Some toy trains can be considered a model and some model trains can be considered a toy.
Now let's look at the real difference between toy and model trains.
The main difference is that toy trains are usually non powered trains made of wood or plastic.
The earliest wooden train manufacturer in the United States was started by Marshal H.
Larrabee II.
This company was called Skaneateles Handicrafters and founded in 1936.
In 1956 the Jack-Built Toy Manufacturing Company manufactured at toy wooden train under the name of Jack Built Snap Trains.
Starting in a California-based Ben Orel company produced wooden trains that had track that could be flipped for railroad on one side and a road on the other side.
This company produced the first wooden trains with magnetic couplers.
The learning Curve Toys founded by John W.
Lee in 1993, called Thomas & Friends based on the Thomas the Tank Engine characters.
Some of the new wooden trains such as Thomas and those made by Brio have battery powered locomotives, but they are still considered toys.
The cheaper made train sets sold in department stores around Christmas are considered toys.
These sets can also be used for model railroading.
The sets are made on the same scale as higher priced model, with the track having the same gauge as the more expensive models.
Some of these cheaper trains may not have as much detail as the higher price models.
Also these cheaper trains probably do not have the power and smoothness of the operation of the more expensive models.
The earliest toy trains were made in the 19th century and were often made of cast iron.
These trains were sometimes powered by real steam or could be powered by clockwork engines.
A German company named Marklin, revolutionize the toy railroad industry.
Most of these trains are considered toys, but some of them can be classified as models.
Therefore; they are toy model trains.
Today model trains are very detailed and sophisticated.
Most model trains from Z scale up through O scale are usually built on an exact scale to the real trains they represent.
Where the Large Scale models are not built on the exact scale of the prototype, they are still very popular.
These large scale trains are considered toys more than models.
However; the large scale trains are the most popular for Garden Railroads.
You can model a very impressive outdoor layout using all the accessories and rolling stock available of the large scale trains.
The Z scale model trains are very small, but have great detail.
The N scale is the second most popular mode scale and is about half the size of HO.
The HO scale is the most popular scale of model trains.
Another popular gauge is O scale which was made popular by the Lionel manufacturing company.
Most of the O scale trains run on a three rail track.
All of these scale trains from N through O are considered models, but also can be called toys.
So the difference between toy and model trains would be whichever one you want to call them.
The main thing is to always have fun whether you are playing with toys are modeling a train layout.
Thanks for your time, Steve Barnett
Now let's look at the real difference between toy and model trains.
The main difference is that toy trains are usually non powered trains made of wood or plastic.
The earliest wooden train manufacturer in the United States was started by Marshal H.
Larrabee II.
This company was called Skaneateles Handicrafters and founded in 1936.
In 1956 the Jack-Built Toy Manufacturing Company manufactured at toy wooden train under the name of Jack Built Snap Trains.
Starting in a California-based Ben Orel company produced wooden trains that had track that could be flipped for railroad on one side and a road on the other side.
This company produced the first wooden trains with magnetic couplers.
The learning Curve Toys founded by John W.
Lee in 1993, called Thomas & Friends based on the Thomas the Tank Engine characters.
Some of the new wooden trains such as Thomas and those made by Brio have battery powered locomotives, but they are still considered toys.
The cheaper made train sets sold in department stores around Christmas are considered toys.
These sets can also be used for model railroading.
The sets are made on the same scale as higher priced model, with the track having the same gauge as the more expensive models.
Some of these cheaper trains may not have as much detail as the higher price models.
Also these cheaper trains probably do not have the power and smoothness of the operation of the more expensive models.
The earliest toy trains were made in the 19th century and were often made of cast iron.
These trains were sometimes powered by real steam or could be powered by clockwork engines.
A German company named Marklin, revolutionize the toy railroad industry.
Most of these trains are considered toys, but some of them can be classified as models.
Therefore; they are toy model trains.
Today model trains are very detailed and sophisticated.
Most model trains from Z scale up through O scale are usually built on an exact scale to the real trains they represent.
Where the Large Scale models are not built on the exact scale of the prototype, they are still very popular.
These large scale trains are considered toys more than models.
However; the large scale trains are the most popular for Garden Railroads.
You can model a very impressive outdoor layout using all the accessories and rolling stock available of the large scale trains.
The Z scale model trains are very small, but have great detail.
The N scale is the second most popular mode scale and is about half the size of HO.
The HO scale is the most popular scale of model trains.
Another popular gauge is O scale which was made popular by the Lionel manufacturing company.
Most of the O scale trains run on a three rail track.
All of these scale trains from N through O are considered models, but also can be called toys.
So the difference between toy and model trains would be whichever one you want to call them.
The main thing is to always have fun whether you are playing with toys are modeling a train layout.
Thanks for your time, Steve Barnett