1957

The Lionel Corporation was the undisputed king of model trains for decades. After reaching their peak in 1952, sales started falling and the company needed to branch out into the world of theming trains around space and military hardware, or sometimes products that were not train-related at all.

The girls’ train was one of these desperate attempts to stay relevant. Girls were being ignored by the world of model railroading, and the company's solution was to create a train especially for girls. How? By painting ordinary train sets in pink pastel colors. Instead of hauling coal or freight, the trains were designed to carry cute miniature furniture.

The girls’ trains were a disappointing derailment. The "Lady Lionel" set (Model 1587S), was a radical departure from the traditional black, gray, and silver locomotives that had defined the brand for decades. The whole package was pastel-colored surrealism in stark contrast to the gritty realism that had made Lionel trains famous. Turns out girls also liked playing with trains, but for the same reasons as boys, for the realism and the joy of building miniature worlds. The girls’ train was quickly discontinued with some trains returned to the factory for repainting.

Today, the Lionel "Girls' Train" is a highly sought-after collectible. The museum has other failed gendered products, the most famous being the Bic Pen for Her.