Lionel HO Scale Trains

While HO scale is only half the size of O scale, its smaller size allows modelers to fit more details and more scale miles into a comparable area. HO scale became very popular in the U.S. in the late 1950s, after interest in model railroads as toys began to decline and manufacturer’s emphasis shifted to realism, in response to hobbyist demand. That shift in focus resulted in HO scale taking the place of O scale as the market leader in the 1960s. The transition caught the Lionel Corporation off guard, and in 1957 they hastily introduced a line of HO scale trains that was never as popular as its O scale trains. Previously the largest manufacturer of toy trains, 1957 was Lionel’s last profitable post-WWII year.