Uploaded July 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
The railroads had transportation to themselves for years, but in the 30s, both airlines and cars began to challenge travel-by-trains, giving the traveler options. So the railroads countered with exciting new designs that made their old steamers look like futuristic rocket ships. It worked, rail passenger service stayed strong as people loved to ride on fancy, modern-looking trains like the El Capitan, Empire State Express, the SP's Daylight, Henry Dreyfuss' Hudson, and Otto Kuhler's Hiawatha. The toy train companies got in the act and made attractive models of just about all the famous streamliners. Most of the streamliners in this segment are MTH's RailKing models.
The railroads had transportation to themselves for years, but in the 30s, both airlines and cars began to challenge travel-by-trains, giving the traveler options. So the railroads countered with exciting new designs that made their old steamers look like futuristic rocket ships. It worked, rail passenger service stayed strong as people loved to ride on fancy, modern-looking trains like the El Capitan, Empire State Express, the SP's Daylight, Henry Dreyfuss' Hudson, and Otto Kuhler's Hiawatha. The toy train companies got in the act and made attractive models of just about all the famous streamliners. Most of the streamliners in this segment are MTH's RailKing models.
