Lionel Corporation was an American toy manufacturer and retailer from 1900 to 1993. Founded as an electrical novelties company, Lionel's products and specialties varied throughout its existence, but Lionel's toy trains and model railroads are what made the company famous.

Its trains, produced from 1901 to 1969, are the most famous toy trains in the United States and among the most famous in the world. During its peak years in the 1950s, Lionel sold $25 million worth of trains per year.[1] In 2006, Lionel's electric train, along with the Easy Bake Oven, became the first two electric toys to be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Although not the first to manufacture toy trains-its products originally were marketed as toys-Lionel is the most enduring brand name in the United States. Many of the decades-old trains in attics and basements in the United States were made by Lionel, and the products are popular with collectors.