The 20th Century Limited House Tour - The Highland Park Historical Society

The Highland Park Historical Society
Presents
THE HISTORY OF TOY TRAINS III
A.C. Gilbert’s American Flyer 1946-1966

Sponsored by Harris Bank

Trains

Dates: December 5, 2009 thru January 17, 2010

Location: The Highland Park Historical Society
326 Central Avenue Highland Park, Illinois

Saturdays 10:00 – 3:00 and Sundays 1:00 – 4:00 Also Special Group Tours Available

Suggested Donations
$3.00 per person/$8.00 per family

Trains

This is the third annual History of Toy Train Exhibit. The first exhibit featured Standard Gauge trains made by American Flyer and Lionel manufactured between 1915 and 1935. The second exhibit featured “O” Tin Trains made by Ives, Hafner, American Flyer of Chicago, Lionel, and Dorfan between 1900 and 1935. The average family spent over an hour touring these exhibits.

This year’s exhibit will be our biggest exhibit to date and will feature trains manufactured by the A.C. Gilbert company of New Haven, Connecticut. Gilbert bought American Flyer from William Coleman of Chicago in the mid-1930’s. Toy train production was very limited during World War II. But right after the War, America embraced the toy train industry, and the era known as “The Golden Age of Model Railroading” began in 1946 when A.C. Gilbert introduced a smaller, more realistic looking line of Toy Trains that ran on two rail tracks. These trains were built as scale models that were 3/16” to a foot in size. This gauge train came to be known as “S” scale, and they went into competition with Lionel Trains which operated on three rail track and were built in the slightly larger “O” scale (1/4” to a foot). The years between 1946 and 1966 were filled with heated debates between two rail American Flyer enthusiasts and three rail Lionel fans.

This exhibit will feature hundreds of American Flyer engines, train cars, buildings, and operating accessories including the cattle loader, the sawmill, the log loader, the coal loader, the barrel loader, a magnetic crane, several whistling bill boards, and many other surprises. There will be lectures about American Flyer, a large operating “S” gauge layout featuring a waterfall and mountainous scenery. Videos about American Flyer, toy trains, and previous videos about The History of Toy Trains will be shown in The Highland Park Room. There will also be an extensive historic photographic presentation with lectures about the real rail roads of Highland Park, a circus train exhibit, and a stroll down memory lane of everyone’s favorite 1950’s American miniature Home Town, “Plasticville”.

This is a great family event. The lectures are interactive and great fun for children.
There are many things to see and do, and the average family spends over an hour at the exhibit. For the serious train enthusiast, this is a chance to see an exceptional collection of American “S” Gauge trains, including some of the rarest and seldom seen collector pieces. This is a true historic exhibit, and the lectures are very informational. For adults, childhood memories flood back when the large train layout is turned on, and children get a chance to see toys they have never seen before. As in past years, coffee and cookies will be served. We also have a raffle with several toy train prizes and a silent auction of the beautifully framed rare Historic Prints of Highland Park’s railroads.

To arrange a special group tours call 847-432-4090

Trains