skaneateles Handicrafters was a company that
later became famous for creating wooden toy trains. Skaneateles
Handicrafters was based out of Skaneateles New York.
A system of small trains that run on a wooden track are called
wooden toy trains. Toy trains and their wooden tracks are over
seventy years old. Collectors of old wooden trains know that the
trains, cars use to hook together with the aid of small metal
hooks, that has since changed. Now manufactures prefer to link
the toy trains, cars with magnets, the magnets make them safer
for young children who have a tendency to pop the wooden cars
into their mouths. Another change toy train manufacturers have
made to their wooden train sets is to make some of the parts,
like wheels, out of plastic. The large non-mobile pieces,
including the layout scenery, are generally crafted from wood.
The design of toy trains made from wood is very simple. Once you
are past the basic structure the design can be simple or
complex. The locomotive and toy trains, wooden cars are made out
of carved pieces of wood. The wheels are attached. A few extra
pieces of wood are attached to the carving of the locomotive in
order to distinguish it from the other cars.
The ends of each piece of the track look like the edges of
jigsaw puzzle pieces. Most toy train companies who make wooden
train tracks conform to the Vario-System. By sticking to this
system wooden train tracks made by one company will easily
connect to a piece of track made by another company. Most people
refer to the Vario-system as the Brio-compatible, after the Biro
company who was the most famous wooden train manufacture in the
world. Interestingly enough, T.C. Timber, a company that use to
be called Skaneateles Handicrafters is one of the few companies
who didn't conform to the Vario-system,
A rolling stock track is a toy train track that has wooden
grooves that guide the trains wheels. Most companies make the
their train tracks so each individual piece is reversible, this
allows the toy train's owner to reverse the tracks curves.
The landscaping that compliments the toy train wooden sets are
typically made out plaster, plastic, and plastic resin.
Landscapes featuring, deserts, the Pacific Coast, mountain
ranges, and many more are available.
The worlds most famous wooden train is Thomas. Thomas the Tank
Engine was a character in a series of children's books called
The Railway Series that first appeared in the United Kingdom in
1945. In 1984 Thomas made his acting debut on a TV program
called Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. The show first aired
in the United States in 1989. The popularity of Thomas the Tank
was large enough that manufactures started selling patterned
sets, for toy train's wooden layouts.
For more information about
model trains checkout- "Model Trains for Beginners and
Insiders Club"- Click Here!
Model Train Layout Ideas, Tips, and Answers-Click Here!