fall inside a hole
Tot Railroad Sets (1950-1961)
First written April 15, 2024
Tot Railroad was a fairly early American wooden toy train system as well as an early toy train system to use plastic, first releasing in 1950 featuring polyethylene rails and wooden trains. Keystone Manufacturing of Boston, Massachusetts was the original manufacturer and produced several different sizes of sets throughout the 1950s until going out of business and selling off their equipment in 1958. Playskool acquired the Tot Railroad toolings and released Tot Railroad under the Lincoln Logs brand in the United States and also exported the standard to Europe under the Playskool brand.
| Sold |
Set
number |
Description |
Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-1951 | 408 | Medium set with eight curves, three straights, one switch, one two-piece bridge, a bumper stop, and a four piece train | Can be seen here |
| 1950-1951 | 417 | Larger early 1950s Keystone set with 12 curves, six straights, yoke, two switches, two two-piece bridges, bumper, and four-car train |
 |
| Unnumbered large set with many curves, three bridges, and two complete trains. Uses new strain-relief track but old coupling system | Can be seen here | ||
| 1954-1955 | 402 | Smallest set with seven curves, yoke, lead-in, and three-car train | |
| 1954-1957, 1958 | 406, K406 | Small Tot Railroad set with eight curves, one straight, one yoke, one switch, one complete bridge, one lead-in ramp, and three car train |
 |
| 1954-1957, 1958 | 415, 105, K415 | Medium set with 11 curves, three straights, yoke, switch, two two-piece bridges, lead in, bumper, and four-car train. Also sold as 105 "Ding Dong School Tot Railroad" |
 |
| 1954-1957, 1958 | 421, K421 | Largest Tot Railroad set with 16 curves, four straights, yoke, switch, three bridges, lead in and bumper, two complete trains, and wooden blocks, station, and tunnel |
 |
| 1958 | Son Premier Train Boite 1 | Smaller French set with eight curves, two straights, yoke, switch, bridge, bumper stop and ramp and three-piece train |
 |
| 1958 |
Son Premier Train Boite 2 | Larger French set with 11 curves, three straights, two of each switch, two complete bridges, two of each track ender, and a four-car train |
Keystone Tot Railroad Model 417 (1950)
The larger of the two initial 1950 Tot Railroad sets, this 417 set comes with two bridges and a nice selection of track and switches as well as a four-car wooden train. This set and the 408 use this similar blue design while later Keystone sets used a cream background with reddish-orange boarders and printing.
Most of the rails in my set were marked up by a previous owner, but I did not pay very much for the set in return so I did not mind. I have since cleaned the rails, although some marks still remain, and a closer more vigorous cleaning would probably clean them up for good.
The track included is enough to make up some nice larger layouts. I really like this layout, it seems like the interaction between the yoke and switch was designed exactly for layouts like this. The bridge rail, of course, takes advantage of the relationship formed between the curved rail radius being the same as a straight rail to form nice figure-eights.
Another suggested layout is this one with several different sidings spread around the layout. A third has a nice loop with a yard in one corner. The wooden trains honestly ride sort of rough, especially perhaps these earlier ones, and can bottom out on the hills.
I always love a yard...
The fourth suggested layout is a nice compact loop with an internal yard on one side and a siding extending out. With some other toys like a boat or crane or lighthouse you could easily make a little pier scene.
Lincoln Logs Tot Railroad Model K415 (1958)
The K415 set from 1958 is the Playskool Lincoln Logs rerelease of the previous 415 set. Other than changing the trains to the Lincoln Logs type, it is the same track plan as the previous Keystone 415 set. Lincoln Logs set boxes are more colorful than the older Keystone boxes.
The joints of this system allow for some play, like in this suggested layout where to keep things "on grid" the parallel switch should really be flipped so that the spur gets biased down to meet the spur of the yoke instead of biasing the rest of the loop back onto itself upwards, with the thru line continuing on to meet a point even lower, but it still all works out.
A four-unit train is included - the Lincoln Logs era sets have a new design of cars that are finished differently than older sets.
Also included is this instructional leaflet showing the suggested layouts and replacement parts form.
