Jewish Invention Myths: The Scale Electric Model Train
Another day and we have to debunk yet another ‘jewish invention’ myth. This time it is the claim that jews invented Scale Electric Model Trains – a hobby this author used to engage in as a child – which is a frequent one made by proponents of ‘jewish achievement’ (1) with a jew named Joshua Lionel Cowan being claimed as the inventor. (2)
As with so many ‘jewish invention’ claims this isn’t even remotely true with Joshua Lionel Cowan – the uncle of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s lead council Roy Cohn during the so-called ‘Red Scare’ – being a jewish businessman who invented a dry cell battery powered electric model train in 1901 which had become the best-selling product of his ‘Lionel Corporation’ by 1902. (3)
What is the historical truth?
The first model trains are often assumed to be the ‘Birmingham Dribblers’ of England of the 1850s, (4) but we know German artisans built model trains as early as the 1830s and Matthias Baldwin – founder and owner of the Baltimore Locomotive Works – created an early model passenger train in the 1830s as well. (5)
Meanwhile George Brown & Company of Connecticut are often believed to be the first to create a self-propelled toy train in 1856, (6) but this isn’t true since a wet cell battery powered electric model train was shown to the public on 14th October 1835 by a New York blacksmith named Thomas Davenport. (7)
Indeed, the first commercially available battery powered electric model train was invented and sold in 1896 by the Carlisle & Finch company. (8) While the model train set was invented and solid (with great success) by a German company named Märklin in 1891 – the son of the original founders of the company Eugen Märklin being responsible for the invention/innovation – who became the premier manufacturer and retailer of model trains by the 1970s. (9)
So not only did Joshua Lionel Cowan not invent the scale model electric train but he wasn’t even the first to successfully commercialise and sell it!
References
(1) For example: https://boulderjewishnews.org/2009/an-informal-list-of-jewish-inventions-innovations-and-radical-ideas/ and https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/when-is-a-jew-not-a-jew/
(2) https://christianislamicforum.wordpress.com/dedicated-to-our-jewish-brethren/
(3) https://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-gazette/106955610/
(4) https://modelengineeringwebsite.com/Birmingham_Dribbler.html also https://www.sidestreet.info/locos/loco76.html
(5) https://charlesro.com/who-invented-model-trains-and-the-history-behind-it/
(6) Ibid.
(7) https://www.waybacktimes.com/collecting/vintage-electric-toy-trains/
(8) https://www.keyelco.com/blog-details.cfm/keyelco-blog/The-Perfect-Christmas-Gift-A-Quick-History-of-the-Toy-Train/blog_id/44
(9) https://charlesro.com/who-invented-model-trains-and-the-history-behind-it/ also https://exactrail.com/pages/a-historical-timeline-of-model-train-kits