Missouri collector all wound up over trains that were once the toy/model railroading norm
May 4, 2013 / Updated May 13, 2013
Model Railroading
James Pekarek joked that his hands and wrist would probably need medical attention. Every few minutes, he turned the key and wound vintage locomotives that pulled a handful of cars around a couple of loops of track. When the trains stopped, another quick wind revved them up again.
The trains, on display at March’s Ozarks Model Railroad Association spring train show in Springfield, MO., offered a glimpse of early-day model railroading that didn’t require the then-luxury of electricity.
“I got my first train set when I was 2½ years old,” said the Strafford, MO, resident, who also dabbles in 12-gauge railroading (a hand-built Frisco caboose flanked the windup display). “These are kind of a forgotten thing, and I like them because they represent basic fun. I like to buy them and fix them up.”
Pekarek, 43, estimates that he has about seven dozen locomotives. He relished a find at the show, a windup that only needed a new running gear. He paid just a few bucks for it.
Marklin and Joy Line were among early makers of windup trains, sometimes called clockwork trains that date to the 1800s. A series of gears and springs turn wheels under tension after being wound like a timepiece. Depending on the mechanism, each wind from the key creates 65 revolutions from the wheels.
Marx became a major player in the windup world after purchasing Joy Line in 1934 to provide a quality, low-cost alternative to toy trains marketed by Lionel and American Flyer. Like the Joy Line trains, the first Marx trains were key-wound and made from inexpensive tin. Locomotives and cars sported lithographed logos (New York Central was popular), and an early five-piece set without track sold for $2.
“It’s amazing that you get people who come through here and say, ‘I’ve never seen anything wind up,’ ” Pekarek said.
More on this story in the May/June 2013 issue of Cowcatcher Magazine!
Photos by Tim Blackwell/Cowcatcher Magazine
Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.
Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.
The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.
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