What was your first locomotive that got you into model railroading? Post pictures of it here! Mine was a Model Power 0-4-0. Surprisingly, the locomotive still runs smoothly, though it was bought many years ago.
-Khang Lu, University of Minnesota Railroad Club
1958 Xmas train set. Varney "Little Joe" Dockside, 0-4-0. Long gone and lost back in the late 60's. That was my one and only steam switcher engine, ever.
My dad had a full Lionel 0-27 layout on table from 1948 to 1954 that I was allowed to run when I was very young, but they were not mine. Even as a kid I thought Lionel looked "klunky". The HO Varney Dockside was my first personal engine.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
My first loco was a tin (actually galvanized steel) 0-4-0, Lionel O-27 cheap line, passed down to a cousin when I was still a toddler. No photo in my albums, and I have no idea what it might have looked like.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
First train set,,American Flyer,4-6-2 Pacific,with smoke,1949,,switched,to HO,1951, Sorry no pics,of the Flyer.. I think my parents,may have had a Brownie though,a lot of old faded pics,,,but no train..
Cheers,
Frank
My first was this Tyco F unit. I still have it and it still runs. It turns 50 this Christmas. The rest of the train came in the same set.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Long gone F 7 or something. Tyco train set , 1976. Wore out very quickly. No pix
My first identifiable train was a Lionel steam engine from the early 1950s. I sold my Lionels, and switched to HOs. I wish I had pictures of my O-gauge layout, but alas, there are none. I have one or two photos of my first HO layout, from back when I was a teenager, but I have no idea where they are. On the other hand, I did save the trains. To the best of my recollection, this is my first HO train set, all Athearns led by a rubber-band-drive GP-9 in Milwaukee colors:
The picture was taken a few years back on my current HO layout. The cars have been upgraded with Kadees and metal wheels. The engine, sadly, wasn't a candidate for DCC conversion because it didn't run well enough. On the other hand, it's now a dummy, or "honorary," locomotive and carries a sound-only decoder while being pulled around.
I figure these are 53 or 54 years old now. I'm really happy that I still have them.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I had "The Royal Blue" Tyco train set, sorry no picture. It ran for I think about one week, and just quit working.
My first engine was a Varney SW-1 switcher I had it for about 15 years then one Christmas I was running it around the layout and a huge puff of smoke came from the engine along with a strong burning smell and that was all she wrote.
John
Depending on how you look at it, I have two first engines.
The engine that got me started in railroading was a wooden Thomas the Tank Engine. I still have a sports bag that holds all the track and trains. (Darn new "Thomas" track doesn't clickity-clack any more - all the texture is printed on!)
My first model locomotive was an Athearn Santa Fe F unit that came in a passenger set. It has BB construction. I've upgraded it to DCC, replaced the headlight (more light came out the windows than through the headlight), added clear plastic windows, and weathered it.
S&S
Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!
The same kind of model as my first loco (late 1970s) was featured in this month's MRR DCC column: Mantua 0-4-0 switcher & tender (mine was labeled for PRR, and I believe sold under the Tyco brand in a train set, but same idea).
My first was a Lionel 0-27 train set that had a 2-6-2 steam loco. I got the train set for Christmas 1946. I seem to remember the loco number was 1666. I sold the engine about 10 years ago.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
My first train set was at age 6 (1959) was a Tyco B&O F7 A-A, Diamond Chemical tank car, Crazy Water reefer ,DRGW stock car, C&O gondola with concrete pipe load, TH&B box car, and a B&O caboose. Shortly after that came the Athearn B&O passenger cars, CNJ camelback 4-6-0, a camelback 0-4-0 lettered for B&O and a pair of Athearn Budd RDCs. Out of all that, the only thing I still have is the reefer.
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
HO Model Power CN Geep...all black with the white "CN" noodle...hand-me-down from my Dad. My first new locomotive came for Christmas from my Dad, a Model Power Canadian Pacific FA2 He actually built me a small N scale layout that Christmas to go with the CP FA2. I still have the locomotive but no longer model N scale myself, but my young Son has an N scale layout in his room and the odd time he let's me run my CP FA2 (updated with knuckle couplers so that I can pull some of his rolling stock) on his layout . He (my Son) will have it handed down to him someday when I know that he will baby it as I do.
Happy modeling!
Don.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."
I remember it well. It was around 1952 and I was given an old Lionel set, the track of which was nailed to a sheet of plywood. It was located in an unheated second story bedroom of an old farmhouse my parents bought outside of the little town we lived in at the time. I remember running that thing as fast as I could around that oval until it would fly off - then I would just pick it up and start over. It was indestructible. I can't remember what it exactly was but I know I wish I still had it.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
Here she be, still have her... still runs. Lionel 027 from 1953.
Jarrell
One of these for Christmas, it stopped working the day after.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Didn't we do this once before? Or was that in the other forum? Anyway, I don't actually still have my first locomotive but I've got its cousin;
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
Lifelike Union Pacific F40PH.
Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA
My first locomotive was a Tyco ATSF Pacific steamer. It stills runs quite well and the headlight still works! My second loco was a Tyco ATSF F Unit in chromed plastic that went at least 200 mph and survived numerous trips to the floor after careening around 18 inch radius curves. Surprisingly it still runs as well! - Mike age 56
I acquired my older brothers' Marx O scale about 20 years ago. I had been allowed to watch them run it but never allowed to touch (probably a reasonable decision since I was about 3 at the time). They burned it out before I was old enough to operate it.
I had to find a new motor but other than that it still worked fine. Once I got it running it didn't take too long for me to realize that I was playing with a toy train ( no offense to the tinplate modellers) and I wasn't satisfied.
My very kind wife bought me Hogwarts Express for Christmas shortly after and the hook was set. I installed DCC with sound and lighting (first decoder install) and was pretty pleased. Problem was that the lead truck derailed at every turnout on my temporary track so I put it aside until I had the knowledge to solve the problem and a real layout to run it on. It is still on my 'to do' list but I think I know what to do to fix it.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Hi!
Good question, one we can all relate to - and not get into spirited discussions over either!
My first loco was the Marx "streamlined steamer" of the early 50s. That was followed by two Lionel locos - an 0-4-0 and a Burlington GP 7/9.
My initiation into HO came in the late '50s, with a couple of rubber band Athearn F units - CB&Q and ATSF (of course).
Yikes, this means I'll have been playing with trains for 60 years !!!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
My first HO scale locomotive was an Athearn rubber-band drive GP-7 in SP Black Widow colors, long gone, but not forgotten (had a FEARSOME top speed, lol!).
But my first really serioius HO scale loco, and the one that really got me into the hobby was an Akane Yellowstone 2-8-8-4 that I got as a birthday present in 1964. That did it. I was into model railroading in a Big Way. Over the years, I've acquired a couple of sisters for the original gal, and they're kinda/sorta the backbone of my large articulated fleet. Here they are. The original 1964 birthday present is the lady in the middle with the engineer just about to climb aboard.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Well since no one "set the rules" that it had to be electrically powered, my first engine was a Marx 0-27 windup 0-4-0, with 4 cars that were also 4 wheeled. I got it on my 4th birthday. It came with enough track to make a figure 8. IIRC, the train would make 3 trips or so before it ran down. I got my first electrical loco, again a Marx 0-4-0, with 2 cars and a circle of track, for Christmas, at age 5.
Been playing wit' dat trains since! AF at age 6-8, and then HO at age 8. First car I ever built, I still have.
Carey
Keep it between the Rails
Alabama Central Homepage
Nara member #128
NMRA &SER Life member
All of my childhood trains disappeared in the storm of my parents' divorce, never saved any photos of them.
However, I do have a pic of a Front Range GP9 that I bought on the first Saturday of February 1988, the day I returned to this great Hobby after a 15-year 'sabbatical'. This was my very first loco in my 2nd mrr life.
It's supposed to look beat-up, the prototype slide was shot in July 1972 and it was very weather-faded with uneven paint on the sill stripe. I tried to replicate the 'look', but my digi-cam did too much light compensating.
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
cjcrescent Well since no one "set the rules" that it had to be electrically powered, my first engine was a Marx 0-27 windup 0-4-0, with 4 cars that were also 4 wheeled. I got it on my 4th birthday. It came with enough track to make a figure 8. IIRC, the train would make 3 trips or so before it ran down. I got my first electrical loco, again a Marx 0-4-0, with 2 cars and a circle of track, for Christmas, at age 5.
So Carey, If I am reading this correctly, electric trains were developed somewhere between your 4th and 5th birthdays??
Me? Well I still have my 1st loco, Lionel HO 0566 Texas Special loco. I've grown tired of the rubber band drive, so I replaced it with a Walthers FA chassis, then added another matching engine and chassis!
Since then I've also added a powered "B" unit too!
Karl
NCE über alles!
kbkchooch So Carey, If I am reading this correctly, electric trains were developed somewhere between your 4th and 5th birthdays??
Yeah, I helped my Dad invent electricity at that time, as it was too hard to watch TV by candlelight!
Karl, I like those Lionel locos. IIRC, the bodies came from Rivarossi, and the mechanisms were from Athearn.
Again IIRC, Lionel from that time was made by both Athearn and the AHM conglomerate. At the time, it was the only way to get Athearn cars RTR, even though they were stamped "Lionel". The diesels were "hybrids", but the offered steamers were strictly Athearn. There were only 2 offered, the 0-4-2 "Little Monster", and a Pacific, that looked a lot like a B&M pacific.
cjcrescent Yeah, I helped my Dad invent electricity at that time, as it was too hard to watch TV by candlelight!
CAREY,
I'm curious!!!! Did you have a,wind up TV??LOL..