Model Trains and Accessories Collecting

The history of rail transport dates back nearly 500 years, and includes systems with man or horse power and rails of wood or stone. Modern rail transport systems first appeared in England in the 1820s. These systems, which made use of the steam locomotive, were the first practical forms of mechanized land transport, and they remained the primary form of mechanized land transport for the next 100 years.

Because rails were smoother than roads, a greater quantity and tonnage of bulk goods such as coal and minerals could be carried, and without damage to highways. Naturally, a great deal of inventiveness was focused upon improving the rails and reducing the degree of friction between wheel and rail. In the late 1760s, the Coalbrookdale Company began to fix plates of cast iron to the wooden rails. These and earlier railways had flanged wheels as on modern railways, but another system was introduced, in which unflanged wheels ran on L-shaped metal plates - these became known as plateways. John Curr, a Sheffield colliery manager, invented this flanged rail, though the exact date of this is disputed. The plate rail was taken up by Benjamin Outram for wagonways serving his canals, manufacturing them at his Butterley ironworks. Meanwhile William Jessop, a civil engineer, had used a form of edge rail successfully for an extension to the Charnwood Forest Canal at Nanpantan, Loughborough, Leicestershire in 1789. Jessop became a partner in the Butterley Company in 1790.

When I was growing up I remember seeing lots of railroads running all the time but recently I have seen very few. This old transportation seems to be fading and building model railroads in your den, garage or rec room is a national past time. Lots of families gather together running cool trains around the track.

It is an amazing adventure to build each piece by piece from the rails to the buildings and scenery. Some of the railway shows I have seen quite extension sets in action. At Christmas I always put up one under my tree it just looks awesome. Vintage Model Trains