1933 America is sinking in the depression .... and the Century of Progress with all it's art-deco glory is working overtime to to put on a happy face.
Everything is sleek and modern ...including the new look of train travel .... Union Pacific has a model of it's new streamlined train being built at Pullman scheduled to grace the rails the following year .... much press was devoted to the new page on train travel ..out with the old black steamer and in with the new light and bright streamliner.
Railroads had a large display at the Fair ..( certainly the huge boost in the arm to O scale with several corporate layouts...mocking the toy appearance of American Flyers' standard gauge trains ..which were dropped form their line the following year) .
Out on display were several examples of old and new steamers... the following year ( 1934 ) the UP M10000 and the Burlington Zephyr made their debut on all their glistening glory .
The toy train world had nothing ..that looked like the new streamliners..... enter General Trains out of Chicago .....they must have copied the UP model of the M10000 as it was displayed at the fair in 1933 ...and was able to get their faithful copy ( of the proto-type) out in two rail standard gauge by the end of 1933...beating all other manufactures to the starting gate ...... unfortunately when the UP and Pullman rolled out the M10000 ....it did not look like the pro-type model on display the year before . General Trains had jumped the gun .... and that is the reason why so few have ever heard of General trains .
Cheers Carey
Here is a link to see one in action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lMznr9be0c
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