What is the Origin of Brass and Copper Trim on the Tinplate Locos and Cars? Who thought of this idea first and why?

If you are referring to prewar TOY trains. The answer is in the word "TOY". These trains were toys that were made to be wanted by young kids and sold to their parents to make their kids happy. Kids like "bling" and the toy and train manufacturers knew this from the late 1800s until today. Shiny colors, shiny trim and the more expensive models had even more shinier trim and more colors. And the catalogs of the day emphasized their use of brass/copper/nickel trim as well as their baked enamel, brightly colored finishes. When it comes to kids, bright and shiny sells. Remember, to a kid (and many of us adults who collect these things today) a toy train set represents a fantasy or an illusion of reality, it does not represent real life. What kid would want a greasy, black, colorless toy?

Hi GZ and other Folks,

The answer came to me last Night.

The American Tinplate Manufacturers simply copied the

Prototype BRITISH Steam locomotives of the Day that already had the Bright Colours and the Shiny Brass Trim.

The BRITISH HORNBY Clockwork locos therefore had the Bright Colours and the Brass Trim.

Norman

Originally, tinplate toy trains were offered with bright colors and trim to appeal to prospective buyers, not necessarily the kids. The kinds may have seen something in a catalog that appealed to them, but the truth is that Mom controlled the purse strings when it came to toy buying back in those days. Moms liked bright and shiny trains more than something more "realistic." Even today, when visitors come to see my trains, the tinplate display cases get the most attention, and particularly from females.

I think Norman and Allan pretty much summed it up. Another theory I have heard is that when the die making went to Italy (Lionel) under Mario Caruso, that this influenced the style of the trains.