The first mass market model train sets were invented by a German company called Marklin in 1891, and by the early 1950s model trains were the number one most popular toy for boys in the United States. As technology advanced model train kits became more realistic. New applications of electricity improved model train engines, and the invention of plastic allowed designers to create incredibly detailed, life-like model trains. Today, a variety of different train scales exist, and it is estimated that over a half a million people in the U.S. and Canada collect model trains.