Vintage Train Sets

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Date:

Instructions: All aboard! Test your knowledge of the model trains and train sets that chugged through living rooms for decades.

1.
Which company, founded in 1900, became the most iconic American model train brand?
A
Lionel
B
Bachmann
C
Marx Trains
D
American Flyer
2.
What scale did American Flyer trains famously use, which featured two-rail realistic track?
A
N scale
B
HO scale
C
O scale
D
S scale
3.
Lionel trains traditionally ran on track with how many rails?
A
Two
B
One
C
Four
D
Three
4.
What holiday tradition made model train sets one of the most popular gifts of the year?
A
Fourth of July
B
Easter
C
Christmas
D
Thanksgiving
5.
The famous Lionel catalog, eagerly awaited by children each year, was first published in what decade?
A
1900s
B
1930s
C
1920s
D
1940s
6.
What was the name of the affordable Marx train sets that made model railroading accessible to many families in the 1950s?
A
Budget Line
B
Marx Streamline
C
Economy Express
D
Marx Electric Train Set
7.
HO scale model trains, which became popular in the 1950s-60s, are what ratio to real trains?
A
1:87
B
1:64
C
1:160
D
1:48
8.
What did many children use to create realistic landscapes around their train sets?
A
Papier-mache and plaster
B
Clay and sand
C
Cardboard and paint only
D
Real dirt and grass
9.
Which Lionel train accessory featured a small figure that popped out of a building to hand a mailbag to a passing train?
A
The Railroad Worker
B
The Station Agent
C
The Mail Pickup Set
D
The Switchman
10.
What type of transformer was commonly used to control the speed of electric model trains?
A
A step-up transformer
B
A fixed-speed controller
C
A battery pack
D
A variable voltage transformer
11.
The iconic Lionel 'smoke unit' made model train locomotives appear to emit real smoke. What did it burn to create the effect?
A
Special smoke pellets or liquid
B
Incense
C
Paper strips
D
Tiny coal pellets
12.
Which department store was famous for its elaborate Christmas model train displays that drew thousands of visitors?
A
Macy's
B
Marshall Field's
C
Woolworth's
D
Sears
13.
What was the typical material used for model train track in the postwar era?
A
Aluminum
B
Copper
C
Tin-plated steel
D
Brass
14.
Gilbert, the company that made American Flyer trains, was also famous for producing what other popular toy?
A
Tinkertoys
B
Lincoln Logs
C
Erector Sets
D
Lego
15.
What common household item did many hobbyists traditionally place under Christmas trees alongside their model train layouts?
A
Tin foil
B
Blankets
C
Newspaper
D
Cotton batting for snow

Answer Key

Question 1

A. Lionel

Question 2

D. S scale

Question 3

D. Three

Question 4

C. Christmas

Question 5

C. 1920s

Question 6

D. Marx Electric Train Set

Question 7

A. 1:87

Question 8

A. Papier-mache and plaster

Question 9

C. The Mail Pickup Set

Question 10

D. A variable voltage transformer

Question 11

A. Special smoke pellets or liquid

Question 12

A. Macy's

Question 13

C. Tin-plated steel

Question 14

C. Erector Sets

Question 15

D. Cotton batting for snow

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