by:
Grams, John

Publisher:
Kalmbach Publishing Company
Published:September 1, 2002
ISBN:0871161982
Format:Hardcover
Pages:160

Description: About the Author
John Grams, Ph.D., has collected and studied toy trains for the past 40 years and has authored dozens of magazine articles and several books on the subject. A broadcast journalism professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he lives in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Product Description:
Toy Train Memories tells the captivating story of how toy electric trains were once the only Christmas gift children wanted. Throughout the 1920s, '30s, '40s, and into the mid-1950s, Lionel and American Flyer actively promoted the relationship between Christmas and toy trains, and kids everywhere eagerly awaited their fabulous fall gift catalog. During those years, families shared happy hours building railroad empires that began with a locomotive, boxcar, or operating milk car wrapped up in colorful paper and placed under the tree. Woven within this wildly entertaining gift book are over 100 stunning full-color photos of toy trains guaranteed to bring back happy memories of simpler times. But the stars of this book are the dozens of vintage black-and-white Christmas-morning snapshots of happy boys and girls with their brand-new trains-photos that will evoke fond memories of childhood, family, and the holiday season. For history lovers, nostalgia fans, and train enthusiasts everywhere, Toy Train Memories is an enjoyable celebration of the toys of our youth and a fabulous journey back to simpler, happier times.