Product Description: Do you like Lionel toy trains? Enjoy corporate history? Or just want to take a nostalgic journey back to your childhood?
Then Inside The Lionel Trains Fun Factory: The History of a Manufacturing Icon and The Place Where Childhood Dreams Were Made is for you delivering a fascinating trip through the rise, fall and rise again of Lionel, one of the manufacturing and pop icons in modern American life. The impeccable research by Lionel historian Robert J. Osterhoff, along with hundreds of unpublished photos and images, tells the history of Lionel's trains, factories, employees and business practices from the late 19th century until today.
For a collector or aficionado, marvelous. For the ordinary reader, a bit sluggish. I made a mistake in picking this up. From the cover and title, I thought it would be about the Lionel trains I and so many other kids grew up.
Not remotely.
This is a book for Lionel hobbyists and aficionados, people who dote on every detail of Lionel's history. It is a biography of the company, a detailed exposition of the Lionel manufacturing process, its buildings and people. It is predicated on an early ad for the company featuring founder Joshua Lionel Cowen inviting boys (back then, the target market for toy electric trains) to join him on a "trip thru my factory" so they could learn "why Lionel trains are better".
Author Robert Osterhoff is a retired Xerox executive. He is a mediocre writer, with s ponderous style - but a superb researcher. The amount of detail contained in this book is nothing short of astounding. Reproductions for old city platbooks show where the factories were located; copies of incorporation forms; reproductions of stock certificates reflect the growth and decline of the company. Catalog covers are reproduced, but alas, not the products within their covers. There are dozens of photographs of factory buildings occupied by Lionel during its histories, including many of the facilities as they exist today, abandoned or being used by others.
Above all, this is a history of the origins of Lionel, its rise to dominance in toy trains and its rather sad decline, something many of the boys who played with Lionel trains paid no attention to. Reading about it decades after I last played with a Lionel train is sad. Lionel became a victim of the "conglomerate" craze of the 1950s - 60s when entrepreneurs used buckets of borrowed money to create hodgepodges of unrelated companies that were supposed to create profits through "synergy". A lot of money was lost and many fine old companies went down the tubes.
Through his rather dense prose and abundant illustrations, Osterhoff does tell the story of Lionel trains. While this volume is clearly aimed at the Lionel enthusiast, the casual reader may find it interesting as well - but the hobbyist will gain the greatest benefit from this book.
Jerry
Gave as gift -- recepient loved it. I gave this book to my brother-in-law for Christmas. He already had a copy which he bought at a train show when it first was published. He was thrilled to get another copy because he is a collector and he loved the book. I would recommend this book to any adult who collects trains because, according to my brother-in-law, it is a must have book.
Lots of interesting facts about Lionel This book gives one a lot of interesting facts about the history of the greatest toy train maker in the world. They have survived all kinds of problems, and are still producing trains for collectors/operators of all ages.
A must-have book for Lionel collectors I have to admit that I am not a collector of Lionel trains nor do I own a train set (no room at home). Having said that, let me now say that this book is indeed a very detailed history of the Lionel company, focusing mostly on the time period 1900-1960. The narrative is accompanied by a variety of photos, documents, and other items that help tell the story of this legendary company. This book is a good model for other writers to consider, if they are looking to write similar books on other companies.
Personally, I could have passed on the incredible detail given to the first ten years of the Lionel company, but then I am not a collector, just a curious passer-by.
This book is best suited for Lionel collectors. Also for people who are interested in an aspect of the toy manufacturing industry.
great train lovers book very interesting and quite informational. illustrations were very good, husband likes it very much.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
