Chuck says it well -- >How did this myth go on for so long? I think it >endured because many writers of everything from hard-bound books to >club newsletters failed to do primary research, and just regurgitated >each-others "data." Poor scholarship is the problem, as well as presumption.
This was just an early example of the kind of inbred data regeneration that, today, makes the Internet a sewer of incomprehensible nonsense. It works on the principle that if enough people say it and you see it in print, then it must be true. When this sort of thing goes on, go back to the source; in this case, the Flyer catalogs. A post script to this thread would be that "Challenger" was long a Gilbert word. On the early boxes the slogan "Challengers of the Miniature Rails" is imprinted. Gilbert was the challenger, Lionel was the enthroned champion. The Hudson and the Northern were regular production locomotives that replicated their prototypes with a fair amount of faithfulness and Gilbert put them up against all those foreshortened Lionel steamers for the public's comparison. It's not just a coincidence that they were the "Pacemaker" and "Challenger" engines, named after the NYC and UP services. Those names were meant to convey the idea that these toys challenged the old standard and set a new pace in the world of model railroading. And they did. Chris Zizzo S-Trains list sponsor: http://www.americanflyertrains.com All the Flyer you desire...books and accessories too! To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list send a note to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
