Off the Track and into the Slot

A funny thing happened on the 20th Century Limited. On its way to Chicago last week for its final run, the crack New York Central passenger express was delayed by a derailment up the track, wound up at its destination nine hours late. That is the way things have been going for trains recently and not just for real ones either. Toy electric trains, the very symbol of Christmas for generations of middle-class American boys, have gradually been losing customers too.

Once, the first boy on the block to get one turned his neighborhood pals green with envy. No other gift mattered quite so much or so involved Dad on Christmas morning. And after the train had arrived, parents Christmas shopping was simplified for years to come. No need to guess what Junior really wanted next time around. He wanted more new cars, more track, newer bridges, bigger tunnels, switches and signals until the basement recreation room could hold no more.

But for today's youngsters, who have watched manned space ships blast off on TV and may never even have ridden in a train, the tracks are losing thier magic. Lionel, which has absorbed A.C. Gilbert's American Flyer this year stopped stopped making trains and is selling off its inventory. Sears Roebuck's current Christmas catalogue devotes tow pages to model trains--but it takes nine pages to describe slot-car racing sets, which provide an element of competition that the trains never had, and have replaced them as the Christmas present that boys want most.

For girls a generation ago, the most hoped-for present at the top of Santa's bag was a doll. It still is. But nowadays, helped by batteries, every Jack and Jill must be capable of doing its own thing. "Baby Crawl-Along" lives up to her name, scoots across the floor on hands and knees. No sooner does "Tubsy" touch the bath water than she starts splashing. Tubsy is an angel compared with "Li'l Miss Fussy"; she dampens her diapers, then throws a tantrum, crying and kicking until she has been changed. "Baby's Hungry" is more patient; she will go unfed indefinitely. Once the spoon or nursing bottle is inserted between her lips, however, she rolls her eyes and downs her formula with gusto. But, caution: when she sits up after meals, she wets.

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