Postwar age survey

[cnw1995]

44 and enjoy toy trains of all eras - have some pre-war, post-war, MPC-era and newish ones.

[anjdevil2]

52, just got back into it a couple of years ago.  Have a few PostWar 2037,2020,2026, a few MPC like my Jersey Central Blue 2000, a some newer stuff like NYC & Pennsy Flyer, 2002 Fire/Rescue set.  I don't think I collect, rather amass a bunch of "runners"  The only one that isn't out regularly is the Blue 2000 JC. Dunno why, just sits in it's box....may have to change that

 

[billbarman]

Im 13 and have been collecting postwar for 2 years now, postwar just has something that the new engines dont.

[rthomps]

I joined TCA - TTOS in 1972.

Does that help?

[luther_stanton]

I am 38.  I have been running O scale for about four years now.  While the majority of my collection is new or MPC, I have collected a few Post War cars.  I am thinking about breaking down for a 726 or 736.

[DdoubleU]

I joined TCA - TTOS in 1972.

Does that help?

I joined the TCA and LCCA this year.  "Does that help," yes and welcome aboard

Darrell

[c50truck]

49 here. I guess that means I grew up in the waning years of the postwar era. The usual story, started out with Dad's sets as a youngster in the basement. I'm delighted to see some youth chime in on this subject. My kids and nephews love the postwar trains as well. 

I'm an operator, not a collector. Postwar toy trains were made to run. Tubular is still my choice of track.  

Rod

 

[DdoubleU]

Good Morning!

I just read all the previous postings and was surprised (and happy) that there are so many youngsters interested in the postwar era.

Mobilman44

 

You've nailed it right on the head.  What I was hoping to find...I found.  Postwar has bridged the generation gap.  More importantly Postwar is not dying it's probably going to stay "an investment in happiness," as well as an investment that will continue to grow in value.  So far, pre-teens (I am counting my daughters), teens and 20 through 70 year olds have posted to this thread.  WOW I had no idea.  I've always known kids big and small enjoy trains, but I never knew such a wide varity of people owned postwar.  Thanks to everyone for the fantastic posts.  I would love to hear from more people.

Darrell

[mackb4]

  Hi Darrell.

     I'm 38 years old and I started running my Dad's postwar trains when I was the wee age of 5 (1976).

     That's the year I got my first train set headed by a blue Santa Fe 8351 diesel.My Dad's first Lionel set was a Santa Fe bell ringer 6220.Both reside in my display case in my train room. 

[krapug1]

46 years old here, although the bulk of my collection is K-Line, I also operate/collect some PW as well.
One of my collecting goals is to assemble the 5* sets that Lionel offered in the last PW catalog in 1969.
I like putting an historical spin on things, within financial reason. Another example of this being I operate/collect the Marx trains that K-Line used the tooling from. It's an interesting time stamp to have the Marx 333 running on my upper track loop and one of the many K-Line re-creations running below.

Ken

* Yes, I know that 6 sets were pictured in the 1969 catalog, but 2 featured the 2029 with the only difference being one had a whistle tender, one not had the non-whistling.

[LocoPops]

I'm 55.  Some of the stuff my dad ran when I was kid; some of it I picked up later.  Its mostly postwar, but I do have a very nice tinplate set from the late 30's.  Its only been the last few years that I've had room to do a decent layout.  But I've always loved O gauge.  I guess when you catch the bug, its always with you.

[southernrr]

58 here, run on O-27 track, and have kept and still run my first set that I received for Christmas when I was 7.

 

[ezmike]

51 and still have the 2 sets given to me by my Uncle, exactly when is hard to tell as my Mom and Dad debate this issue every time, let's just say somewhere around the year of my birth,1956. Both sets are from 1950.

Haven't always been in the hobby though, Dad and an Italian Uncle (that's one not related by blood but is so close to the family you refer to them as "Uncle") would put them up every year at Christmas until I was about 12. Then came the Aurora car period, then into the attic/storage until last Christmas when my then 20 year old son asked me to put up the infamous trains he heard so much about. The rest is history, been hooked on post war since.

Mike

[RockIsland52]

I'm 56, born in 1951, and got I unknowingly got started before I was born.  I found this out when I started looking at postwarlionel.com.  For the most part, I have not added to my collection over the years because I have so much stuff.  I have just played and maintained.  Sorry.

Apparently, my father decided a son was in his future, which explains the 2023 Anniversary 1950 Union Pacific Alcos and the 3 window 1950-1951 2046 New York Central Hudson in my collection.  Also the 2031 Flat Roof Rock Island Alcos from 1952, the 1615 Switcher steam engine, and the 2348 Minneapolis and St. Louis GP9.  In 1974, the only thing I purchased myself was the 6-1776 Spirit of 76 U36B.

As with many of us older guys, the stuff got packed away over three decades ago,resurrected only at Christmastime after I married and had kids of my own.  Now I find myself jealously reading the posts in this site and wondering which friend I can con into starting a layout in his basement.  

[lionel2]

I am 27....collecting postwar lionel trains since i was about 6 years old....my first engine was a 2046 steam engine....Me and my dad went to the hobby store down the road and saw it there and it has the original box for the engine and tender, 2046w.  I will never forget the words my dad told me when he bought it for me..."son, this is your first lionel train engine.  I had trains when i was a kid, now i am passing it on to you. and someday you can pass it on to your son.  Keep the tradition of lionel trains alive in the family." it goes something like that.  We have had lionel trains within our family since the 1900's....but my mom's brother has all the good stuff...lol...My collection is very extensive....Over the past 21 years...and 11 years of doing landscaping...I have built my lionel train empire...i have 18 engines, 20 action assessories, over 150 cars, 3 passenger sets, hundreds of feet of track, the sad thing is they all remain in boxes, except for the xmas season...just appreciating in value as we speak..lol...thats all i have to say about that..thanks

[c50truck]

58 here, run on O-27 track, and have kept and still run my first set that I received for Christmas when I was 7. 

 Southernrr,

Would you mind sharing the train set you recieved at that age? Was It AF, Lionel, Marx?

Rod L.

 

 

[ChiefEagles]

Lionel 2055 from Santa, Leighhigh Valley hopper, NYC gondola with barrels and Lionel Lines caboose.  Still got it all and still running. 

[O3siggah]

I'm a 67 year old whose first powered train was one of the 224 O gauge sets produced for the Christmas season in 1945.  That poor old train is now inoperable with chipped loco drivers, a missing pilot and e unit.  I've built 9 previous layouts and am working on finishing a ceiling in the biggest basement I've ever had, so I can start again in Columbus Ohio to where I have retired.

[Railroader_Sailor_SSN-760]

24 here, my wife also collects, and she is also 24. My son just turned 1 yesterday, and he has been immersed in old trains from day one.

In fact, there was a train show the day after my son was born that my wife wanted me to go pick her something up. The only thing I found was a set we had been tying to find for years that she wanted: the 2001 Lionel Chessie Diesel Freight set.  

As my son was born via cesarian due to complications from a car accident a month before, my wife was stuck in the hospital for 3 days. After I got back from the show, my wife insisited that I bring her the train she asked for.

I snuck the train set in and set it up in her room. As visiting hours were over, I had to leave. I left the train running. A nurse came in to check on my wife and son, to find an O-27 train running at the far side of the room, where it could be seen and not be a trip hazard. 

My wife said to leave it on, but the nurse turned it off. My son started screeching. The nurse turns it back on, he calms down. Off-screech!, On-calm.

His first train show was when he was 8 days old. (NETCA winter meet 2006).

We take Terry, my son, to train related things quite a lot. He loves live steam locomotives.

As far as myself, I have been into O and S trains since I was about 3, when my grandfather got a Lionel Silver Star train set. Somewhere there is a photo of me sitting in the middle of the tracks with the label "1986 - 3 years old - First train" .

I got my first train set when I was 6, a plastic train set that runs on O-27. I wore it apart. I have since found a new identical set.

My first O-27 train set was purchased at my first train show, the Best Friend of Charleston train show, in North Chaleston, SC. (Nov 2003)

I was there to find HO scale equipment, when I noticed a CN hpper car from the Silver Star set. I asked the guy how much, and he told me that it was already sold, but he had something that might interest me for $35. He handed me a shoebox with a 1960s scout set in it, only missing one curve track  peice.

I handed him the $35 he asked for. I got more track for it at a local hobby shop. I brought it home, and set it up.

The set had a 25W transformer, a 242 2-4-2 loco and tender, a green Lionel Gondola, a grey LV hopper (unfortuately, it was broken in a number of places), and a caboose.

The next day, the HO scale layout was ripped up, and hasn't been rebuilt since then.
 

[woodsmanmark]

I'm 47.  Got my first Lionel Train for Christmas when I was 6 - Under the tree just like an old Lionel Ad - What a magical time! - I was into the trains and HO slot cars (Aurora) until I became a wild and woolly teenager.  Fortunately my dad carefully and lovingly packed the trains and slot cars away. 

5 years ago my son (then 5) discoverd them in my attic and kept bugging me until I got them out - I got him and MPC Chessie set at a flea market so my old PWs wouldn't sustain damage while he learned how to handle them. Hes always loved trains - we take at least 1-2 trips a year to  Steamtown in Scranton, Pa.

Now we are into it - a variety of trains (Lionel and some Marx)around the tree every year with assorted Christmas village scenery, and usually there long past when the tree is gone.  The first time I set the train up around the tree my wife fell in love with them too. 

We have a "Test Track" in the basement and are planning/working on the "big" layout for the basement. My 2 year old daughter loves them and continually wants to watch train movies (I Love Toy trains etc...)  My wifes into it too - she loves the Girls train, having seen it in one of the toy train movies........she's in for a big Christmas surprise as I got her the Williams girls train set!

 

[okiechoochoo]

I am 60, born in 1947 and had Lionel trains on and off since 1952, mostly on.  Seems like between ages 16 and 23 I was into cars and girls but got back to trains shortly thereafter.

[Jumijo]

 

I'm old enough to vote...but just barely.

[jakeoregano]

I'm 41 years old and I've been interested in trains ever since I can remember.  I have my grandfather's Lionels, my dad's 1950's American Flyer set, some Marx.  I've purchased in adulthood some pre as well as post war Lionel.  My favorites are the usual: 2332 GG1 and the 761 Turbine.  These are probably my favorites because they are the first trains I remember my grandfather running and they are mine now.  My daughters all have the train bug too, mostly at Christmas when we set 'em up to run.

Cheers,

Dwayne.

[kpolak]

Well....so far:

Out of 45 that dare to admit the age to which they are still playing with trains:

Average age is 44.8913 years with a Median age of 49. 

Age occuring most frequenty is 49 with (4) people.

Youngest poster is 13, and eldest is 73.

Kurt