© 2008 Universal Press Syndicate release dates: December 20-26 51-1 (08) from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate BETTY DEBNAM – Founding Editor and Editor at Large TM from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate Go dot to dot and color. TM Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® . Have you ever watched a model train display in a store or a museum during the holiday season? Maybe you’ve had the chance to play with a set of trains and use your imagination about where they’ve been and where they’re going. For more than 100 years, model trains have been an exciting part of the holidays. The Mini Page talked with an expert on model trains to find out more about this holiday favorite. What is a model train? Some toy trains don’t look much like real trains. Model trains are close copies of the real thing. Some model trains are even exact copies, right down to the nuts and bolts. A scale model is an exact, but smaller, copy of the original object. For example, the most popular size model train is exactly 1 /87 th the size of a real train. This means everything on the real train, right down to the seats and the wheels, is 87 times bigger than on the scale model train. Train excitement In the mid-1800s, there were no cars or planes. But trains were exciting because they could travel much faster than a horse. They made it possible for people to travel much farther in a shorter time than before. Almost as soon as real trains were invented, companies began building toy trains. Tracking toy trains German manufacturers were the first to make toy trains. They made trains that kids could pull or push. Later they made wind-up toy trains. Most were made of iron. People began putting these toy trains into their Christmas displays. Full speed ahead In 1900, an inventor, Joshua Lionel Cowen, passed by a toy shop in New York City where a toy train was on display. But the toys all just sat there. None of them were moving. Joshua told the store owner that he could make a toy train that would run nonstop all day. He promised this would bring people to the owner’s store. Joshua went home and invented a moving freight car. His “Electric Express” looked like a wooden box with wheels. The tracks were made from strips of tin. Joshua powered the train with a fan motor and a battery. Shoppers did more than just look at the train in the store window. They wanted to buy one for themselves. Joshua formed the Lionel company to manufacture these moving toy trains. Other companies, such as American Flyer, also began making electric toy trains. A Holiday Tradition All Aboard the Model Train This model train exhibit at Macy’s department store in New York City has become a yearly tradition. The display runs through the line of visitors waiting to see Santa. photos © Lionel L.L.C. Elves work on this Lionel Holiday Express train. This special holiday train is an example of a toy train that is not a scale model. Mini Spy . . . from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate Mini Spy and her friends are enjoying a toy train exhibit while they shop for gifts. See if you can find: • cheese wedge • letter C • carrot • cup and saucer • number 8 • whistle • bell • apple • question mark • ladder from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate TM Early electric trains In the early 1900s, electricity was still new to many people. Few people had electricity in their homes. This made electric model trains seem even more magical. Early electric trains needed batteries to run. But batteries in those days didn’t last long. This meant the trains could run only for short periods. Joshua Lionel Cowen made several improvements on ways for model trains to run on electricity. These changes made his model trains easier to use. To solve this problem, Joshua invented a three-rail track system. It used a kind of power called alternating current, or AC. With AC, the electricity could flow in two directions. This meant the electricity could run all around the track without any electrical gaps to stop the trains. This system was much simpler to put together and operate. It also made it easier to run several trains at once. Keeping Track of Model Trains Inventions Joshua invented a transformer, or a machine to control the flow of electricity, that was safe to use at home. He then invented a simpler way to run electric trains. Most electric trains ran on a two-rail track. They used a type of electric power called direct current, or DC. DC current could flow only one way. This created interruptions in electricity at the end of the tracks. The trains needed a lot of extra wiring and switches to keep them going. Words that remind us of model trains are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: LOCOMOTIVE, CAR, ELECTRICITY, STEAM, TRACKS, BATTERY, KID, CHRISTMAS, TREE, TOY, CURRENT, SCENERY, TOWNS, WIRE, HOLIDAY, PLAY, DISPLAY, ACELA, SIZE, ENGINE, MOVING, RUN. Model Trains TRY ’N FIND IS A TRAIN ON YOUR WISH LIST? WA H O L I D A YWR A C T E T I C N UR Y R E T T A B R N R T R E KK Y A L P S I D E G AO S E L I L GN I V OM E I CW T I V A D S C E N E R Y N K N K O Z K C T N E R R U C E S S V WY E C HR I S T MA S Y A L P Y T I C I R T C E L E MA E T S E V I T OMO C O L from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate Basset Brown The News Hound’s TM photos © Lionel L.L.C. Joshua Lionel Cowen used his son as the main figure on the model train catalog covers. This holiday display is at the New York Transit Museum at Grand Central Station in New York City. Look how the boy is dressed in this 1925 cover. How might an ad from today look different? Rookie Cookie’s Recipe Acorn Squasharama from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate Meet Miley Cyrus Miley Cyrus is the voice of Penny in the Disney movie “Bolt.” Miley is best known as the star of the Disney TV series “Hannah Montana.” Miley has made several CDs and has gone on concert tours as Hannah Montana. She has co-written several of the songs for the “Meet Miley Cyrus” album. She has also written many of the songs that have been sung on “Hannah Montana.” Miley, 16, is from Nashville,Tenn. She grew up singing with her father, country music star and actor Billy Ray Cyrus. She acted as an extra in several of his acting jobs. She then acted with him on his TV series “Doc.” She lives in Los Angeles with her parents, two brothers and two sisters. She has one other brother.The family has many pets. You’ll need: • 1 medium acorn squash • 1 tablespoon butter, plus 1 teaspoon • 2 tablespoons brown sugar • 1 teaspoon honey What to do: 1. Have an adult cut the acorn squash in half with a large knife. Scoop out all the seeds. 2. Place the two halves in 1/4 inch of water in a glass baking dish. Make sure the cut portion is facing down in the water. 3. Cover with plastic wrap. 4. Microwave on high for 12 to 15 minutes. 5.Allow to cool slightly, then scoop cooked squash into a bowl. 6. Mix in butter, brown sugar and honey until blended well. 7. Divide into 4 servings. *You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category? Tara: What would be harder than trying to catch a train? Tanya: Trying to throw it! Travis: What do you call a train with a virus? Tess: A choo-choo train! Terry: Can you think of a train that has no wheels, no engine and no caboose? Tomas: A train of thought! TM TM photo courtesy Disney Channel from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate Taking off In 1907, the Lionel company made its first true model train. It was a close copy of a real train. The company then added more cars that were copies of real train cars. These included a cattle car, a boxcar and a Pullman. A Pullman was a train car where people could sleep. The company later made models of many special train cars, including an operating milk car where a worker unloaded milk cans and a radioactive waste car. In 1910,Lionel made electric locomotives based on the design of a real locomotive engine. A locomotive is the first car on the train. It pulls the rest of the train. In 1939, companies displayed scale model train sets at the New York World’s Fair.After that, model trains became the best-selling toy in America. During World War II, metal was needed for the war effort, so kids couldn’t get model trains. Lionel put out a paper train instead, but it just wasn’t the same. A Christmas tradition Model train sets can be expensive. In the first half of the 1900s, they were usually given as special Christmas gifts. Stores started getting model trains in September. They set up huge train displays in their stores. After Christmas, many parents put the trains away, bringing them out again each Christmas. But in many homes, the dads got just as excited as the kids. Some set up permanent model train displays in a basement or recreation room. Running Through the Years Back on track With the coming of the Space Age, many kids lost interest in model trains. They were more interested in rockets and jets. However, experts say today there is new excitement about model trains. Part of this is because of kids discovering toy trains such as Thomas the Tank Engine. To many people, real trains seem romantic and adventurous. New, high- speed trains like the Amtrak Acela can run up to 150 miles per hour. In other countries, such as Japan, new high-speed trains can go up to almost 190 miles per hour. California has recently made plans to build a high- speed train system that will be able to run more than 200 miles per hour. Model train companies have already made models of these high-speed trains. A model hobby Experts say kids who play with model trains can learn about electrical wiring, since they have to follow the instructions for wiring the model trains. Building a model railroad can be an ongoing project that just keeps growing. Many people enjoy creating scenery and models of towns for the trains to travel through. Some train lovers create exact models of real- life towns and stations. They design realistic scenery. Others use their imaginations to create brand- new places. The Mini Page Staff Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist photos (c) Lionel L.L.C. Parents would often set up a model train around the Christmas tree, so kids would see it when they rushed in to open presents in the morning. This 1999 ad shows model trains representing real trains throughout a century. Notice how the modern trains differ from the early steam locomotive on the left. The Mini Page thanks Louis Caponi, past president, Lionel Collectors Club of America, for help with this issue. Look through your newspaper for stories and pictures of modern transportation. Next week The Mini Page is about artists Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe. from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate Supersport: Amar’e Stoudemire Height: 6-10 Birthdate: 11-16-82 Weight: 249 Hometown: Orlando, Fla. Amar’e Stoudemire grew up in the Sunshine State — Florida. He plays basketball in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns. And on the court, his talent shines. Since making the jump directly from high school to the pros in 2002, he has won the Rookie of the Year award, and played in three All-Star games. He averaged 25.2 points and 9.1 rebounds last year and is again among league leaders this season. His production got him a nickname — Stat, which means Standing Tall and Talented. Nobody can debate the accuracy of that statement. The sun hasn’t always shone on Amar’e, however. His father died when he was 12, and he was raised by his mother, Carrie. He didn’t even begin playing basketball until age 14 and attended six high schools before finishing at Cypress Creek in Orlando. But “Standing Tall and Talented,”Stoudemire proved he was ready for the NBA and has become one of the league’s premier players. TM