The model trainset found in the child's bedroom in the Greenbelt Museum was bought by Mrs. Lucille Howell for her husband Carson the first Christmas in Greenbelt, 1937. It was puchased at Woolworth's department store for $1.98. The train was made in the United States by Woolworth's, which had its own line of merchandise. The train is purely a wind-up toy (and still runs as the docent Christopher Sherer is quick to point out) with no need for electricity or switches, just some elbow grease. The set consists of an Engine and three cars that run along a circular track which is about two feet in diameter. The Enginge houses the mechanics of the, which is much heavier than the cars. It is black with little writing or ornamentation. The cars are very light and fragile and are painted with logos from different train lines; the New York Central and the CRI & P. The track is much more heavily constructed and is composed of four sections that can be taken apart.

       Wind-up trains of this type could found at dime and department stores such as Woolworth's, Ben Franklin or Sears. They sold for much less than electric train sets. Trains were usually a seasonal toy to be enjoyed by the entire family under the Christmas Tree. This practice was surely influenced by the amount of space needed to display a train set year round. For Greenbelters, a toy such as a train would not be played with by boys only. Since a child would probably only have one toy, a large item would be shared by the siblings.