Presidents' Day is celebrated to honor all of the great men who have served the United States as Commander in Chief, and Lionel has created some incredible trains to help us do exactly that.
A couple years ago, Lionel began production of the Presidential Boxcar Series, and they have four more cars to introduce this year in their goal to create cars for every president in United States history. You can read all about the four new cars below, and be sure to check out the huge new images they have provided by clicking the smaller versions below.
New Product Spotlight – Presidential Series Boxcars
New for 2014 will be Presidents Reagan, Jackson, Harding and Eisenhower. Each of these Presidents left their mark on history and the railroads of their time as well.
Andrew Jackson has the distinction of being the first sitting President to ride a train in 1833. Jackson came to office when railroads were still a novelty. But within the span of his two terms, the potential of these new “Iron Horses” was sweeping the country with unparalleled vigor.
Warren Harding held office when railroads were at the peak of their power. He worked with railroad labor unions in support of an 8 hour work day in 1922 following a great strike in 1921. Upon his sudden death in 1923 his body traveled across the country by funeral train.
Dwight Eisenhower’s biggest contribution to transportation was certainly the creation of the Interstate Highway Act – a program which would come to have a major impact on the railroads. Eisenhower also made extensive use of air travel while President. While not an “anti-railroad” President, his time in office foreshadowed the coming decades of decline for the rail industry.
Ronald Reagan’s efforts to downsize the Federal Government put him up against several major railroad programs in the 1980s. His tenure saw the privatization of Conrail, transfer of the Alaska Railroad to the state and a constant battle with Amtrak. Reagan also signed into law the Staggers Act, which would play a critical role in the revitalization of the private rail industry in the coming years.
Like the previous cars in this series, each of these new boxcars will come beautifully decorated with the President’s portrait on the left and a brief bio on the right of the car. These cars are all decorated and assembled here in the USA.
The cars also feature sprung die-cast trucks, a metal frame and opening doors. The cars come attractively packaged so they can be displayed in or out of the box. They’d look great on an oval of track in your office.
The cars retail for $ 64.99. Our previous runs all sold out quickly. Don’t miss your chance to add to your collection!
Previous cars in this series:
2012
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
Theodore Roosevelt2013
John Adams
Andrew Johnson
Calvin Coolidge
Harry Truman
Although no series in this line will ever include as recognizable and beloved a lineup of Presidents as the first wave, this series still features a heavy-hitting group of fellows. They might not have a place on Mount Rushmore, but they are all big names as far as Presidents go. The cars themselves are absolutely beautiful with the gold-colored bases, laid over by a gorgeous red-white-and-blue gradient, then topped with the President's image and biography. The bios might be short, but these are still a wonderful tribute to important men, and would make for a fine display in any home.
If you have an eye for history, these cars will allow you to educate and entertain any visitors to your train room. Keep an eye out for these and other Lionel trains on the DASH Marketplace, and be sure to spend Presidents' Day with your trains and with a mind for the great history the day represents.
No comments:
Post a Comment