Toy train epiphany remembered

[FJ and G]

My guess is that 90% of you had toy trains as a kid, then took an extended hiatus from the hobby and finally came back in. Same old story.

It would be interesting to hear about your epiphany, or defining moment--if you indeed had one--that sparked your interest in returning to the toy train hobby.

I recall mine very distinctly. As I was cleaning out my garage over the weekend, I came across some older CTTs and spotted the July 1998 issue, which featured an article titled "Capturing an Era."

It was a professionally built layout for Ira Butler, who unfortunately died before it was completed. I picked up the magazine at a Wal-Mart in Jacksonville, Arkansas that year and was utterly fascinated by the "art deco" aspects of that particular layout.

It was an epiphany for me and is what returned me to the toy train fold.

[lionelsoni]

I had Marx, then Lionel as a kid. When I went off to college, I joined the school HO club (TMRC); but my interest was in the layout's extensive controls and telephone exchange rather than the models themselves. I gave my Lionel pieces to my nephew when he came along and forgot about them until his father brought them back to me after the nephew went off to medical school. I started up my old 2243; and the rest is history.

[Jumijo]

I had Lionel trains when I was a kid over 30 years ago. After moving on to HO for a few years, I sold off all my trains sometime in my early teens. An act I somewhat regret to this day.

Christmas 2004, only a few short months ago, was my re-entry into the toy train hobby. My three kids, all under the age of five, love watching Thomas and playing with the wooden trains based on that series. I thought the time was right to get the kids an electric train set, so I bought Lionel's Thomas set for the holiday. Unbeknownst to me, my sister also thought the time was right and bought the kids a Lionel NYC Flyer set. Even after setting up the track and connecting the transformer, I didn't detect any dormant interest mounting inside me, but once we ran those trains and I saw the smoke billowing from that 4-4-2, I was a kid again and have been hooked ever since.

Since then I've bought many freight cars of all makes, and a Polar Express set. I've also picked up a few post-war locos and some rolling stock. I've greatly enjoyed so many aspects of the hobby, from attending train shows to scratch building to track planning. I've also met some wonderful people who have been incredibly kind in passing on information.

Plans are currently being finalized for our new L-shaped layout. Yeah, it's only been a little over 5 months since my return to the hobby, but hopefully my family and I will share in the fun of toy trains for many years to come.

Jim

[Anonymous]

Ron Hollander's book about Joshua Lionel Cowen and his Lionel Train Company is what brought me back into O gauge, although I was actively participating in Z and N prior to that return.

[Anonymous]

While at Borders in 1997 I came across the December issue of OGR, which I had never heard of up until that moment, and it featured a small, hi-rail layout with scale like scenery by Mike Hampton. Before that, I didn't know that 3-rail could be seen in such a realistic setting and the fact that he did it in a small space was a real motivator for me. That's when I knew that I would build my first layout and start adding to the 1503 postwar set that My Dad had since his childhood.
View my layout at
http://home.comcast.net/~graz6/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

[Anonymous]

My father died when I was three months old, so I never had the opportunity to make that memory, as many of you had. My father's brother and my mom created a 6x12 layout in a box with hinges and wheels. It folded up like a ping pong table and could be stored in a corner. I remember playing with my Dad's 2025 set, but what I remember the most is the smell of burning wires when things short circuited. That was in the late 1970s. I think Star Wars pretty much killed the train hobby for me, since it was the star wars collections, and then GI joes that fascinated me up until high school.

Recently, my mom moved into an "active adult community", basically a 55+ neigborhood around a golf course in Northern Virginia. She told me to come get all my old crap. This included all my star wars, all my HO trains, slot cars, and Dad's Lionel set.

Well, they all went to the basement, until my son was born in November 2003. My "epiphany" is that I want to do all of the things with my son that I never got to do with my father.

So the basement has been transformed, the layout is being planned, and my son can say "tray--whoo whoo"

[garyseven]

My dad cleaned out his storage in AZ and brought the trains to me in Oregon.

[Frank53]

QUOTE: Originally posted by graz

While at Borders in 1997 I came across the December issue of OGR, which I had never heard of up until that moment, and it featured a small, hi-rail layout with scale like scenery by Mike Hampton. Before that, I didn't know that 3-rail could be seen in such a realistic setting and the fact that he did it in a small space was a real motivator for me. That's when I knew that I would build my first layout and start adding to the 1503 postwar set that My Dad had since his childhood.

graz:

I am blown away by your layout. The amount of detail and workmanship you put into a 6x10 layout is really impressive. Can't imagine what you might do with 12 x 24.

[Anonymous]

My wife and I married in 1965. Back then, I would take my wife grocery shopping at the now defunct Two Guys stores. While she shopped for groceries, I would visit the toy/model department and occasionally buy one of their deeply discounted Lionel items. This really piqued my interest again in Lionel.

Unfortunately, my Mom gave our old Lionels to a kid down the block, but Dad gave me his old Fleishman HO Pacific and some other cars which I still have.

Then later in the '60s I would visit the old Joe Ranker train meets in Wayne at the old Fire House and really got bit by the toy train bug. From then on toy trains have been an important part of my life.

BillFromWayne
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[Frank53]

We used to have a Two Guys (Vornado) over a couple of bridges from us in Hopelawn - I lived in Fords.

The good old days . . .

[alton6]

I've always loved stopping at roadway grade crossings to watch the steel-shelled beasts wheel by. When I was turning 50 a few years ago, my daughter hatched a plan to extort familial donations toward a Lionel Santa Fe Freight Special set to mark the occasion. The perfect gift! I've been quite nutty about it all ever since.

Carl

[Big_Boy_4005]

I'm the other 10% who never left. I tried HO and N for a few years, but I still have every piece of Lionel I ever owned.

[Anonymous]

Ron Hollander's All Aboard book about Joshua Lionel Cowens and his Lionel Trains got me back into toy trains also. I had purchased the book for my brother-in-law as a Christmas gift and after thumbing through it, I went out and got one for myself. I was hooked from that point on. I had to dig out my old long lost Lionel 2055 engine and get it back into running condition.

My four year old train crazy son and I began collecting and operating Postwar Lionel Trains .It wasn't long and we started collecting American Flyer S gauge also. Soon my son started his own collection and began running his trains on his own layout.

Now trains are a big winter hobby for me and they are the highlight at our house at Christmas time for our family and friends.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Frank. Much appreciated.
I'm currently planning a few modifications/improvements to the layout and trackplan. Hope to have everything done for Christmas. I haven't really worked on the layout for a couple of years and still have some details to complete but can't seem to get started.
Even if I had the space, I don't think that I have the patience for the construction of a large layout. By keeping it small, I was able to see very visible progress in a short time period. A large layout may just overwhelm me.

[Frank53]

graz:

that layout is one of favorites, especialy considering the size - here's a photo for those who have not seen it:

[Jumijo]

For what my opinion is worth, graz, I think your layout is just incredible and very inspirational. I've bookmarked your site and will visit it often!

Jim

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jim. It was rewarding project.

[dougdagrump]

Several Christmas's ago my wife voluntered my help with the children's Christmas party. One of the emplyees brought in what might loosely be described as a modular layout. I was sent over to help set up and assist him for the two day event. Well around lunch time his new hi-tech engine died so I offered to dig out my old Wabash GP-7, provided I could find it, needless to say I found it and it ran like a champ inspite of being wrapped up in a towel and stored in less than acceptable circumstances for at least 30yrs. That was the reawakening of a hobby that can be both enjoyable and at times exasperating. [:D] [:(] [|(]

[Anonymous]

1971~ Dad sold the trains to a high school friend of mine.
1988~ My brother asked about the trains. I told him the fellow's name.
1989~ My brother called; "Here's a blast from your past, " he said. Over the phone, the sounds of a Lionel steam whistle floated into my brain.

He had purchased our original 646 Baby Hudson.

Since then, I've purchased way too many trains, according to my wife.

[alton6]

I've been wondering about all of those de-accessioned trains of teenhood yesteryear. About that time in my life, I sold a friend my good-sized collection of "hit" 45 rpm records for a modest amount. The proceeds were promptly "invested" in some other (now long forgotten) interest.

So, what became of all those trains?? Was anyone hereabouts among the receipients of fallen angels from the son(s) of Mr. and Mrs. Smith down the street...? Pretty good deal in hindsight, wasn't it?

Carl

[MikeSanta]

I wouldn't say I had an "epiphany" as such although I was out of trains from basically high school until the late 80s when I was 35 or so. I did set up Christmas layouts at my folks place during the 70s. It was always simmering on the back burner that I was going to get back into trains again one day. Anyway, one day in 1987 the folks were talking about cleaning out their house so I told them to send the trains down to me and the rest is history.

[cnw1995]

It was a two-stage process for me - first getting into model railroading, then toy trains. I had HO trains in my youth but had put them away like others. I stumbled across a copy of Model Railroader in the library back in 1998 - which led me to read five years worth of back-issues and all their model RR and prototype train books - then I purchased a N scale set (I lived in a small 'full' house) and built a 3 by 5 portable layout featuring British outline trains. However, I was frustrated by the size. As my father ailed, I discovered his pre-war Lionel trains and track in cleaning out their attic - bought them back to Illinois - and gradually cleared out the raised crawlspace in the basement for a layout. The rest is history!

I remember the actual moment of removing the 20 year old newspaper wrapped around the 248 in the hot, dusty attic (my dad had everything cleaned up by Madison Hardware in the 1980s) - and then finding a whole bunch of track and an R transformer in the box.