I’ve been fascinated by toy trains, and a key Jewish connection, for decades. So I published a tribute book. 

The electric toy train, which millions of Americans enjoy at Christmas, needed a Jewish family to popularize it.  

I explore this theme and the influence of Lionel trains on American life in my new book: “Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! A Photo History of an American Icon,” which features 250 photographs and 100 essays.  

The cultural and social impact of Lionel toy trains made by Joshua Lionel Cowen (nee Cohen) and his family, from 1900 through 1959, has fascinated me since I began working for Classic Toy Trains magazine in 1988. Besides interviewing members of the Cowen family and former Lionel employees, I’ve collected photos of trains used in advertisements, motion pictures, public relations campaigns, and civic and charitable events. I’ve aimed to understand why those electric trains took on significance by influencing family roles, views of masculinity, cultural and social values, and celebrations of Christmas and Chanukah in 20^th-century America.  

Executives at Lionel, led by Joshua Cowen and his son, Lawrence, sought to make their trains integral parts of how families celebrated Christmas. Photographs of professional athletes, movie and television stars, and politicians, showed parents and grandparents how a Lionel train could shape in very positive ways the development of every American boy. Those pictures left youngsters begging for a toy they viewed as essential to their personal growth and status among peers. 

The book’s 100 essays analyze photos shared by individuals, archives, libraries and museums. Many of the images have never before been published. All of them shed light on how Lionel toy trains shaped as well as reflected prevailing values and ideals in 20th-century America. 

That kids of all religions and socioeconomic levels believed a Lionel train would make them happy will help readers understand more about the impact of toys on American life and cultural values. 

That a Jewish family promoted the toy train as perfect for celebrating Christmas will surprise many readers. 
   
You can find “Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! A Photo History of an American Icon” at amazon.com and projectroar.com. The 224-page hardbound book was written by Roger Carp, a longtime member of Congregation Shalom, who earlier this year received the Levy Family Jewish Educator of the Year Award from the Coalition for Jewish Learning. The book was published in November 2024. 

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