What was your first train set?

[Anonymous]

Would anyone like to share what their first train set or sets as
I know from magazines and stories that a few people
recived more than one trains during their childhood as chistmas or
birthday gifts or trains bought from savings?

Can anyone share some stories, info, or pictures?

steel rails

Oh, mine was a 2055 Hudson given to me with a black gonola and red MS&TL caboose by my granfather and some Fastrack and more freight cars off e-bay.

[Anonymous]

Mine was an inherited 1958 'Owl' Set (with a #665 Hudson) and an extra Milw #2338 Geep. That was in 1967...

[lionelsoni]

I had 4-wheel Marx, then 8-wheel Marx, then a Japanese MU train, then, at last, in 1955 a Lionel 2243 and 2400-series streamliners. The 2243 still runs beautifully.

[Dr. John]

My first train set was a Marx wind-up, tin-plate set on two rails. Then, in 1965, I received a Marx Allstate set from Sears for Christmas.

[Jim Duda]

Click on my name - it's in my profile under "Bio"...

(click to enlarge)

[tsgtbob]

Mine was a 1952 Lionel Berkshire, 726RR, tender, operating boxcar (ATSF) NYC gondola, Sunoco tank car, and a LL caboose. RW transformer, 4 switches, and a ton of track. I got it in '67 or 68, the result of pestering an uncle who had announced that he had it for me. I still have it.
The first new set that I got was a Tyco spirit of 76. I still have that too, although the Alco 430 [xx(] hasn't fared as well as that old berk [:D]

[Anonymous]

My first train set was a Marx engine and tender with three cars: box car, tank car and caboose. I still have the cars but not the engine. I received it as a Christmas present around 1948. About 1951, I received a Lionel Santa Fe engine for my birthday and a number of cars and switches for Christmas that same year. I still have all of it and it runs well.

[Anonymous]

New York Central Marx wind-up with 3 cars/caboose for Christmas in 1938.

[ed11670]

224E set Xmas 1938. In 1939 catalog $17.95

[spankybird]

First train set was in 1949 (I think)




I still have it and it still runs.

[andregg1]

My first set was a 2037 ,without tender and a few othes rolling stock.
my father found this set in a flea market in chile. In those year a new set was really expencive.
the set still runing.
Andre.

[Anonymous]

Nice,

Anyone else???

[Blueberryhill RR]

My first set was a 2141WS Lionel 4 car freight set with a RW transformer

( This information was provided by one of the Forum members )

My Dad bought it for me at Higbee's in downtown Cleveland

In 1949.

It was a # 671, like Spankybird's.

Spankybird.... We had a good Christmas that year.

Chuck

[Buckeye Riveter]

[andregg1]

I feel very young to nigth......
because my father bought the set in 1983 when I was 11 years old.
in the 50' my father was a little boy.
any way guys very nice memories.
Andre.

[pbjwilson]

1969 - Aurora Postage Stamp "N' gauge set. N gauge was "new" back then.

1995 - First Lionel set for my sons first Christmas. We've had a layout under the tree every year since.

[SPFan]

My first train was a Marx windup given in 1949. I don't think it lasted a year. My Lionel 2035 set came the following year with the added cattle set. A few years later I received a 3461 log dumper with a conveyor log loader. When I was older (8,9?) and began to earn spending money I picked up a 317 bridge and 151 semiphore , billboard set, and a bunch of Plasticville. I cut wooden ties by hand and ballasted the track. In the late '50s, detail and realism was becoming more important to me and Lionel was moving in the other direction with the rocket cars, etc. I sold all of my Lionel and switched to HO around 1960.

Pete

[pbjwilson]

1969 - Aurora Postage Stamp "N' gauge set. N gauge was "new" back then.

1995 - First Lionel set for my sons first Christmas. We've had a layout under the tree every year since.

[Anonymous]

A Lionel Scout set with the old plastic couplers that spread apart. My father converted
them to the regular couplers about three years later in 1953. I still have the set today.
The engine is nothing compared to today's engines. The set had the steam engine
and a Sunoco single dome tank car and a Lionel blue gondola. I was five years old at the time and 55 years later I still love trains of all types.

[Blueberryhill RR]

chuckshearman...WELCOME to the Forum


I just noticed that was your first post. We got started on trains about the same year.

Chuck

[Anonymous]

My wife says I have a one track mind. Fortunately for me she has gone along with
all of this train stuff over the years and our family room is a train motif.

[Jumijo]

Mine was a Lionel Rock Island set with an 8304 steam locomotive. That would have been sometime in the very early seventies. I've recently come back to the hobby and have purchased several new O27 sets "for the kids". I like the toy-like look and sounds of them. I also have 2 locomotives that pre-date me. One is a 1952 Lionel 2034 that needed a good home. That one came with the caboose, gondola, and tender, all for $20! The other is a 1947 Lionel 2025 with nickel Baldwin wheels.

Still on my wish list is the new Lionel SF El Capitan set, a Williams Turbine, 726 Berk, a 2056 Hudson, A Seaboard switcher, . . .

Jim

[tcripe]

Mine was an early 50's Lionel Scout set - don't know the set number, but it came with the black gondola and orange Baby Ruth boxcar. Dad also got a Marx semaphore, crossing gate, and crane. It was set up in a figure-eight on a 3' x 6' plywood board. Sadly, it is gone. I loaned all my trains to a friend who had two boys, and eventually they traded it for some HO stuff.
- Terry

[Tom1947]

Mine was an American Flyer set I received for Christmas in 1956. The set included an Atlantic 307 engine, Gulf tank car, log car, box car, coal car, condola and caboose. I still have the set and have added engines and cars over the years.

[cnw1995]

1974: A Tyco HO Burlington passenger set - an F unit, and 3 passenger cars. - sold.
2000: A Lifelike 'Yardmaster set' with a Rock Island GP18 and 3 freight cars - traded.
2002: A Lionel Ballyhoo Circus trainset.

[daan]

Mine was a france TGV from Lima, a Italian h0 manufacturer..

[1688torpedo]

Mine was a Lionel Broadway Limited from Christmas of 1974 and I still have it. Before that it was just a Tyco Ho with a Santa Fe F-3 Diesel and some freight cars,No longer have that one.

[okiechoochoo]

Mine was the 2023 Union Pacific Alco Anniversary set, Got it in 1951.

[mnwestern]

About 1967 or 1968, I received a Marx set for Christmas. Still have it. Looks and runs like new and is in original box. It is the UP 666 diecast steam engine, with an orange UP caboose, a purple/maroon auto rack with two panel trucks and two cars (still have those, too), a blue B&M sliding door box car and blue Erie (I think) gondola. Run it occasionally on our club's three-rail layout. (see pictures at: luceline.tripod.com) Played many hours with it on the floor with my cowboys and Indians, and WWII troops.
A couple of years later, I graduated to scale and received a Tyco HO set with blue/yellow Santa Fe F-unit, flat car, boxcar, hopper and caboose. Still have that set, too, in the original box.

[Anonymous]

My first was a Hornby M1 clockwork. Had to work to earn the money, never had a train as a gift. The year was 1947, first Hornby to arrive here after WW2. Lionels were not imported after WW2.
Colin Duthie (NZ)