also new to the forum.

[Anonymous]

hi, [:)]
i was quietly reading for a week or two before posting replies and topics a few times in the past several days. and after reading a little deeper i've found that it's good protocol to introduce yourself. (a lot of things my momma tried to teach me didn't quite take hold) [:I]

my start in 3-rail Lionel was when i was 8 or 9 at my grandfather's house. he was building a large layout in his basement with over 400 feet of track. i spent numerous afternoons working as his "apprentice", helping to build models, clean track, dust off locos and boxcars, sliding about under the table to run and pass wires through to him. he gave me my first layout on a 4x8' a year or two later. my set was full of the cheap, all plastic box car, flat car, gondola and work caboose stuff. [:o)] but, he also gave me a Bucyrus Erie No. 6460 Railroad Crane with a postwar pennsy switcher and O-gauge tinplate track and a pair of switches. i thought that crane was the COOLEST thing ever built. until... we finished the primary construction on his table. I think it was 24x30' with an east and west bound main line and full yard loop with all the tricks... [;)] laddar tracks, turnaround, coal loaders, log loaders, dumpers, pumpers, livestock, barrel loaders, turntable, engine houses, you name it. at one time or other, if it was post war lionel it was on his table at one time or another. and we had a BALL! [:D] ... until i turned 17 [V]

then i made no time for trains or grandpa [:(]
i made regular visits but they were shortened by my ability to drive home to see my friends or whatever girl i was after. [:I]

but now, here i am, almost 40 and a stay at home dad (for the next year or two) with a large dry empty basement and (thanks to my grandfather) 40 or so postwar engines and 100 or postwar cars and loads of accessories and trimmings.
I am planning a layout in a 12'x22' space and will probably go about it like my grandfather did. he was an operator first, collector second. his joy was watching them run around the track making noise and repairing them.

anyhow.
I am excited to have the time and resources to build a layout worty of my grandfathers example.
[:)]
I thank you for taking the time to read this and look forward to gaining and sharing train experiences with this forum.

and... an extra special thanks to my grandpa!

[brianel027]

Tom, enjoyed your story. Which is also very typical of us train guys... how we lost interest in the teen years. Later on we remember all the fun we had as kids playing with the trains and building a layout. And your intro here is yet another example of how important it is to involve kids in the hobby today. We adults worry about the value of the trains, but there are things you can't put a price on... like your experience and the memories with your grandfather.
brianel, Agent 027

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed reading your story very much. Welcome to the forums and have fun!

[southshoreline]

QUOTE: he also gave me a Bucyrus Erie No. 6460 Railroad Crane with a postwar pennsy switcher and O-gauge tinplate track and a pair of switches. i thought that crane was the COOLEST thing ever built.

[:I]

Good stuff. I always liked the Crane Car myself but my favorite was always the bobin' headed horse car (aka Rodeo Car).

[Big_Boy_4005]

We've already met and had some interesting conversations, and I should have welcomed you back then. [oops][#welcome]

As you may have already noticed, topics around here get pushed down the list pretty fast. You should consider adding some of this to your profile for a longer lasting introduction. Beside, my memory is terrible[:D]and I'll take all the help I can get!