"Newbies": What prompted your interest/purchase of Lionel trains?

[brianel027]

Hey gang, I notice starter/novice questions here from a lot of beginners to the hobby... which is a good sign. I hope us seasoned train guys have been able to help out. There are several here who seem to know their stuff and are nice to enough to share info.
So I am curious as to how you newcomers got into the hobby?
•Did you see an ad from a train dealer? (Lantz's Train Shop, who advertises in the national train mags, also has been running a lot of TV commercials in this area, which is a good thing)
•Go to a train show?
•Pull out the old set from the the attic? Or inherit a set from a relative?
•Get a new set as a gift?
•Know someone else with trains who got you interested?

Thanks for your time and responses. [:)]
brianel, Agent 027

[Anonymous]

The bug bit me good when last year my wife wanted to buy a train to go around our Christmas tree and for our two sons enjoyment. I honestly had never heard of such a thing before but her Dad had done that when she was growing up and it's one of her fondest memories of him at Christmas.
I'd dabbled briefly in HO as a youngster but never had room for O gauge but with a lack of smoke for steam engines and no sounds at all (back then) with HO "models" I soon lost interest.
BTW we bought an O-27 gauge "Winter Wondlerland" set because we felt the size was more youngster friendly than HO or N. Anyway....

Since then I've bought several starter sets and items off of eBay and from hobby stores. Little did my wife know she actually had THREE boys in her house :)

[Anonymous]

I inherited my Dad's 1947-1950 Lionel set.

My Dad passed away when I was 3 months old and we never got to use it. My Mom is moving to a retirement community and was cleaning out her old house when she ran accross the set. She gave it to me and I've been tinkering with it the last few months.

BTW my first son was born Thanksgiving day, so I hope to pass it along to him someday.

I've been having a lot of fun reading, planning, and buying things off of ebay. There isn't a local shop around so I have to do most of my purchasing and advice getting off the net.

I am going to go to the Washington area train show this weekend.

[marxalot]

Hang on for a longish story.......sorry. I had a Marx train set in my youth (1950's) which was given away without my permission because I hadn't been using it! Ouch. I graduated to HO in my teens; left the hobby for 20 years, started back into HO with a vengence 18 years ago and now have one half of an HO layout gathering dust and cat hair in the basement. I've been side tracked the last 6 or 7 years learning how to play blues harmonica (no laughing please!) Over the years I have repaired some A.F., Marx and recently Lionel equipment for acquaintances. Last month I went to e-bay, for only the second time, in search of a headlight for an old tin type Marx locomotive for a fellow. But what should I stumble onto? My old Marx train from my youth for sale! (really one just like it, but believe me I can tell it is the same set). So now I'm buying some other Marx equipment. What exactly I'm going to end up doing I'm not sure. My old HO friends will have me "just playing with toys" when considering the Marx... but maybe that's all I want to do now anyhow.......... please stay tuned. You'll probably figure what I'm doing by the questions I ask! Have a happy and blessed holiday season and 2004.

[Anonymous]

My father and mother got my son (3 years old) a Lionel Sante Fe Freight set for christmas about two years ago. I remembered the old Lionel set my dad inherited from his cousin - 1948 vintage #675 engine, cattle corral, etc. "We", ok me, really wanted to see that old work horse run.

When I pulled it out of the attic, I figured out why dad had put it away - my brothers and I were really good at taking things apart to see how they worked, but not so good at putting them back together.[}:)]

So, between setting up the new and repairing the old, I really got interested. In the mean time, two of my brothers got starter sets. My son and daughters enjoy running the trains. So, I built a layout. We had our seven nieces and nephews over with their trains to run on our layout, which is all decked out for christmas.

Now, we look at ebay for stuff we think might be cool. We go a bit out of our way to see a train show or swap meet...oh...I read forums about train stuff, but you knew that!

Thanks and best regards,

c.ogden

[brianel027]

Thanks gang for the nice responses so far. KJ, your last line made me laugh. I was at a train show years ago buying something. I said to the woman who was ringing me up "well how does it feel to witness the one day, a train show, when grown men can act like little boys?" She kind of snarled in a sweet way and said "grown men act like little boys 365 days a year."
I'm glad to see folks doing trains with their kids. I've helped folks build layouts for their kids. And since I don't have kids, I've bought trains and built a layout for a nephew. And as much as I like working and playing around on my layout, it's alot of fun watching Josh play with his trains. Not to mention the excitement of the faces of the kids who visit and see my trains. When my neighbor brought his 8-month old son over, his little eyes got big and bright - just glued to the trains! I figure that's what I must have been like at the same age. And that's never changed.
brianel

[brianel027]

I bring this topic back to the front burner because there was a article in the New York Times over the holiday, and another article in various papers through the Knight Ridder News Service - both on Lionel trains. Both articles acknowledged that it is mostly adults that are in the hobby. BUT BOTH articles also talked about how TRAIN SET SALES are UP. Though the articles were timed with the holiday and toy train nostalgia, they made mention of more young people and kids entering the hobby. One article mentioned increased attendance at train shows.
So again, this is a topic that really interests me and I'm sure should interest others. I'd love to hear from more folks who have just recently gotten into trains...whether you're a teen, a young family with kids, or an adult who has rekindled a childhood dream.
Thanks again y'all and Happy New Year also!
brianel

[Lafondue]

Happy New Year ...hope you all had wonderfull Hollydays.

Is a Newbie consider someone who is waiting for his 1st Lionel train...delivery date is scheduled by the end of January ( Starter set was not in stock at the local Hobby Shop)
But I'm involved with model/ toy train since I'm 5 ( now late 30) started with battery powered Lego train, then upgraded to the electric version of it. At around 10 got my first HO train a Fleischmann one ( I'm from Switzerland now live in Canada since 8 years) and for 5 -6 years build 2 layout. Then lost interest and sell most of the train. 3 years later got hooked again and move to the N scale by buying a Minitrix one ...very small but you can build a lot on a small layout.
After moving to Canada late 20, didn't take my Minitrix with, I started again with HO scale a build a small layout about 5 by 11. I really got hooked again buying engine after engine but diesel only.
When I decided to buy a steam engine, lightning struck. Should I spend $400-500 or even more, like the new Lionel HO steamer, on an HO engime where you almost need a magnificient glasses to see the detail or for the same price start a new adventure ...Well I decided on the second and hope to build a small O empire but probably only with steam engine and of course I will keep my HO layout.

[Anonymous]

My wife bought a battery operated plastic train for a circle around the Xmas tree about 7 years ago. That rekindled the flame. I fished out my dad's old trains from his basement. A blue US Navy F3 and a NH EP5 Jet along with assorted cars. I remembered playing with them in my childhood in the early 70ies. I was suprised that they were still in one piece after my brother and I tried our best Adam's Family train wreck re-enactments. I started going to shows and visiting hobbies stores. When I relocated to Maryland, I insisted on a train room in the basement. I negotiated a extra room and started with a U-shape layout, about 10 X 10. I got away from it for a while and have recently come back. The trains are still in competiton with the computer, video games, motorcycles, and everyday work and family concerns. My now 8 year old son, was into Thomas the Tank Engine and trains when he was younger, but has lost interest. I'm making slow progress laying track. But I'm getting there. I probably should have gone HO. O is so expensive. But so much fun.

[Anonymous]

(bump on the head)

[Anonymous]

My dad bought me a Lionel 8008 and I never got to use it when I was younger they were afraid that I'd break it. I always wanted to set it up but I couldn't. I forgot about it. We move to a new house and I found the set. I was in high school. We went to the train shop to get some smoke fluid and left with a 2016, switches, tracks, a new transformer a whistle shed, #71 lamps...( guess you get the idea). We built a layout together, it ran for a few years and then it got the old white sheet cover and fell dormant for a few years more. The hobby took a back seat to cars. I took it down and the set went back into storage. Then I discovered e-bay auctions at work one day . I went for the cheaps stuff until I discovered the larger Lionel Steamers and Diesels. I started going to train shows for kicks with my dad and my brother. I think its in the genes because My dad had HO's when he was younger and my grandfather had Standard guages. Sorry to say that grandma cleaned the basement and threw theirs out.

[Anonymous]

When I was younger uncle always had a train set and scenery around his Christmas tree.. We would visit and I would look at it and play with it for hours. I always wanted one but my parents couldn't afford it,even a basic train set. I mentioned this to my wife and she went and bought me the new Pa. Flyer fastrack set for Christmas. I was thrilled.. Now I am the process of building a layout but not around a tree but in my newly designated train room.

[dmestan]

I got a Tyco HO set for Christmas when I was 8 years old. My father made a simple layout on a 4x8 plywood that could be stored away in the garage (we didn't have a basement or extra room.) As I got a little older I became interested in N guage for how much you could do in a relatively small space. I still have quite a bit of N guage stuff packed away in boxes. Now that I have my own home (although still no basement) I wanted a train for under the Christmas tree. With a 3 year old daughter running around (and another on the way) the larger scale was the obvious choice. Just our first set this past year, so I am new to O. The only thing I cant get over is the price - O is definately a more expensive hobby. For the price of a few O locos I could have a fleet in N.

[Anonymous]

I had a HO scale train set a couple of years ago, and ever since then I have wanted a larger scale set. Also, when my dad became interested in model airplanes, my interest in model trains really ignited.

[Anonymous]

My Dad grew up in Poughkeepsie, along the NY Central line, and got two sets in 1930 & 31. He liked them enough that he gave my brother and I sets when we were young (1957 & 1971) Quite honestly, there was no place to run the trains in the house I grew up in (I am youngest of 7) so they sat in boxes for 98% of my childhood. Well, Dad passed away in 1997, and I dig out the old trains when my son is born. Having something so wonderful, colorful, that has lights, sounds, smoke, etc. to run for my own kids really brought me back into the hobby, and for the past 5 years I have been slowly buying cars and engines and setting up a Christmas layouts. However, this year, I finally decided to build a shelf layout to keep them running year round.

BTW, this thread is great to help me understand everything abouyt running the trains, wiring, etc. Many thanks to all who answer my posts.

[highrailjon]

Being that I was raised by wolves I had very little contact with other Human Beings.
Eventually I was driven off by the other members of the pack , went to Hollywood and made a bunch of movies, getting married and now raising a son. The Wife "now regrettably" bought us an MTH starter set which set us on a trail of tears with all the Proto1 battery problems, so I took a chance on a Lionel with TMCC (no Batteries in command mode needed) and have never looked back. Things are so great the I have built a house out back to hold the layout, its a wonderful enjoyment for us as a family when I'm not out chasing rabbits or deer.[:D]

[ChiefEagles]

Got Lionel train set for Christmas when I was 6 [51 years ago]. Still have it. Son and I built a full basement layout in the 70's and 80's. Wife and I split. Kids, trains and I moved. No room for layout. Stored trains except for small 4X8 for son. Remarried and gained another kid. Now last kid is leaving, one of the extra bedrooms upstairs is going to be the train room. Big fisherman but now retired and want to do the trains. Now I have to get back into it. Things have changed since 1985. Will need some advice and help. Started with new subscription of Classic Toy Trains. Fell free to give me advice.