Letter:The Lionel Corporation Lionel Electric Trains

A letter to a fan who expressed interest in the Lionel Engineer's Club, a fan club for Lionel model train enthusiasts, in 1929. The Lionel Corporation saw continued growth through the first half of the 20th century, although the firm lost money and was eventually force into receivership during the Great Depression. A small wind-up train featuring the image of Mickey Mouse, so legend says, saved the firm and it saw its heyday in the mid-1950s. The letter shows one of the ways Lionel appealed to boys with an interest in the model train hobby.