Favorite Year For Toy Trains

[Anonymous]

Hey Ya'll,


After consantly paging through my new All Star Electric Trains of the 1950s and my favorite issue of CTT (Janrurary 2005), I have fallen in love with the years 1950-1960. When I get money to start collecting, I will focus on my favorite year 1954, but I will collect others too. I really like the 2244W Wabash 5-Car Aluminum Streamliner, and the Blue and Yellow Virginian Train Master Freight Set, and the GG1 Congressional Set.

What si your absolute fav year from the psotwar era and what are your fav trains from that year.

As I said mine is 1954. My 0 gauge Favs are
1. 2234W Santa Fe 2353 4-car Superspeed Liner Set
2. 2223W Lackawanna Train Master Maroon Topped 5-car Set
3. 2225WS 736 Berkshire 5-car Work Train Set
4. 2221WS 646 Hudson 5-car freight Set
5. 2222WS 646 Hudson 3-car Pullman Set
6. 2227W 2353 Santa Fe 5-car freight Set

My 0-27 Favs from 1954 are
1. 1523 Seaboard N-W2 4-car work Train
2. 1520W Texas Special 3-car passenger Train
3. 1517W Texas Special Freight Set
4. 1516WS 2065 3-Car Steam Passenger Set

Post your fav year and trains please,
Bert and Mary Poppins aka Nick

[FJ and G]

I think 54 has been called the greatest year.

IMO, it would be when TMCC was intro'd in 90s

[Anonymous]

Yeah,

Those were good years too, as well as the late 1970s and all of the 1980s fro MPC.

I'd Like to find a...
1. Wabash Fallen Flags Steam Passenger Set
2. 1978 Blue Comet Passenger Set
3. Chicago and Alton Hudson Passenger Set
4. Illinois Central "City of New Orleans"

And any thing else thaat takes my fancy.

Bert and Mary Poppins aka Nick

[Anonymous]

I'm kinda partial to 1958...just because as a kid, it was a good year for me. Lionel, Marx, American Flyer, and a whole lotta other now forgotten toy train makers were out there trying hard to get your Dad's dollar. If I only had todays earning power and knowledge!
(N&W was still using steam in my area too!) [:D]

[laz 57]

1957 the year I was born.
laz57

[prewardude]

Somewhere between 1929 and 1942. I have an aversion to plastic trains. 'Nuff said.

[Dave Farquhar]

Prewardude, what about 1928, the last year before the rest of the Big Four squeezed Ives out of business?

But I agree with you, I like metal trains a lot more than plastic. But if everyone concentrates on postwar Lionel, that means more metal trains for you and me.

So, uh, yeah, 1954 rulez! 1954! 1954! Pay no attention to those lithographed trains behind the curtain!

[prewardude]

LOL! Good point, Dave... I should have said somewhere between 1923 (the start of the Classic period) to 1942. In reality though, I like almost all of those prewar beauties. I just wish I could afford more of those original pieces.

Did I say prewar? Sorry, I meant postwar. Yeah, that's it. Postwar trains... that's the ticket! [swg]

[Dave Farquhar]

Well, if we can manage to convince enough people that postwar is the only thing that matters, we can drive the value of prewar down enough so we can both afford more. 1923 to 1942, you say? I'm sure you meant 1953 to 1962. "5" is pretty close to "2" on the keyboard, and "4" is pretty close to "6."

I was working on a Joy Line locomotive (pre-1935, before Marx took Girard over) last night. I think I've got it cleaned up enough now that it just might run once I get some brushes in it. It pretty obviously fell victim to a number of amateur repair attempts over the years, so it'll be good to have it running again.

[prewardude]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dave Farquhar

I was working on a Joy Line locomotive (pre-1935, before Marx took Girard over) last night. I think I've got it cleaned up enough now that it just might run once I get some brushes in it. It pretty obviously fell victim to a number of amateur repair attempts over the years, so it'll be good to have it running again.

Sounds good, Dave. Post some pics, if you get a chance. [:)]

Regards,
Clint

[dougdagrump]

Good grief !!!!!!
My first train, which I still run occaissionly, is the same age as Laz. [(-D] [sigh]

[Anonymous]

I like the Pre-War and immediate Post-War stuff because the quality is good and the prices are somewhat affordable. Especially the immediate Post-War stuff. It seems like the newer stuff is not as good a quality as the earlier trains. My 248 is a little scratched up but it runs like new and is simple to maintain. The little freight cars are well made and also simple to maintain. I have a Post-War steam loco #2026 that is in good shape and runs nice. The cars just needed a good cleaning and oiling and they look and run like new. No dead electronics or special wiring needed. Just track and transformer.

[Anonymous]

For me this is a tough call. 1957 and 1958 would be my two favorite years.

With all the great sets headed by the Norfolk & Westerns, Bershires, 646 Hudsons, Canadian Pacific, Rio Grande, and New Haven F-3's, you couldn't go wrong. Many of the best accessories ever produced by Lionel were introduced during these two years along with some of LIonel's most colorful cars. You could even get a GG1 or an EP5 if electric engines were your choice.

American Flyer also had two standout years in 1957 and 1958. Flyer's most sought after passenger sets were brought out during this time span. All of Flyer's great steam engines were still available too.

I guess that if I had to choose just one, I'd pick 1958.

[Anonymous]

Hey Ya'll

I like Prewar from 1936 and up, with a few exeptions, if there is something that I like made earlier than 1936.

I like Postwar from 1945-1966 (with a few exeptions from 1967-1969, if there is something I like made then)

I like Modern Era, not from a certain time span, but from a few trains that catch my fancy, such as the Illinois Cntral "City of New Orleans, The Chicago and Alton Steam Passenger Set, the Southern Cresent, The Blue Comet, and the Great Nothern Empire Builder?. Note, these are all MPC, I am not talking about the Chicago and Alton made by Lionel in 2003 or the Cresent made in 2004, but they are nice.

Bert and Mary Poppins aka Nick