Childhood train set

[Rene Schweitzer]

Here's my two cents:
My dad had (and still has) a Lionel Berk set. He never rain it but I would sometimes pull it out of its crate and look at it. My grandma had a Marx set that once belonged to my uncles. My sister and I loved to set it up and zoom it on the track as fast as we could get it to go. Fun stuff.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rene S

Here's my two cents:
My dad had (and still has) a Lionel Berk set. He never rain it but I would sometimes pull it out of its crate and look at it. My grandma had a Marx set that once belonged to my uncles. My sister and I loved to set it up and zoom it on the track as fast as we could get it to go. Fun stuff.

My dad and I built an HO set when I was about 5 years old (aside from christmass battery operated christmas trains.) We had trains on and off, when I became somewhat of and adult of limited means I started in N, but always wanted to venture outside.

[Anonymous]

Hi Rene
I grew up with Triang and Triang Hornby OO trains I still have them and one day will set them up again
Hope it is still posable to get them serviced properly when I do doubt it some how
as they have the old XO4 motors in them
regards John

[Anonymous]

Hi Rene,
Like John I had Briti***riang & Hornby Double 'O' but sadly they are long gone. In the 50's & early 60's these were major Christmas presents and my favourite was a Triang version of what was probabley an FA unit. I suspect this is what got me on the American scene years later. As a little aside, in those far off childhood days I had a pet budgie who used to love riding in a coal car at low speed. Apparently, my wife tells me, it's time I grew up. I'm 5'10", what does she mean?!!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[vsmith]

Just one set?

I went thru a slew of them!

The oldest I can remember at 5 or 6 is a battery op set from the Check Republic called the Red Comet with a O guage Euro double header engine and two small ore cars. I bashed that thing up in no time (the fact that it didnt run contributed to that).

Next when I was7 or 8, I got a Marx O guage set that came complete with a siding and a couple of buildings, ran the wheels off of that one. It was a good set for a kid.

After that nothing new until i was 10 or 11 and I got an HO set from Tyco with a GP9 that I discovered ran horribly on the carpet and I soon I had a 4 x 8 plywood with two ovals on it. The Geep ran horribly as any good Tyco loco usually does and soon I saved a got an AHM 0-4-0 Dockside switcher and that was a good loco! Then a Mantua Old-Timer 4-6-0. I never did anything past the double ovals in HO because Dad wouldnt let me take over the garage!

I ended up selling off all this stuff at the end of High School 'cause I didnt think I would ever need it again, I just wish I had kept that Dockside switcher!

[Anonymous]

Hi Vsmith
Yep only one set I don't have the orriginal set that got worn out but it grew and grew
I have a nice rake of silver streamliners and the red and silver Fstyle unit to pull them
that Kim was talking about.
Ned Kelly the antipodean version of the davey crocket wild west style loco all worthless on the collectors market they have been fitted with bearings and modern wheels a couple of years ago just the way I like them useable.
With the mix I have if I ever get round to setting them up again
no way is it possable to build a proper model railway.
regards John

[Anonymous]

My brother and I had a wind up set in 1948 (no electricity on our South Dakota farm). When we moved to the big city we got a Lionel set for christmas. In 1956 I switched to HO and my brother moved into other things.
Like vsmith I no longer have the wind up or the Lionel but I did end up with the childhood Marx set of a man I used to work with.

OLD DAD

[grandpopswalt]

My dad got me a Lionel "O27" set, Atlantic engine, 2 cars, and a caboose. That was in 1950 and I still remember it clearly and fondly. Like OLD DAD, I moved on to HO in 1958. Then came marriage and kids so the trains took a distant "back-burner" spot in my life. However, I've been an avid steam train enthusiast since I was a kid.

I became interested in LS when I read the early GR mag put out by Marc Horovitz. I've been collecting equipment and experimenting with various techniques ever since.

Grandpopswalt

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandpopswalt

My dad got me a Lionel "O27" set, Atlantic engine, 2 cars, and a caboose. That was in 1950 and I still remember it clearly and fondly. Like OLD DAD, I moved on to HO in 1958. Then came marriage and kids so the trains took a distant "back-burner" spot in my life. However, I've been an avid steam train enthusiast since I was a kid.

I became interested in LS when I read the early GR mag put out by Marc Horovitz. I've been collecting equipment and experimenting with various techniques ever since.

Grandpopswalt

Hey Gramps,

Haven't heard from you in a while. Hope eveythings OK.

Capt Carrales

[Anonymous]

Every weekend of my childhood was spent at a transport museum.I had real ones!

[s51flyer]

I had to answer yes, because there wasn't another option. My dad had an American Flyer set - still does, but more worse for wear. It wasn't actually my set, but I certainly pulled it out often to play with it. I probably did more damage to it as I was between 5 and 8 and had to tinker with everything! [}:)]

At about 9 years old, I recieved my first HO engine as a birthday present and a 3 foot section of flex-track. I had a borrowed power-pack and probably ran that engine 100 miles back-and-forth on that three foot section. No wonder the gears didn't last! [8D]

Bob....

[RhB_HJ]

Hi all,

First one I had (at 5) was a wind-up train that ran on 32mm track, next was an electric set (at 7) which ran on 13mm track, was scaled at 1:100 (OK I admit, scale in the early 50s was quite variable, much like LGB still is in many respects[;)][}:)][:D]).

A friend's father had a huge Lionel layout, I spent hours and hours there. I was also lucky that my dad had no interest in railways, was all thumbs and I got to do "it" all on my own.[8)][:)].
Mind you, I got some good lickin's when I came home late, again, from running trains.

Whenever I read "modelrailroading is a virus" I smile. I know firsthand and lickin's are no antidote.[:I][:D]

[Anonymous]

Hi RhB_HJ
Afraid so a disease with no cure is non contagiouse
Sufferers have been seen muttering strange number combinations like 0-4-0 ,4-6-2 and go into semi conciouse states at the passing of a steam locomotive the only known treatment is regular model railway therapy sessions too keep the patients from going insane
regards John

[grandpopswalt]

Hey Cappy,

We've been in Florida looking around for a new "nest". I've also been looking around for steam train museums down here. As far as I can see, there are no narrow gauge steam trains and very few standard gauge steam lines either.

BTW, can you point me toward some of your political opinion forums? I'd like to see which way the wind is blowing regarding all the issues currently facing us.

It sounds as though you're well on your way toward that dream layout, good for you, please keep us updated.

Grandpopswalt

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandpopswalt

Hey Cappy,

We've been in Florida looking around for a new "nest". I've also been looking around for steam train museums down here. As far as I can see, there are no narrow gauge steam trains and very few standard gauge steam lines either.

BTW, can you point me toward some of your political opinion forums? I'd like to see which way the wind is blowing regarding all the issues currently facing us.

It sounds as though you're well on your way toward that dream layout, good for you, please keep us updated.

Grandpopswalt

Grandpopswalt,

Glad to see you are in good spirits.

If you are looking for narrow guage steam that is running and/or a place that has an honest to goodness running steam shop you need to check out...

http://www.tweetsie.com/


Here are some pics of the Loco-shop (almost looks like there putting together the Bachmann Set.





Allow me to quote from the site...

"Visit North Carolina's first theme park, and take a trip back into the days of the Old West. Hop aboard the train for an unforgettable three-mile journey through the scenic mountains; but watch out for train robbers! Tweetsie Railroad also has amusement rides for all ages and live entertainment throughout the park. "




If you have the Bachmann set it might be worth making the pilgrimage to North Carolina. I plan to do so...someday.

As for political forums...

I post mainly on the Web-forum of a local Conservative Talk Show host, albiet the "threadsters" are far from just being conservative. It has the most varied group of people, politically and socially.

http://ericvonwade.com

...in the "communities" section.

We hit every issue, from the Iraq War to the movie "ZULU" and from the current oil crisis to...gulp...women.

I trust the forum editor will forgive this slight diversion, I tried to get a train/railroad discussion going there to no avail.

There are several thousand topics to read from on some of our local and national issues, but it is not as "user friendly" as this site is. You can't, for example, edit you posts. Additional some people are...well, more coarse... than they are here.

I hope that your opinion of me as a benevolent model railroader won't be tainted by what you read that I have posted there. I really have come to enjoy posting here, maybe even more than in that forum.

Oh, yeah...

If you want to look at a sideeffect of my posts on that forum and have the time to read these...

I wrote some radio plays based on some of my ideas...they may have some inapproriate language, so please read them with that in mind (please don't think less of me for it)

http://joecarrales.tripod.com/nightcorpus.html

[Anonymous]

i had a playmobile set

[Anonymous]

No I didn't have a train set as a child i wasn't allowed too.

I was forced to follow in the normal Brown family traditions of drunkedness, womanising and general lewd behaviour and this isn't easy when your only a kid.

Rgs Ian Kawana etc.

[Anonymous]

When I was very young, my father and his 2 brothers would set up the families Ives standard ga, trains. The way our house was built, the track ran from the living room, through the dining room and into the kitchen. Only my oldest brother was allowed to "help". Two other brothers and myself (the youngest) were allowed to watch, but not touch.

George

[grandpopswalt]

Hey Cappy,

We just visited the Tweetsie railroad today. Unfortunately Number 12, the prototype for the Bachmann 4-6-0, was inside the shed so I couldn't take as many shots as I'd have liked. But it was a great experience for me anyway. I'm going to make it a point to return later this year to see and photograph the loco running under steam.

Many thanks to Mr. Chris Robbins and his staff for a most enjoyable visit. The folks at Tweetsie are keenly aware that the NG steam train fraternity considers the "tweetsie" 4-6-0 a treasured connection to the roots of our hobby. And they take the responsibility of caring for that treasure very seriously.

Grandpopswalt

[Anonymous]

I got a Lionel in 75/76ish for X-mas ran it a while than told my dad I wanted to have an HO like his. He sold my lionel to purchase my HO stuff, I still have it, and just this past weekend was given all his HO stuff. No real room in the house for any real kind of layout, but I live on an Acre so for a Garden railroad the possibilities are endlesssssssssssssssssss.[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandpopswalt

Hey Cappy,

We just visited the Tweetsie railroad today. Unfortunately Number 12, the prototype for the Bachmann 4-6-0, was inside the shed so I couldn't take as many shots as I'd have liked. But it was a great experience for me anyway. I'm going to make it a point to return later this year to see and photograph the loco running under steam.

Many thanks to Mr. Chris Robbins and his staff for a most enjoyable visit. The folks at Tweetsie are keenly aware that the NG steam train fraternity considers the "tweetsie" 4-6-0 a treasured connection to the roots of our hobby. And they take the responsibility of caring for that treasure very seriously.

Grandpopswalt

Walt,

You visited there! Excellent! I am green with envy (in a beneficent way of course). You will have to scan and send me some photos. I would have a million questions. From what you wrote I am unclear if you had reasonable access to the shop facilities. If so what was it like to be in a steam shop? What did they show you?

If I only weren’t so busy working at the school and so poor I would go in a heartbeat, but for now I am pleased to live vicariously through you and others on this forum. I will just have to be patient; I have discovered that I can have all the thinks I want if I am only willing to wait.

In fact, said strategy has allowed me to have all the things I wanted as a child save one…and I am working on that one (large scale of course). I also find that the wait actually heightens the experience.

Best of Luck to you and yours,
Capt Carrales

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by iandor

No I didn't have a train set as a child i wasn't allowed too.

I was forced to follow in the normal Brown family traditions of drunkedness, womanising and general lewd behaviour and this isn't easy when your only a kid.

Rgs Ian Kawana etc.

Ian,

Of course, you mean the traditions of…er…medicating one’s self, socialization and…uh…well…over socializing. I am mildly familiar with these family traditions, is there a chance we may be related? [:)][:D][:P]

[grandpopswalt]

Hi Cappy,

Yes, my wife and were given an escorted tour of the shop as well as some of the other buildings in the park.

The shop is very large and well equipped. And what really got my attention was how clean and orderly it was. They do all their own maintenance and rerpair and even build most of their own cars. They also do rebuilds and overhauls for other steam museums that don't have adequate facilities. There was a Porter 0-4-0 from a museum in Oklahoma over the pit when were there. It looked like they were redoing the cylinders, rods, and wheels.

Grandpops

[jmozz]

i had american flyers until about 1960 when we sold them and got ho i still have 3 cars but they need lots of work i now have n,ho,and gscaleby far the greatest hobby

[Anonymous]

Well, I have many trains now, and am still young (just turned 17 last week), so I qualify in that regaurd. I did have a Kalamazoo 0-4-0T train set that I still run because I love it so much. If only there was more room I would put in all the sound/rc/batteries, but there is just no room. I also have a very old battery-powered Great Northern mogul, but it is so, well, loved shall we say, that it no longer runs very well... ahem, cough, cough. That train set is what got me hooked into train today. My earliest and happiest memory is actually lying on the living room floor, watching my train run around the tree with all of the Chirstmas lights sparkling in the backround. So happy...

[bman36]

Hey All,
Well I guess it's my turn. My first set came at age five as an HO passenger set in CP. Still have pictures of it. Made two laps around the track and then went up in smoke. I thought it was cool until my dad informed me that it was'nt supposed to do that. Back it went and set number two came a couple of years later. Still have it today. Oh the memories. Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Brian,
Glad my pet budgie wasn't riding on your trainset or it would have been the BBQ RR.
sooner eh
I mean cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[smcgill]

I grew up with an HO set.
I still have the engines and cars . One is a brass import steam, the rest (santa-fe)
My brother gave me his n-scale he had that I wasn't alowed to touch.
I was also given a Lionel set that my brother-inlaw's old girl friend grewq up with.
Matt I have 4.25 acres for the new garden railroad but still don't know were to start.

[bman36]

smcgill,
4.25 acres!? I'll be right over. This is simple....pick the RR you like and then download a map of everywhere it runs. Order a few miles of track and hire a Bobcat. Next call over 200 of your closest friends and have track laying party. Next call a lawyer cause your wife will have a fit. Just tell her you are trying to live out your unfulfilled childhood and now have shares in a few Large Scale companies from all the items you bought. Or.....do like we all have...dream. Not too long though...running a train even if it is a short one is better than nothing at all. See what you get from me after fresh coffee and bacon? Later eh...Brian.

[espeefoamer]

Had an American Flyer set as a kid.This had two frieght trains. One had a Reading 4-4-2,and the other,a C&NW Baldwin diesel switcher.Whenever I ran it, my cat would sit beside me and watch.I still have the set.I have since graduated to HO but have no room for a layout.
I visited the Tweetsie in 1967 on a family vacation.ET & WNC 12 was running that day.It was a great ride.[:)]