All Aboard!: The Story of Joshua Lionel Cowen & His Lionel Train Company

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0761121331 ISBN 13: 9780761121336

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company, 2000

To commemorate the milestone of Lionel Train Company's 100th anniversary comes an updated second edition of ALL ABOARD!, the marvelous story of Joshua Lionel Cowen and the toy trains he created. Originally published in 1981, ALL ABOARD! brings back the classic electric trains for all those who remember them. The Santa Fe came in gleaming silver and shiny red. The New York Central was gray and white. World War I models carried seige guns, a 1957 engine came in pink for girls. There were Pullmans and steam locomotives, Lehigh Valley coal cars, lumber cars, and a design from 1964 that carried radioactive waste and the Mercury capsule. A&E Network named Lionel trains a "Top Ten Toy" of the century-#4 specifically.

But the story of Lionel trains is far from over. Co-owned by rock star Neil Young, who bought the company because of his autistic son's love for the trains, the Lionel Train Company is stronger than ever, and is evolving with the times by employing remote control, sound chips, and other technical innovations. With 32 all-new pages and scores of colorful illustrations from the archives of Lionel catalogs, ALL ABOARD! is the definitive collector's book on the subject.

From the Inside Flap:

One century ago, Joshua Lionel Cowen created his first electric train. A simple open wooden box on wheels, its sides stained red and printed with Electric Express in gold lettering, it was intended for shop windows where, loaded with goods, it would advertise a store-s wares. But as it turned out, customers coveted the train, not the cargo, and Cowen discovered a new business.

And as it also turns out, there-s a picture of an Electric Express on page 29. Because All Aboard! Is the definitive illustrated history of Joshua Lionel Cowen, the company he founded, and the electric trains that for decades were synonymous with boyhood in America. Originally published in 1981, it has been revised and updated for Lionel-s 100th anniversary, capturing the spirit of a company remarkable for its resilience and dedication to innovation traits that continue to define it even today.

?No book tells the story better than this new, centennial edition of ALL ABOARD!O -Richard P.Kughn Chairman Emeritus Lionel L.L.C

Here are the steam locomotives that puffed real smoke. The flashing diesels. The lifelike accessories from the milk car delivering milk cans to operation semaphores to billboards advertising Baby Ruth Candy. And the glorious full-color catalogs and breathtaking layouts that brought the Lionel world to life and mesmerized kids and their fathers alike. Jump on board for a ride through Lionel-s grand history and a glimpse into the future of toy trains.

From the Back Cover:

TICKETS PLEASE!

In time to celebrate the Lionel Train Company's 100th anniversary, ALL ABOARD! is the definitive collector's book on Lionel toy trains, brought up to date and enriched with an all new chapter plus a mini-scrapbook of rare stock certificates, patents, and business papers.

The unbeatable Santa Fe, the Blue Comet, the Flying Yankee, the New York Central, and World War I models with siege guns.

Plus the authentic steam whistle, bridges, tunnels, and crossing gates-everything possible for the layout that made "A Boy Feel Like a Man and a Man Feel Like a Boy."