On Feb. 2, 1884, readers of the Placer Herald were informed of an unusual display near the Gold Run Train Depot. The Placer Herald noted that “passengers of the Central Pacific are considerably puzzled by a little railroad set up on the trestles at the Gold Run station.”
The railroad set was a toy made by the agent of the station, Captain Davison, for his children. The tracks were about one foot apart in an oval and the engine and tender were about two feet high. The engine was powered by steam generated by a coal oil lamp.
This was not the first model train, but it is a very early example of one – especially one that was propelled by steam. The popularity of model trains began in 1891 when the Marklin Company in Germany began mass producing wind-up train sets.
In 1896, Carlisle and Finch, a company in Ohio, produced the first electric train sets that ran on metal tracks. The Lionel Manufacturing Company followed in 1901 with their own electric train set and the popularity of model trains swelled, especially with children.
Currently, there are more than half a million model train collectors in the U.S., though most who enjoy the hobby today are young at heart.
Photo: Gold Run Depot, c. 1900
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