Why is Christmas associated with Toy Trains?

Joshua Lionel Cowen was one of the most astute marketers of all time. The "theory" you noted is pretty much how it happened, spurred by Cowen's savvy of the market he was trying to reach (largely fathers and sons). Toys sold at Christmas, so it was pretty much a natural to propose that a toy train running under the tree would be a natural "fit." Provided action to the overall scene and provided something to keep the kids occupied. Worked well up through the mid-1960s or so, and still works today via exposure the public gets to the traditional "toy trains and Christmas" concept advanced via classic movies, advertising, etc. Sadly, the toy train makers today generally fail to take full advantage of the potential (in part due to the expense).

"Part of the association between trains and the Christmas holiday has to do with the fact that the first regularly scheduled passenger train first ran on Christmas Day in 1830."  didn't have time to fact check this one.

Lots of good stuff in the link below.

http://www.bigindoortrains.com...ains_n_christmas.htm

I wondered if it was because it was seen as appropriate to have something go around in circles, like under the tree, because everybody was ( still are) doing that (running around in circles)  trying to shop, decorate, and get ready for the holiday.

Some folks believe that trains were a natural extension of the Christmas garden.

It's the other way around...  Toy trains are associated with Christmas.  Christmas has been around a lot longer than toy trains.

I suspect part of the reason it's also a time when parents would "splurge" and get their kids a relatively expensive, popular toy.

Rusty

From the 'ol Inner-web. From what I've heard, Cowen was originally interested in selling motors. The train was just a demo piece....running in a storefront window with the hope that the motion would attract attention.

Lionel's first train, the Electric Express, was not intended for sale to consumers, but rather, as a storefront display. Delivered in December 1900, it operated on a brass track and was powered by a battery and a motor Cowen originally intended to use in an electric fan. Cowen hoped to use the public's fascination with railroads and electricity to capture the public's attention and direct it to the goods for sale. Members of the public started approaching store owners about buying the trains instead, prompting Lionel to begin making toy trains for the general public. Lionel ended up selling 12 examples of the Electric Express

I'm one of them.  In this part of the country, at least, families used to make elaborate "putzes" under the Christmas tree.  A toy train was a natural addition to one.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/729...ze=_original#caption

Christmas Trains 1

Christmas Trains 2

Christmas Trains 3

Grandpas Trains

Jerry

Thank you, everyone. I've shared many of these links with my colleague.

I wonder if, one of Lionel's sales tactics, was responsible for older Christmas art having Santa delivering a steam locomotive and passenger cars, along with other toys.

Of these older Christmas pictures I mostly saw Santa with: 'Trains,' 'Drums,' 'Tops,' 'Dolls,' 'Balls.'

Ralph 

In that instance, the caboose led the train...

Rusty

Don't forget a carton of Camels and a bottle of Coke.  Ah, those were the days.

Pete

The Coke Santa Clause from the 1930's is how we see Santa today. Fat , jolly and how we all think Santa should look.

I believe!

Sheba? Impressive train? Must have been Standard Gauge, that far back.

===

Association? Pretty uncomplicated. I got mine (and an actual 4X8 layout) Christmas 1955.

Most of us did (at Christmas, that is). Doesn't take much marketing "astuteness" to advertise toys (electric trains) at what was already the most gift- and toy-centric occasion in post-Classical Western Civilization.

Of course, when I was 12 (1960), I received a beautiful, rather better-quality go kart

Christmas morning. You could drive them on neighborhood streets, then. 30 mph! Many races - 2 friends got them too, that day. Even better than my Lionel 1955 Christmas.

But I don't associate rubber-tire-things with Christmas. 

I totally agree, there is a old saying " If they dont know about it they wont buy it" I think it was old Ben Franklin. Where is John Cash when you need him.

We have a tendency to blame the new toys out there, video games, Skate boards, IPhones ect. ect. Watch a kid at a train show or club looking at the trains running, there is interest in the trains , I seen it at AGHR all the time.

I wish I videoed the kids watching the Halloween layout I had running in the garage, they would not leave, I put the Remote in their hands and they were hooked, they forgot about the candy.

you are right Bill, I remeber the trains running around the tree in the late 40's and 50's,

Today my tree sits beside the Christmas train layout, Not enough room for a dang tree on the layout.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

   As RickO pointed out the very 1st real train in the USA ran on Christmas day 1830, Joshua Lionel Cowen marketed his business around this happening.   Here in the Pittsburgh, Pa area thousands of men & ladies worked for the Union Switch & Signal and most of their families purchased Lionel O and Standard Gauge Trains, because the men & ladies actually made Train electrical relays & parts along with all the different kinds of equipment, like switches and crossing gates for all the Railroad Trains thru out the world, they even built Railroad Engines, thus especially at Christmas time the Lionel Trains ran around the Pittsburgh area Christmas trees and became a tradition in millions of homes.  My Father was one of those men who worked for the Union Switch and Signal for 50 years of his life, I still run his Lionel Train at Christmas time, it's part of our family tradition.  There are millions of families that still carry on the tradition even today.

PCRR/Dave