Lionel Large Scale in Home Alone

 

Lionel Trains have appeared in numerous TV programs and movies. Usually these are of the 3 rail O scale variety. Let's look at an often overlooked Lionel product line that received some air time in classic movie.

Having cornered the market for O-scale 3 rail trains (or at leasting thinking they did), in 1987 Lionel decided to step into the G-scale train business by creating a line of trains and accessories called Lionel Large Scale. They were not quite typical G-scale proportions like G-scale manufacturer LGB (which I think was something around 1:22.5). Lionel Large Scale was somewhere between 1:24 and 1:29. A bit fuzzy on size compared to prototypes but they still ran on the common G-guage 2 rail track using DC power. 

Lionel never seemed to be too serious about the G-scale market. They put out a few new sets every other year and had a few accessories.  By the mid 1990s the line was floundering despite the addition of an Atlantic engine and GP-9. They even released an Atlantic with railsounds and a some Thomas the Tank Engine sets.  By the 2000s, these track powered large scale trains were replaced by battery run toy trains. Here is another take on the Lionel Large Scale line.

In early 1990 the holiday classic Home Alone was being filmed in Chicagoland and an Lionel Large Scale train plays a part in one of the numerous contraptions Kevin McAllister creates to foil the Wet Bandits. Maybe foil might not be the best word seeing that the trains appear in a scene well before the iconic showdown on Christmas Eve. Fool might be the better choice in this case.

The trains appear in the scene where Kevin makes it look like there is a party going on at the McAllister home. Marv and Harry are in a van outside but seem confused at what they see- it seems the McAllisters are home. Harry has some doubts. The film then cuts to the interior of the home where Kevin has installed an elaborate ruse utilizing manaquins, ropes, a record player, a cardboard cut out of Michael Jordan, and a Lionel Large Scale train set.

Lionel Large Scale hauling Jodan around

As the camera follows the Michael Jordan cut out across the front room, at the bottom of the frame we can see (slightly in the shadows) the cut out attached to a boxcar being pulled and pushed by 2 small tank engines. Based on my observations, the train is made up of 2 engines from the Lionel 8-81001 G Scale Large Thunder Mountain Express train set. The set only included one so the other must be an additional one. The boxcar is likely the Lionel New York Central box car 8-87000. And there is also passenger car on the tail end which is probably Pennsylvania coach 6000 also from the Thunder Mountain Express set. There were 2 nearly identical coaches in the set but this one seems to have the window silhouttes of the 6000. The film sweetens the track with a toy train whistle but these engines did not have whistle sound. 

The Thunder Mountain Express set came out in 1988 so it was likely there were plenty of them still around. Why they went with these Lionel trains instead  LGB  is a mystery. My guess is they were available in the Chicago area and were not very expensive comparatively to other manufacturers. Why waste upwards of a thousand on a garden train when Lionel had one for less? For one, the filmmakers were not looking to get into hobby so thrift played a role in the decision.

The Thunder Mountain Express set and the the New York Central boxcar can be easily found on ebay these days in the neighborhood of $200. This is about the price they sold for originally not adjusted for inflation. 

Outside of that small scene, the trains do not appear again in Home Alone. 

Home Alone grossed 476.68 million. Could this be the top grossing film in which Lionel trains appeared? This could lead to more research. In fact, as of 2024, I know of no other film that Lionel Large Scale has made an appearance.