What kind were they?

[Train Memories]

                Back in the early 50's our family around Christmas would always receive advertisment catalogs from    "Western Auto". And it was mostly 027 or O gauge trains. This was in the southern states. I often wonder what kind they were. Were they Lionels or what? The cheaper sets  were first and toward the back were the expensive sets. Does anyone here by chance remember this? And what kind were these sets. For a ten year old boy, these were out of reach as far as getting these trains. I would always end up with a cheap train from Kress or Woolworth and I was happy!! Thanks -                                                                      Reuben

 

 

[daan]

It's very hard to answer that question. It could be Marx for the cheaper sets and Lionel for the expensive ones.. I guess "western auto" would be a sort of hobby shop? So they probably advertised with more then one brand of trains..

[Anonymous]

Western Auto stores were, as the name implies, hardware and auto parts stores--kind of forerunners of today's Lowe's and Home Depot, albeit on a smaller scale.  Western Auto stores were in various sections of the country--the one I frequented regularly was in my boyhood hometown in Ohio.

Western Auto generally sold trains and toys on a seasonal basis, and not year round.  Their catalogs, which arrived at homes around late october or early November, prominently featured Lionel and Flyer trains.  They may also have included some Marx, but I don't really recall since I was strongly involved with Lionel at the time (50s) and didn't pay much attention to other makes.

Truth is, virtually every hardware and department store of that era carried Lionel, Flyer, and/or Marx trains, including the "five and dime" stores such as G.C. Murphy, Kress, and Woolworth's that stocked Marx items.

A boy growing up in the 50s could not avoid toy trains and toy train advertising.  It was--literally--EVERYWHERE.  Of course, real trains also were everywhere to be seen.  A very different environment from what is seen today, in terms of the real-world environment; the toys kids enjoy and want; and the way toys are promoted.  There is really no comparison that can be made because times and our society have changed so profoundly since then.  It was a GREAT time to be a boy and to develop a life-long attraction to trains and railroading.

[Jumijo]

As Allan mentioned, a lot of stores sold toy trains on a seasonal basis. Although I grew up a decade later than Allan, I can distinctly remember hardware stores in my area selling trains, and other toys, including sporting goods. But the odd thing I remember was seeing toy trains for sale in tire stores and appliance stores around the holidays. As a kid, I never understood the connection these stores had with toy trains.

Jim

[thor]

A boy growing up in the 50s could not avoid toy trains and toy train advertising.  It was--literally--EVERYWHERE.  Of course, real trains also were everywhere to be seen.  A very different environment from what is seen today, in terms of the real-world environment; the toys kids enjoy and want; and the way toys are promoted.  There is really no comparison that can be made because times and our society have changed so profoundly since then.  It was a GREAT time to be a boy and to develop a life-long attraction to trains and railroading.

Amen!  I always tell Asherah "I RODE on these trains honey!"

[lionelsoni]

Western Auto was bought by Advance in 1998.  The stores are gradually being renamed.

[Dr. John]

There was a Western Auto in the town where I grew up. It was a crowded store full of fun stuff. Sure there were tools, bins of nails, screws, etc. but there were firearms, fishing and hunting equipment and lots of interesting boxes covered with dust. Oddly enough, despite the name, there was very little in the way of auto parts, at least at this particular store.

The seasonal items such as trains (Marx, Lionel and Flyer - I never saw any HO or N) came out front late in the fall, then those that did not sell returned to high shelves in the rear of the store. I never got a train set from Western Auto (though I would have liked to) I did receive my first Daisy BB gun from there, back in 1968. I still have that old gun. I also still have a couple of Zebco fishing rods that came from that store.

[Train Memories]

Yes, Yes..It's coming back to me. Western Auto, they sold tires, car batteries, etc. and in front they had a toy train set up, what dream land it was. Allan Miller you hit it right on the nail, on everything. Yes at that time there was a different world environment where everthing was trains. And how great to go down memory lane, and I didn't know that Western Auto was around as recently as 1998. I now live in San Jose, CA (moved here in 1955 from San Antonio, TX) so I wouldn't have known. And yes, thor, I did also RODE on those trains. Funny thing also around that time I also got that Daisy BB gun but at a small grocery store down the street (in 1953). Strange, but my mother did tell "don't go and shoot your eye out"

Today, I'm trying to get the trains I always wanted and couldn't get and I was a kid. Thanks gentlemen for hearing me out.                        Reuben

[lionelsoni]

http://www.advanceautoparts.com/english/press/article.asp?article=2345

[3railguy]

Western Auto put their name on Marx 027 and HO trains. They put their name on a lot of low end brand names.

The big box strategy as we know it today has gone on for a century and started with Sears and Roebuck. The size of box conglomerates has grown in proportion with the growth of society. Western Auto was franchise that put many late 1800's/early 1900's style mom and pop owned hardware stores out of buisiness. Kmart, Earnst, Woolworth, etc., put Western Auto stores out of buisiness. Wally World and the Home Depot have put many K-Marts under. Fifty years from now, our children will reminisce the death of Wally world and the Home Depot.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Since my first Lionel Train, a Rio Grande 222 Freight came from Western Auto, I think you can figure out what they sold in my home town.

[Blueberryhill RR]

Western Auto in my home town sold " cherry lights "  for the car's grille and tires, batteries, hub caps, and bike parts. At Christmas, they sold Marx trains and accessories.

[pbjwilson]

Some related trivia -

The Western Flyer was a very popular bicycle . This one is from 1959. It was a special bike made for the 50th anniversary of Western Auto stores.It had dual headlights off the "gastank". And a special black and gold paint scheme.

[jefelectric]

Our local Western Auto Store sold Lionel & Flyer mostly, may have had some Marx.  We also had a Joe The Motorist Friend Store and a Firestone tire store all of which sold trains at Christmas time & all of them had a display layout.  As I remember it Joe's had a lot of Marx.  This was from the mid 40s to about early 60s when it started to fade out.  They all sold guns as well and bikes and appliances and eventually TV's.

[Train Memories]

       Well....with Christmas around the corner, I always find myself tying somehow toy trains with Christmas. How I wish they would have lionel/flyer train set ups in the big stores . In those years as soon as you would walk in, you would hear the train whistles and follow the sound there! But that is not to be today. The only thing we can depend on is getting  good deals on the internet. Grandchildren will come over and enjoy trains!

    I found one thing for sure here on this forum. There are sure a lot of good great people here and very knowledgeable.                           Reuben

[phillyreading]

I have been to Western Auto before when I was stationed at Ft. Riley Kansas in the Army but don't remember seeing model trains sold at Western Auto, could be I wasn't looking for model trains back then.

I remember up north around Pennsylvania or New York that a department store named Boscov's sold model trains year round, used to carry a lot of K-Line stuff, that was around 1999.

Lee F.

[Train Memories]

  Lee,   we've being talking about the early fifties. I don't know if you go back that far. If you don't you're lucky (you're younger than some of us. Anyway, I remember one time my older brother and I  went to a "lionel Repair Service place (it was a residential house in the baseman) and wow there were a lot of beautiful "big" engines (scale) there for repair. There were Berkshires, Hudsons, etc. Again I was in a wonderland. That must have been 1954 or 1955. and to this day more that 50 yrs later I love trains just as much if not more! If fact, when I'm in the track side and there is a fast freight coming.I get tears running down from my eyes (it is so beautiful). Of couse I always hide this from my family.

  Today I have a Berkshire, a Hudson, a 0-8-0 yard goat switcher  GS-4, a PS4 (pacific) a f-3 SF A-B-A set also a UP A-B-A set a SD40T2  and a S2 Alco switcher. These are all scale. I also have a number of traditional size engines a 11' X 6.5' layout with all fastrack. Please, I'm sorry it's just that I'm so happy

                                                                   Reuben