Buddy L

Buddy L made such products as toy cars, dump trucks, delivery vans, fire engines, construction equipment and trains. Fred Lundahl, founder of the company, started his business by manufacturing pressed steel parts for International Harvester trucks. He ventured into the toy business by making a toy dump truck out of steel scraps for his son Buddy. Soon after, he started selling Buddy L "toys for boys", made of pressed steel.

Buddy L Rail
Buddy L Rail was manufactured (rolled) by Bethlehem Steel Company. It was designed for the 3/4 inch scale Buddy-L trains. The rail is 5/8 inch high.

Rail for Scale Locomotives
by Lester Friend

The Miniature Locomotive, September-October 1954:


 * Once upon a time we had a splendid steel "T" head rail which was very comparable to the prototype rail. It was dubbed, "Buddy L" rail and was purchasable some twenty odd years ago.  This rail was rolled by the Bethlehem Steel Company in Bethlehem, PA.


 * About 1940, the New England Live Steamers wanted to purchase more of this "Buddy L" rail. We followed many trails until, finally, I personally called on the Bethlehem Steel Co., met their superintendent and the shop foreman who had destroyed the original "Buddy L" rolls about a year prior to my visit.  At that time I anticipated purchasing a new set of rolls and having Bethlehem Steel Co. roll new rail.  The cost of the new rolls was to be approximately $900.  About two years later, after contacting the Bethlehem Steel Co., we found that the price of new rolls had gone up to $1200.  So, again the rail situation remained in my mind for a while longer.