Buddy L Cars

The Buddy L toy company was founded in 1910 as the Moline Press Steel Company in East Moline, Illinois. The founder, Fred Lundahl, manufactured pressed steel parts for the farm and truck industries. In his spare time, he made toy vehicles for his son Arthur Brown Lundahl. These toys caught the attention of young Arthur’s friends and their parents, so the Moline Press Steel Company began manufacturing toy vehicles in addition to steel parts. The toys were so popular that Mr. Lundahl began manufacturing toys exclusively in 1921. He changed the name of his company, adopting his son’s nickname Buddy L.

In 1927, Buddy L manufactured a model railroad set that ran on 3 1/4 inch gauge track. These large model railroad cars were made of welded sheet steel. The track consisted of rolled steel rails welded to steel ties. There were 14 pieces available in the original set. Buddy L also produced a 2 inch gauge train called the Buddy L Industrial Train. Track for this set was stamped with rails and ties in one piece.

During World War II, Buddy L was forced to manufacture its toys out of wood, as steel was needed for the war effort. Buddy L return to steel toys after the war, but used lighter weight materials. In the '70s, Buddy L was sold to a Japanese company that began incorporating plastic into the design of the toys. China eventually took over the manufacture of the toys, using mostly plastic.

Quick Facts

• The original prices for the Buddy L model railroad pieces ranged from $27 for the locomotive and tender to $6 for the flat car
• T-Reproductions of Johnson City was authorized to make replicas of the original metal trains in the '90s
• Buddy L’s 3 1/4 inch gauge train was so large that it was often run outdoors