My 16 month old son, Will, looking through the latest catalog for the train we ...uh... he wants from Santa.
None of us ever grow up do we...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hy44uXVJZk
That was a keeper video for years to come. Little boy has a lot of train excitement. So does the big guy.
Chuck
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
I'm a new member here and have picked up the Polar Express set and the Thomas the Train set for my boys, almost 3 and 4.
They love their wooden Thomas the train set, love watching real trains, so much so they get peived when we are near train tracks and nothing is passing by. So we took them to a train store in Hagerstown, MD that has a couple of real nice setups, and as I held my 4 year old watching a Hogwarts train move around the track my son quietly said to himself, "Man, I wish I had one of those." I told him that we'd have to wait and see what Santa does, and he just remained mesmerized.
He and his brother are going to be shocked come X-mas morning.
The only problem is my wife and I keep wanting to get them out to play with them, and so waiting until X-mas morning isn't easy.
I'm at my local train shop, Northeast Trains in Peabody MA., picking up my 1952 LT 2031 Rock Island Alcos I dropped off for some work. I was approached by a woman new to trains who was looking at sets as a Christmas present for her 5 and 7 year old sons. She asked me what I would buy for them.
After playing with trains on and off for over 50 years, my mind went wild remembering my first train I got for Christmas at the age of 4......it was in the box in my hand. So I unwrapped the trains and showed her. I told her I got my son a starter set at the age of 9 in 1988, but he never got into trains except at Christmas. Lesson 1: if cared for properly, this is a gift that will keep on giving to you and your family for more than a lifetime.
I am new to this forum but know enough to realize how little I know about trains. I accumulated so much Lionel stuff in the 50's that since then I purchased very little more. There are so many brands and features to choose from today. It's like you can't really go wrong, no matter what you choose. If you like it, it's perfect.
I had to be honest and told her everyone has a bias, but trains are a great gift because they have staying power and are enjoyed by nearly everyone. First was price, what she could comfortably afford. She had to decide what she wanted the trains to be for her boys. Possibly a lifetime hobby? A Chrismas decoration for this year only, or a new annual family tradition? Something she and her husband wanted to share with the kids for some quality time together? How much space did she have in the home to dedicate to the trains? Was this a starter set until the boys learned how to handle and treat trains gently?
She had been looking at a LT Polar Express set, so I advised her to mull over the considerations, have a chat with the counter people and narrow the choices down, and then discuss it with her husband. It was an excellent gift idea, no matter what set she chose.
But if she wanted to make a decision right then and there, I said she couldn't go wrong with the set she was considering. And if taken care of, her grandchildren would be enjoying the same trains decades from now as my family is.
So many choices out there, and none seem very risky to me.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
DJSpanky wrote: Mntneer wrote:So we took them to a train store in Hagerstown, MD that has a couple of real nice setups, Hey, got a link or address for that train store? I drive by Hagerstown twice a week on 81 on my commute down to my current client in Charlottesville.
Mntneer wrote:So we took them to a train store in Hagerstown, MD that has a couple of real nice setups,
So we took them to a train store in Hagerstown, MD that has a couple of real nice setups,
Hey, got a link or address for that train store? I drive by Hagerstown twice a week on 81 on my commute down to my current client in Charlottesville.
The place is called The Train Room, not far from I-81, the Valey Mall exit is the quickest way to get there.
Here's their web site, http://www.the-train-room.com/
The display that's in the picture of their home page is in their museum, which costs a couple bucks to enter, but's well worth it. They have another display out front, which I think was donated to them by a guy that had passed away, one that they finished after his passing.
Nice store, real nice guy that runs it. I live in Martinsburg, and was actually there today picking up a couple things.
THE STONE ZOO HOLIDAY EXHIBIT:
For anyone with children and/or grandchildren and an interest in trains in the Boston area, looking for something of quality but different to do with the kids this holiday season, READ THIS. There is a very small zoo about 5 miles north of Boston off Route 93, about 2 exits south of Route 128, in Stoneham Ma. called the Stone zoo. There are signs directing you to the zoo at the Stoneham exit all the way to the zoo which is about a mile or two east of the exit. They have an exhibit you and your children will never forget.
For Christmastime, they have the whole zoo decorated with holiday lights and feature a ton of outdoor, hand-made Christmas displays of every sort. Most of what is displayed was donated to the zoo by a guy who lovingly made all the stuff himself over many years and initially had it displayed throughout his own property. When it comes to craftsmanship, detail, and sheer overkill with a hobby, this guy has us all beat, all of us combined.
AND YES, TOY TRAINS WERE PART OF HIS PASSION. I'm talking about the garden railroad variety. These are prominently displayed, though he was careful to protect the layout with what I can only describe as a 30' x 40' garage with glass walls on all 4 sides so that viewing is not inhibited and the trains are protected from the elements.
Kind of like Santa's Village only far better. About half of the many displays are not the static kind, but ones that are motorized; and the figures move, music and dialogue included. The overall theme is devoted to nursery rhyme characters and Christmas. Santa is there too (he's indoors and can be seen from the outside through the glass wall by all walking past), listening to your kids making their (your) train wishes. There is also a gift shop and a few smaller kiddie rides, including a scale train. Dolls houses galore. Smaller scale buildings appropriate to the displays.
The story has it that because of his age and the traffic mess caused by the attraction to his property during the holidays, the guy elected to donate everything to an entity that could display his creation properly, preserve his labor of love, and accomodate the many who could appreciate it besides himself. It was all moved to the zoo where it has been lovingly displayed each holiday season.
Yes, this place is a zoo. Although it is winter, there are still some animals outside that the children can see. If I recall correctly, last year we saw a wolves, huge rescued bald eagles, and reindeer, among others.
I believe admission is free though they suggest a small donation to the zoo which is nonprofit to help defray the expenses of operating and maintaining the exhibit. Parking is free and available right by the entrance.
As for timing, as you might expect of such a festive and spectacular seasonal set-up, parking can get a little tight, though we've never had a problem. I'd suggest getting there before 6 pm (but after it's dark so you can appreciate the lights) on a weekend night just to play it safe, then take the kids to McDonalds afterwards to be crowned hero for life. You might want to cap off the evening riding around the neighborhoods just east of the zoo to take in the residential holiday lights, some of which are truly exceptional.
Make sure you bundle up the kids because the bulk of this winter wonderland is outdoors. Bring a stroller for the smaller ones......I'm personally not into lugging a 35 pound grandchild around when she doesn't feel like walking, or chasing her when she decides she's a reindeer. I don't like being the pack mule either, and the stroller can be used for that purpose. Restrooms available too.
Call information for Stoneham Ma. for the zoo's number and details, since this is all off the top of my head. And you all know how a train guy's mind works. We are genius visionaries with an imagination that would make Walt Disney envious.
vbkostur wrote: My 16 month old son, Will, looking through the latest catalog for the train we ...uh... he wants from Santa.None of us ever grow up do we... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hy44uXVJZk
What a beautiful son! He must have a pretty good Dad.
RockIsland52 wrote:THE STONE ZOO HOLIDAY EXHIBIT:
Jack,
I haven't been to the Stone Zoo since I was a kid! Thanks for the info!
Jim
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
Mntneer wrote: The only problem is my wife and I keep wanting to get them out to play with them, and so waiting until X-mas morning isn't easy.
If you can manage to do so without letting the kids see, you might want to set the trains up on a simple loop for a test run. Most work right out of the box, but a few have problems, and better to find them now than CHRISTmas morning. . . .
palallin wrote: Mntneer wrote: The only problem is my wife and I keep wanting to get them out to play with them, and so waiting until X-mas morning isn't easy. If you can manage to do so without letting the kids see, you might want to set the trains up on a simple loop for a test run. Most work right out of the box, but a few have problems, and better to find them now than CHRISTmas morning. . . .
We did.
I've had to... "test" out the set a couple times now. We also picked up the Thomas The Train set as well, and have had it out a number of times too. Fun little set.
The boys had a K-line catalog, I had picked up the other week, out this evening and were loving it. So we're pretty sure they'll love the trains. If not, I always can.
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