Born to a Jewish immigrant family in 1877, Joshua Lionel Cowen would go on become the founder of Lionel Trains. It was just after the Civil War that Lionel Cowen immigrated with his family, settling in New York. It was in the midst of major changes in the world, namely the industrial revolution that Lionel Cowen began his life in America. The electric light had just been created by Thomas Edison and railroads and trains became perfect symbols of this new industrial and mechanical age. America was finally joined by the Central and Union Pacific lines which meant both the shipping of goods, as well as people, was now a possibility in the exciting exploration of the west. Given the context of his formative years during the westward expansion and the industrial revolution, it’s quite fitting that Cowen would grow up to build and invent. Credited with the invention of the flashlight, and getting his first patent for a component used in camera flashes, despite being a college drop out, he had already made some significant achievements.

 

It’s rumored that Lionel Cowen made his first toy train before the age of ten. He carved a small train out of wood and fixed a small steam engine to it. Unfortunately, his parents kitchen was damaged when the steam exploded the engine. Lionel did not get discouraged despite the loss of his early steam locomotive and in 1900 at the turn of the century, founded the Lionel Corporation. It was at this point that rail travel was the seen as being the epitome of modernity, style, sophistication and progress. Both children and adults alike marveled at it’s technology.

 

The initial train made by what would soon become Lionel Corporation was designed to be a store display prop to help showcase featured items. It was a gondola train called the electric express. The success of this gondola train displaying items as it went around a circular track in the store window took an unexpected direction. It failed to highlight featured items in the gondola, this was because it succeeded in creating so much interest that customers would want to buy the fascinating new electric train. Lionel Cowen took notice of this and focused Lionel Corporation on what we know and love them for, model trains.

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