Hey! Look up in the sky – it’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s the Batman Phantom LionChief O Gauge Train Set from Lionel! Ok, wow, that was quite a mouthful. And, no rest assured, the sky isn’t raining 10-pound die-cast locomotives. No, the caped-wonders that I’m talking about are right here on your tracks, keeping your layouts free from evil-doers and ruffians alike.
That’s right folks, today is all about superheroes and the super trains they’re featured on. Superheroes like Batman and Superman have been cultural staples for nearly a century now. The popularity of Marvel and DC Comics saw its massive boom during the “Golden Age” of comics – a time period that ran during the Pre-War and Post-War era for all of us collecting trains. And, despite both model trains and comics enjoying massive success at the same time, people never got to see my personal favorite hero, Spiderman grace a vintage 700E or a Post-War Batman searchlight car.
So why’s that? How do two massive hobbies not come together for collaboration? Well for starters – Marvel and DC Comics were both licensing toys through other smaller companies, and primarily focused on action figures. Escaping the Post-War era without at least a Superman boxcar was tough, but as we’ll see here shortly, things were brewing right around the corner as the MPC era took over.
Tyco and the 368 A-D Series
The introduction of color television was a huge shift in the direction for the entertainment industry. Kids could now see their favorite heroes full of life, and the visual appeal of their costumes and suits could finally be enjoyed as well. Model train companies felt the same way, and by 1977 we saw our first release of superhero related trains with Tyco introducing their DC Comics Series 368 HO collection.
This 4-car collection was a set of boxcars featuring Superman (368-A), Batman (368-B), Wonder Woman (368-C), and Shazam! (368-D) – each getting their own unique design featuring one of the DC Comics quartet. The Shazam! car is my personal favorite, and is a must if you haven’t checked them out. By this point superheroes had become a mainstay in pop culture with Superman and Batman gracing everything from lunch boxes to t-shirts, and yet somehow this Tyco set is the only thing we got as both model train enthusiasts and fans of superheroes for the better part of the next 20 years. Ho-ScaleTrains.com has a wonderful piece on the 368 series - you can check out even further here!
The 80s and 90s would both prove to be relatively quiet as far as a model train/superhero crossover was concerned. But not to worry, the new millennium would usher in both a new superhero craze, and the long awaited collaboration(s) that were thirty years in the making.
The New Millennium Model Train Crossover
The summer of 2008 was a special one – we witnessed both the dawn of the new superhero boom in film with DC’s “The Dark Knight” and Marvel’s “Iron Man” taking the world by storm, and plunging Hollywood into a superhero reboot-fest. Before we knew it, Thor, The Green Lantern, Captain America, and a slew of Marvel and DC favorites would get their own full length films.
What if I told you model train enthusiasts played a small role in the revival too? That’s right, just like the Justice League, when the world needed a hero the most – Hawthorne Village answered the call. Two years before Robert Downey Jr and Christian Bale brought Ironman and Batman back into super stardom, Hawthorne Village created a special one time mail-in only set that featured 2 different designs – Spiderman and Batman.
The Spiderman set (model # 14-00076) was incredible (no bias at all there) – showcasing the famous web-slinger on a diesel locomotive, and his arch-nemesis The Green Goblin on the passenger car. The second set Hawthorne village featured was the Batman set (model # 14-00197) with Gotham City’s caped-crusader and his trusty sidekick Robin in a complete ready-to-run set with a design inspired by the 90s comic book style depiction of the heroes. This was the first time in years that Marvel and DC Comics had issued licenses for use of their crime-fighters on model trains, and boy did it start quite a trend for years to come.
Lionel Shines the Bat Signal
The 2000s may have come to an end, but the superhero boom was in full swing. The summer of 2012 would see Marvel finally assemble the Avengers on the big screen with the Man of Steel showing up as DC’s summer spectacle just a year later in 2013. Justice League teasers were plentiful, and while Marvel declined to further partner with model train companies, DC Comics took a completely different approach. The Justice League was coming, and Lionel knew it. As the world waited for Clark Kent to assemble Earth’s mightiest warriors, Lionel got to work on something special.
For model train enthusiasts the mid-2010s was a renaissance of sorts when it came to crime-fighters gracing model trains. Lionel wasted little time, kicking things off with the release of a variety of Justice League 2-pack freight car sets featuring the likes of Green Lantern, The Martian Man Hunter, and the rest of the Justice League.
Just a year later Lionel dropped this epic Batman Phantom LionChief O Gauge Train Set (model # 6-81470) – a beautifully designed steam locomotive set with some of the funkiest green interior lighting you’ll ever see. Lionel actually has a full demo video you can check out on their Youtube channel here.
Batman was certainly a favorite and got a few awesome releases with the M7 Subway set (model # 6-81475) and the Batman Searchlight Car (model # 1928570) to name just a few.
Crime Doesn’t Sleep, and Neither does Lionel
The superhero train hasn’t slowed down one bit in 2023 with the big screen and layouts still seeing the likes of Superman, Batman, and the rest of their DC cohorts getting new releases. Just this year alone, Lionel has unveiled a new line-up of DC-themed rolling stock and locomotives.
The Flash saw a release with this beautiful mint car (model # 2328110) in the iconic “Flash” red, and even features Barry Allen’s arch-nemesis Professor Zoom hidden on the design! Wonder Woman and her Invisible Jet flatcar (model # 2328120) also hit shelves this year – don’t blink, you might miss it!
The Lexcorp Car (2328100) showcases an entire load of glowing green kryptonite, and the Justice League boxcar (model # 2328380) assembles all of our heroes for one large group photo – creating a beautiful design in the process.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed Marvel finally gives the green light for an O-gauge Spiderman boxcar, but I won’t hold my breath.
The Fight Against Evil-Doers Comes to Your Layout
So picture this – you’re firing up your transformer, you start to let your locomotive warm up when all of a sudden you’re interrupted by a sinister cackling. You look down the tracks, and it’s the Joker! And this evil-doer isn’t alone – he’s brought his missile launching car (model #1928580) to thwart your adventure. You quickly run to your Batman Searchlight car (Model # 2119140), and you power up the bat signal. Then, in the blink of an eye, a runaway boxcar rounds the corner, it’s Batman and the Joker having a duel (model # 2028270)! After a long battle, the Joker is finally defeated, and you derail the missile launching car. But wait, there’s one more thing! That load of kryptonite the Joker brought in has to be dealt with. You assemble the Justice League, with the exception of the Man of Steel who has to sit out for the obvious reasons, and you save Gotham…for at least tonight.
That’s the beauty of these superhero cars and sets. No matter how old you get, you’ll always have imagination, and if you’re building a layout, you get to use it. Taking a layout and being able to tell a different story every day is inspiring, and a fun challenge I believe any model train enthusiast would have a blast with. I’ve seen historically accurate layouts, wonderfully designed desert themes, but I’ve never seen superheroes take over, and I think it’s time for a change.
Saving the Day One Train at a Time!
So many of us grew up idolizing superheroes. Whether it was Superman protecting Metropolis, or Spiderman web-swinging through the Bronx, we’ve all looked up to the sky and said “wouldn’t it be something?” It’s a feeling and though you never lose, even well into adulthood. The same feeling exists with model trains as we watch our favorite locomotives pull freight and passengers down the track. Being able to combine both things is incredible, and a testament to the power of imagination that exists within the model train community.
At Trainz.com we’ve got our own fair share of superhero fans from myself all the way to our owner, Scott Griggs who could tell you a thing or two about Batman locomotives. Our love for superheroes and adventures doesn’t just end in our personal collections, and at Trainz.com we’ve assembled plenty of DC Comics and Marvel comics products to choose from.
Well I hope the crime-fighting hasn’t been too hard for you today. We’ve faced the Joker, the Green Goblin, and even Zoom! So as we load up our evil-doers into the paddy wagon, remember “with great power comes comes grea….” ok I won’t finish that catchphrase for legal reasons.
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