The founder of Lionel trains, was born in 1877 to a Jewish immigrant family. His name was Joshua Lionel Cowen. It was just after the Civil War that Lionel Cowen immigrated with his family, settling in New York. Cowen and his family emigrated to America with the backdrop of great world change, particularly the industrial revolution. Trains were seen as symbols of progress and the industrial age during this time when revolutionary discoveries and inventions were seen to bring about previously unimagined changes. 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. Growing up amidst this revolution of change, it made sense that Cowen would be an inventor. He is credited with inventing the flashlight and just before the turn of the century, this college drop-out received his first patent for an instrument that was used to light the flash of a camera.

It is said that before the age of ten, he made his first working toy train. One of his earliest creations was a small actual working steam engine carved out of wood. Unfortunately, his parents kitchen was damaged when the steam exploded the engine. Even with this early set-back, his creativity was not quenched and went on to found the Lionel Corporation in 1900. 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 first successful Lionel train was the Electric Express. Ironically this train was not designed   to be a toy or something for hobbyist. Its intended purpose was that of a store display gimmick. As a flat gondola train carrying featured merchandise around circular track in a store display window, the Electric Express simultaneously succeeded and failed. It didn’t really help in highlighting the store items. Instead, the train itself became the star. Both customer and store employees wanted to purchase the train for themselves. Lionel Cowen made a smart decision after seeing this and brought Lionel Corporation around to focus on model trains that remain popular to this day.