lionel fundimensions 1 union pacific truck

The 1975 line included the announcement for the HO-scale GS-4 Northern steam locomotive and American Freedom Train passenger car models, as well as structure kits (from Pola in West Germany) and separate-sale rolling stock. The initial collection of HO trains for 1974 was a limited group of train sets with revised editions of the previously offered Alco FA-1 and GP9 diesels and rolling stock. Clements, Michigan, origin markings on the bottom of the fuel tank.Ī year ahead of company’s 75th anniversary in 1975, Lionel returned to the HO market. Lionel promoted its General Electric motor and the pulling power of its 1974 locomotives.

The 1970s saw Lionel O-gauge trains sold as part of General Mills’ Fundimensions Group. General Mills acquired rights to manufacture and market Lionel’s trains in 1969. At the start of the 1970s, a major change came to Lionel trains. The 1970s saw an expansion of new companies in the HO market that rivaled the 1950s rush to 1/87. An opening appears below the headlight for the camera in the Rail Scope rendition of this model. The FA-1 was brought back in 1988 for its appearance in Lionel’s Rail Scope offering.

Note the differences in the Amtrak FA-1 from the mid-1970s and the C&O model from the 1960s on the left. Back in 1974, Lionel returned to HO with a GP9 and (again) an Alco FA-1. The blue-and-yellow Chesapeake & Ohio FA-1 is from Lionel’s early 1960s catalog. Lionel purchased this diesel model and other English-made trains around 1960. The plastic shell’s tooling started with John English’s HObbyline in the 1950s.

Perhaps the longest survivor in Lionel’s line to date is this Alco FA-1. The line saw additions during the early 1960s and remained part of Lionel’s catalog through 1966. Lionel purchased tooling from John English’s HObbyline and used those models as the basis for its HO products during the 1960s. The agreement would see only a year of cooperation between the two companies, and Athearn started producing HO for Lionel in 1958. The company selected to import its first collection of HO for 1957 from Rivarossi in Italy. According to Greenberg’s Guide to Lionel HO Volume I 1957–1966 (Greenberg Publishing, 1993), Lionel had been considering an HO line for a number of years. The closest Lionel came prior to 1957 to marketing to the more serious or hobby end of HO was a pre-World War II line of OO-scale (1/76) model trains.Īs many know, the O-scale market’s dominance in the hobby diminished in the 1950s, and HO became the scale with the most sales by the decade’s close. Introduced in 1957 and dropped following its appearance in Lionel’s 1966 catalog, the 1950s/1960s Lionel releases mark the company’s first run at HO model trains. In-depth features on Lionel and its history is planned for future editions of MRN’s sister publication, HO Collector. There is far too much history to cover in “From the Archive,” but here’s a brief journey through Lionel’s history with HO model trains. The upcoming holiday season, along with Model Railroad News’ examination of the latest group of Lionel releases for the HO market, presents an excellent opportunity to take a look back. Much has been written about Lionel and its place in history. From the Archive: A Brief History of Lionel HO

Lionel fundimensions 1 union pacific truck