Anybody else just running pre/postwar Lionel and none of the newer stuff??

[JamesPH1966]

jakeoregano: Bal-mer is still one of my favorite places - I even got married there a couple weeks ago...

My buying spree continues as well: I got a black Lionel 221 Dreyfuss and (working) 221W tender at Potomac Trading in Kensington, MD (another great train shop) along with the biggest transformer Marx ever made. I've got my eye on a 2020 Turbine for my next purchase...

[Anonymous]

I run trains for the nostalgia. I just keep going older. From a mark set from the 40's when i was 12 to the ives i operate now in college. Nothing beats the old smell and sound of the trains, and a 1 gauge 3240 with highrail scenery looks fairly real for a nearly 100 year old model.

[okiechoochoo]

Nothing but postwar for me. None of this new stuff. I guess MPC was ok but I bought the 8030 IC geep when it came out and the lights showed right thru the cab and the pick up rollers were so cheap it hurt. As far as the new stuff, way to complicated, unreliable, dead on arrival and way way to expensive. I will pass on it, thank you.

[jakeoregano]

JamesPH1966: I'm originally from Bal-mer myself. Kleins is one of those great 'throw-back' places that's been around forever. My pop-in law belongs to the Baltimore Model Railroader's club. He's spent plenty of time (and money!!)in Kleins over the years. It's nice to hear that you can walk into the older shops and still find things like what you found.

Dwayne.

[ED WHITFORD]

I am about 90% pre & post on ours here, could probably count all new (1975 on) on your hands. The older the more dependible.

[Jumijo]

I only have 2 post war locos, but I greatly enjoy them. Having no sense of smell, I can't comment on the ozone olifactory aspect of the hobby, but just seeing them running around the tracks at such ages does something nice for me.

I too enjoy the sounds of the modern day trains. The Railsounds/Trainsounds add a lot to the overall experience. Sound definitely plays a big part of the playvalue for me and my kids.

I've seen great hi-rail layouts, and layouts that are just painted plywood. I get a kick out of them all, and if the operator is enjoying themselves, finds the hobby rewarding, that's all that counts. It's all good.

Jim

[cnw1995]

Well said, Don. I love learning from the perspectives and experiences of others in the hobby.

[dbaker48]

Not to be controversial, but ........ The older equipment is really great, considerable patience is required for most MPC however. Seeing a layout comprised of pre war equipment is nothing but spectacular. Of course a little bias is involved from a lot of us because we know the effort required to acquire and restore, of just the cash outlay it represents. And the post war stuff brings a lot of us back to our childhood, and the satisfaction of repairing and mainting is tremendously rewarding. The new stuff certainly has its appeal also. Especially to visitors with the sounds, remote controls, and other features.
Notice at train shows that have a large public attendance, which operating layouts have the greatest crowds, usually the newer stuff.

This is one of the great things of this hobby, their are so many facits, and they are all great ! And still gives us a common area of interest. Not many other hobbies can do that! I enjoy seeing the excitment from someone who is discussing HIS layout and its aspects, but find it a little disheartening when they slam one of the other areas. Usually their is other issues involved ---- frequently financial. I think anyone with the cheesiest layout is probably getting as much satisfaction as the purest pre-war layout. Only has more aspirations and desires for the future.
I have 95% post war, and expanding to TMCC, while maintaing some really inexpensive stock for the very young hands to be able to be involved with.

Just my opions.

[cnw1995]

Much as I deeply love pre-war and post-war stuff - which combines nostalgia with the ability to seemingly run forever, I find myself enamoured with sound. That's the difference for me. I find it trumps my love of ozone...The trolleys I'm running with QSI sound systems are wonderfully more 'fun' for me than the more basic ones. Even my beloved semi-modern K-Line 4-6-2 Santa Fe with its 'trainsounds' tender is so much more fun with its chuff, bell and ear-splitting whistle than its more basic Lionel Lines 2-4-2 with whistle tender.

[Anonymous]

Postwar rules! My granddaughter likes to run 'em and I like to repair 'em.

I continue to be amazed at what the old Lionel engineering and design staff managed to accomplish with nothing more sophisticated than a copper-oxide rectifier and a "slugged" relay.

Admittedly, the new electronic stuff is impressive to watch, but it's too expensive, too tempermental, and too fragile for me.

Not to mention being totally inscrutable, as one might expect given the principal country of manufacture....

Postwar trains take me back to the most pleasant memories of my childhood. The modern stuff merely takes me back to the bank for another personal loan.

wolverine49

[Anonymous]

Yep, me 2... I like being able to sit down infront of the TV one night, and take my postwar 2020 lionel apart, down to the armature and driveshaft... (and put it back together and it run just as new)

I have one new lionel engine that is a pain to take apart, and once i do, all i see is a circuit board... No fun..

[JamesPH1966]

Already gave my $.02 awhile ago, but here's an update:

I recently was planning to spend some $ and looked long and hard at lots of modern stuff and when it came down to actually spending cash I bought a post-war Lionel 2034, a pre-war Lionel set led by a 1666 in basically mint shape (the boxes are ratty, but the cars are perfect), and - just to be "modern" - a "New Marx" Thor powered unit (I hadn't seen one for sale in years an lo-and-behold, found one a M B Klein in Baltimore!). I also found a pre-war Flyer O 90 degree crossover in my travels.

Not only am I sticking to mostly pre/post war, looks like I'm technically a "O27-Gauger"...

[Dave Farquhar]

On my layout right now: A Marx 391 pulling a consist of 6-inch cars, and a prewar AF 3110 pulling AF, Ives, and Dorfan cars. I like watching them race on two loops. Sometimes I let the AF win. I don't think anything can beat that 391 in a fair race.

I have a VERY small amount of modern stuff--like, the Polar Express set and one K-Line Heinz boxcar done up in the postwar PRR billboard style. I prefer the older stuff. I'm 31. But I grew up with my Dad's postwar O27 Lionels, so I've always gravitated towards stuff that's O gauge and older than me.

And yes, I associate the smell of ozone with very pleasant memories.

[jakeoregano]

Hi all. Currently I only have pre and post war Lionel, an old American Flyer set, and an old marx tin litho set. I really like the look, feel and smell of the old stuff. It's probably a nostagia thing for sure, since I grew up with the old trains. Keep 'm clean and lubed and they will usually run with no issues. The marx is my train of choice for my Christmas oval, cuz it'll run forever, and it just looks like it belongs under the tree.

I also have a set of 2343's that I just really like to watch run. These old trains are meant to be played with. That's the fun of them to me.

I will say this though: I'm planning a permanent layout now, and I'm really partial to Pennsy electrics (I have 3 post war GG-1's that run, and am building one from parts), so I'd like to model part of the PRR rail, concentrating on the electrics (I will run some steam too). There are a few electrics that have only been made recently such as MTH's FF2 and both Lionel and MTH's BB1's/3's, and MTH's DD-1. I plan on acquiring these over time to run on my layout. However, it won't really be prototypical, just my own vision of the PRR. The newer stuff will afford me some of the realism I want, but the older stuff is just plain fun to watch run.

BTW, I'm 39.

Dwayne.

[Anonymous]

I"m 62, run Post war only - (the 3 or 4 cars from MPC were mistakes from e-bay - I didn't read the fine print close enough to see they were characterized wrong) the sight of my Southern ABA,(yes I found a B unit), or My Texas Special ABB - with a long string of 6464's or silver pullmans and the smell of ozone, and the look of Super O. Definitely Hobby Heaven!! Somehow, MPC got to be too plastic, and the later stuff, too much glitter and bells, and the price has moved it out of the toy market - IMHO

[Anonymous]

Interesting topic! I'm curious... what is the age mix of the respondants? I'm 34, love running post-war, love ozone, etc. BUT, can't say that I'd ever only run Pre/Post war. Wondering if it's an age thing? No offense to you "older" boys with kid hearts! [;)]
Greg

[mersenne6]

Just Ives, Bing, and prewar Flyer here.....

[Anonymous]

I love this post !!! No Ch-ionel locos on my pike. I didn't realize there were so many of you guys out there. Keep these replies coming!

Smoke pill smoke and ozone, does it get any better?

Does anybody enjoy the "smell" that seems to be generated by a 1950's era postwar freight car in it's original (non musty) box? I can't be the only one that notices the smell.

Rich

[Anonymous]

All I own is pre and postwar lionel and Marx trains. The new stuff just dosent hold a candle to them. The new trains are ok if you like non-tinkering hobbies. I enjoy the sight and sounds of an era gone bye.

[jakeoregano]

Hi all. New to the site. I thought I'd comment on this forum. I too am a pre and post war buff. There is something about the old trains that the new stuff doesn't have for me. Maybe it's the nostagia. I inheirited a few sets of trains from my granddad over 30 years ago, and I remember watching them for hours as a kid. I've added to my running collection over the last few years, all pre and post war to about 1952. My favorite train is my 2332 GG-1. When I first saw it as a 5 year old on christmas, I was hooked for life. To me that is the classic toy train.

For me, running these trains is for the sound and smell and memories. I like scale/accurate (HO), but the simplicity of throwing up some three rail track and a couple of accessories to get things going can't be beat for fun.

[JamesPH1966]

My new layout will be pretty much all pre- and post-war, Lionel and Marx. The only "modern" stuff will be MPC, Williams, and other "traditional" (no DCS/TMCC) items (i.e. K-Line Plymouths, Lionel Docksiders and "Post War Celebration" etc.).

BTW - The Lionel #248 I got for Christmas runs like a beast!

[msacco]

Really good point tsgtBob about working with digital stuff all the time.
Postwar is like a portal to a simpler time.
Dang! I was just running my 2025 and it's runs so smoothly and like all open frame motors, just has that great smell. Makes me really wish I was a kid during the POstwar years.

Mike S.

[tsgtbob]

Yup, I guess I fall into the postwar only catagory too. I had some of the newer stuff, and, coming from the HO, and later the 2 rail O world, all that blasted noise is just too much! The newest that I run is a C&O SD-18 and a K-line MP-15, and a pair of Williams PA-1s. I actually prefer the MPC era stuff, as far as diesels go! They run just as well as the 1950's era locos, and are considerable cheaper to buy.
For that matter, I have to work with digital stuff all day, why would I want to aggrivate myself by dealing with it in my hobby?

[Anonymous]

Like you, I am only interested in post war or older. I once made the mistake of buying a Beep. It was a nice little unit but it had no soul. It worked perfectly but didn't 'sound like a toy train' when it ran.

Lately I've been leaving post war Lionel and gravitating towards Marx 6" tin, Hafner and Unigue lines and Lionel prewar.

You can keep the circuit boards. I'll take tin litho any day.

Jeff

[Anonymous]

I'm a strictly prewar and postwar guy. While I have a large operating layout, I'm very much a collector and so that contributes alot to my hard-line attitude. If I was strictly an operator, things might be different. The new stuff is nice, but it just doesn't interest me. There's just something special about the old models that more recent offerings don't have. I'm sure all you fellow prewar and postwar enthusiasts know exactly what I mean! The only modern O gauge pieces I own are a James Gang 4-4-0 and some assorted MPC cars that I've picked up cheap over the years, but they never get used on my layout and are strictly reserved for duties such as running around the Christmas tree or on my display at train shows. However, I also have a large collection of modern HO and a layout for it which I enjoy very much, but it's completely tech-free and I have no desire to get DCC or anything like that. Even with that, my biggest love is still the old toy trains of yesteryear.

[Anonymous]

I never considered the 2333 underpowered, while they wont pull what a magnetration unit will, the demand less power and when in full tune will pull almost as much. If one of the two motors is underperforming it will dramaticly decrease the units pulling ablity!! When I overhaul a set of 2333's for the shop I do the repair work for I pull the whole truck assembly apart, the only thing that doenst get removed are the wheels and axles. I soak the trucks in a bath of wd40 to loosen up the years of dried up grease and varnish in the bearings, I then blow out the trucks with compressed air and set them aside to dry and be regreased. I fully disassemble the motors including removal of the armatures from the motors and clean and re oil everything there, new brushes are installed, eunit is cleaned and fingers adjust or replaced, the shell is hand cleaned and buffed with armor all or cleaned and degreased to be sent off for profesional repainting if that is what is required by the owner of the trains. When reassembled the units will run and pull beautifully and will handle a normal consist of silver dawn series cars easily up and down hills.

[andregg1]

Hi to all
I like to run postwar train and some new stuff but still made in USA like some weaver. the rest look good but ..............too much plastic , rubber tires (I hate rubber tires) and low mantenance maybe I am crazy but I like when is time to clean the motors and gear put new grease...etc, like my baby.....
Andre.

[csxt30]

[#welcome][#welcome] dkvt87 ! Glad to see you here & lots of frienfly info here !
Don't forget to come on over to the Coffee Pot & Sunday Photo Fun !
Thanks, John

[Anonymous]

New here so, hello! I am just getting back into this and re-discovering what I loved so much about it as a kid. Also, I have two sons who play with very few things that don't involve a computer screen and a game controller. I have the original F3 2333 NYC AA's that my father bought before I was born and most of the rolling stock from '47-'49 time period. I had to send the 2333 powered unit out for overhaul as all that time in the box in the attic has not been kind to her. Can't wait to get that set running again. I spent all day on Christmas Eve cleaning and lubing the rest of the cars and the dummy 2333 unit. Had to replace a bunch of wiring as the insulation was very brittle and cracking on my lighted caboose and several other cars. I did manage to score a 2032 Alco Erie AA set off ebay last week so my boys and I could run trains on Christmas Day. Love that "smell" and have set the layout up on a semi-permanent basis.

I have really missed this for many years and it may be a "mid-life crisis" thing but I am looking forward to expanding my collection and my layout. Great stuff here, glad I found it.