Thinking about Dad's Berkshire

When you see a photo of this locomotive, what do you think of?

Dad's restored Berkshire

Some might say, "that's a Lionel 726RR Berkshire." To me, it's the first toy train I ever laid eyes on as a child.

I wrote about this Berkshire in the January 1999 issue of CTT. I sneaked it out of my parents' basement and restored it as a surprise to my dad. He was excited at first to see it restored, and it ran under the Christmas tree for a few years afterward. However, the beloved Berk has returned to its crate in the basement.

My thoughts have returned to this engine lately, for a number of reasons. For one, my dad is within a year or so of retiring, and I had hoped he might pick up toy trains as a hobby. (Unfortunately, it's unlikely that will happen.) Second, my step-daughter and her husband are expecting a baby boy this August, and my toy-train-loving husband can't wait to give him his first train set. And last, but certainly not least, May will mark one year in returning to the staff of CTT. It seems that everything that's old is new again!

What locomotive or piece of equipment gets you waxing nostalgic?