Wooden toy trains are not just entertaining for children but for adults too. They are the sort of toys that can be treasured and collected or turned into a hobby. They can be kept and passed on from one generation to the next, enduring toy trends and fads. Wood's natural quality gives it its classic elegance that no synthetic material can compare to. In effect, the wooden train is still one of the best types of toy trains even in this age of high-technology and complex synthetic materials and physics.

Historical significance

The wooden train has a rich and interesting history that makes it all the more interesting. The earliest toy trains were made of wood and most of these were wooden pull-along types. These were made available during the 1840s, at the time of the industrial revolution. Trains were the first modern transport to be copied as toys, and in a sense is a very significant symbol of the industrial age.

A symbol of the industrial revolution

One can look at a wooden train as not just a toy but the symbol of progress and humankind's triumph during the industrial revolution. The wooden toy train's development in terms of design and mechanism is parallel to the progress of the 18th and early 19th century. What makes it a treasure is the fact that the industrial revolution has marked a major turning point in human society and touches the world we know today, from the way we work to our modes of transportation. The industrial age ushered in a machine-based economy, leaving behind a manual-labor and agriculture-based economy. Trade was expanded nationally and was no longer concentrated locally. For this to become possible, efficient modes of transportation and communications had to be established and built. At the beginning of the industrial revolution, it was the railway system that made all these trade and commerce possible. Our socioeconomic and cultural conditions have been changed forever because of technologies and transportations such as the railway system. Today, we are still in the process of industrialization even in these contemporary times, albeit a more technologically advanced one.

Development and evolution

Early models of toy trains were manually pulled by a string and could be connected with simple connectors and mechanisms. By the late 19th century, wooden toy trains were powered by steam propulsion or by clockwork. In 1891, at the Leipzig Toy Fair, Marklin introduced trains in three different sizes including eight tracks with a cross-over and a switch point. Standard track sizes thus became popular in Germany and allowed little boys to create their own miniature railway, however long or complex they wished the tracks to be. Manufacturers saw the marketing opportunity of customizing railways and thus supplied recognizable liveries. German trains were imported by British toy companies such as AW Gamages and WJ Bassee-Lowke. When World War I broke out, German monopoly on toy trains ceased because imports were banned . The British began manufacturing their own wooden toy trains. One company, Hornby, felt that the German gauge was too large to be practical and decided on making zero gauge trains. The Hornby train range developed into the most comprehensive toy train manufacturer, making finely detailed wooden train and other locomotives, including tankers, commercial vans, and wagons. It was in 1925 when Hornby introduced the first electric train which had a live central rail and ran on a three wheel track. In 1938, Hornby manufactured the smaller 00 gauge Dublo table top train series to compete with the Trix Twin range. It could ran with either electric or clockwork power. Buy the early 1960s, Hornby and Trix reduced in popularity and could not compete with the cheper Tri-and trains. In 1964, Hornby was then taken over by Lines Brother.

Wooden trains today

There are wooden toy trains today that more or less run on the same mechanism as the earlier versions, and may be considered collector's items, more of interest to hobbyists than for kids. This is usually a set of small wooden trains that run on a wooden track which have grooves that guide the wheels of rolling stock. Hardwood is the traditional material used to manufacture the wooden train, resembling prototypical railroad equipment. Earlier ones are connected to each other via metal hooks, while others (commonly) are connected by small magnets. More and more companies are manufacturing toy trains, unlike before where there were only a handful companies. Thus, there is no universal standard for wooden train tracks and cars. There are, however, standards for specific companies, which they use so that customers can integrate their train systems and create their own railways. One of the most known system is the Vario-system, which is a standard used by the company BRIO and other well-known toy train manufacturers. Wooden railroad sets are often advertised as "BRIO Compatible" or "Thomas Compatible" so you as the buyer will know if you can connect one train set to another. There are also adapters for toy train tracks, allowing you to connect a plastic track to a wooden track. Compatible doesn't mean that all parts are fully interchangeable, however. You will find that there are many differences in a lot of areas and a lot of the parts may not match such as the length of straights, the width of the track, the humps, the angles of the curves, and the male/female joints. Therefore, before buying a train set, it is advisable to look for a manufacturer that you prefer over another in most aspects, so that you can simply buy parts and models from one manufacturer so that everything is compatible and will easily match.

Kids and parents

What's great about a wooden train set is that it can be appreciated by kids and adults alike. They may be a bit more expensive than plastic train sets but their durability and socio-cultural significance is worth the investment. When your kids grow up, they can still appreciate the wooden toy train as much as they did when they were a kid, and then pass it on to their own children; a set of trains can be connected to this ever-growing collection with every passing generation-parallel and symbolic to how car trains connect and move in the railways (of life) on and on, and on.