If I knew then what I know now...

[Flintlock76]

My "If I knew then..." story?

In 1975 I was on a bus heading north on a highway overpass that overlooked the yard at Washington Union Station.  I got a good look at the staged locomotives, in this case Penn Central GG1's, and said to myself "Wow!  Look at those old Art Deco diesels!  I didn't think there were any around like that anymore!"

I wasn't a railfan or toy train hobbyist at the time, so what did I know?  

I did think they were pretty cool-looking though!  How can you not like a locomotive that looks like it was popped out of a Jell-O mold?

[Leverettrailfan]

F Units in Boston, and (old) North Station... two things that I never got to see! I think they demolished the Boston Garden building when I was around 3 or 4 years old.
 
I never really 'got' what a B-Unit was until I got older... I remember as I kid I used to think they were like tenders, but for diesel locomotives!
I'm trying to think if I have any good stories in this vein, but nothing's coming to me yet. I'll keep thinking!

-Ellie

[Swiss-Colorado-Lines]

Great story! 
How 'bout this:

I was lucky to see K4 1361 run in York in '88. I had made a special trip from Los Angeles just to see this engine in steam. Upon arriving in York on Saturday morning, we headed downtown to where the train was parked between runs. A good sized crowd surrounded the locomotive. I worked my way up to get a picture, and a thought flashed into my mind:

" it looks just like the model".....

Paul

[gibelda]

As a kid, I had an O-scale toy train layout.  I don't remember the brand.  But I do remember the locomotive: Pennsylvania RR F-unit.  Thing is, I knew the "A" unit was a locomotive, because it has a cab.  But there was this other thing, I dunno, it looked like a boxcar to a kid.  Sort-of shaped like a boxcar.  But it had round porthole windows, a fuel tank, and fans & exhaust stacks on the roof.  What did I know, I thought it was a weird boxcar.  Then I went to Boston with Dad, and he showed me the North Station train platform.  In comes a train, led by a bulldog-nosed locomotive.  Cool!  I was 6 feet away, heard the rumble, felt the heat, smelled the fumes.  AND THEN...right behind it, was that weird boxcar I had at home, only full size.  Again I heard the rumble, felt the heat, smelled the fumes.  It was something I didn't know existed.  It was a cabless "B" unit!  Revelation for a kid.