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