Your first train...

[Tracklayer]

It was 44 years ago this morning (Christmas day 1969) that I received my first Marx S gauge NYC electric train set. I never will forget how my late father and I got down on the living room floor and sat it up and watched as it went around and around the track. There was the black 2-4-2 loco and tender, a blue box car, a black open hopper and a white caboose. Dad even made a tunnel for me out of a cardboard box by cutting holes in each end for the train to go through. Dad promised that one day he would build me a table out of 2X4s and plywood and mount the track to it but he passed away before he could get around to it. Though it no longer runs, I still have the train on a shelf on static display out in my train shop. 

Tracklayer 

[rogerhensley]

My first train was a Marx key-wind train in the 40s. Yes, I set it up and ran it for hours. Then I received a Marx electric...

[Phoebe Vet]

Mine, in the early 1950s, was an American Flyer S scale steam engine set.

In my letter to Santa I had asked for an "olektrik train".  My mother still has that letter.

I miss the days when every department store had a train set running in the toy department through the entire shopping season.  I spent many hours going through the catalogs looking at all the trains that I could not afford.

I guess I have made up for that now.

[BRAKIE]

Sorry, to disappoint.Never received a first train as a wrapped Christmas gift.(see below)..My dad was a modeler so,I ran his two rail O Scale

I  received Christmas money that I spent at Woolworth's and Halls hobby shop on trains but,until I was married there wasn't nary a train unwrapped on Christmas morn. My wife got me a Model Power RS11 for our first Christmas..I still have it safely tucked away and that remains the only train received as a wrapped Christmas gift.

Guys,off topic but,I would like to share the reason I usually got cash.

I was a hard child to buy for so, most of my family gave cash which usually totaled around $90.00.

A tidy sum of cash to spend on model trains every 26th day of December.

[retsignalmtr]

In 1952 I received an American Flyer train set for Christmas with a 2-4-2 steam loco and four cars. Every year thereafter a couple of cars and new track were added to the layout which only came out for a few weeks at Christmas and sometimes during the summer. When my brother was old enough he got my American Flyer layout which consisted of five locos and about thirty cars. That year I received an American Flyer HO trainset and layout. I still have that HO Hudson and the cars from the original set. Alas, while I was in the Army my parents gave the AF trains away because they needed the closet space. I didn't find out about it until I went to set them up for Christmas in 1971. I didn't do anything with my trains during my High School years, working years and my stint in the army.

[IRONROOSTER]

My first train '55 or '56 was a Fleischmann tank switcher and a couple of cars.   My father was stationed in Germany at the time.  I don't know what happened to it.  It did not start me on the hobby.  That happened Christmas of 1971 when my wife gave me a Tyco set with a ATSF ten wheeler, which I still have.

Merry Christmas

Paul

[Soo Line fan]

My grandfather got me a Lionel 2-8-4 Berkshire set, complete with the autoloader, chicken, fish cars and smoking caboose. Wow, that was the best gift ever.

I learned many skills from working with that layout. I still have it, boxed away.

[tstage]

...was a green & yellow American Flyer C&NW Baldwin switcher, black gondola, orange reefer, and red caboose in '65 or '66.  Sadly, A. C. Gilbert went out of business a year or so later.

Tom

[P&Slocal]

I worked to get my first train. I was in scouts in the late 70's, and on the back of Boy's Life magazine there was an ad for a company that you could earn stuff for selling their items. I sold Christmas cards and candles so that I could earn my first train set. I think it was Tyco, but not sure. It was a red and yellow Rock Island U boat, caboose, four cars, track and transformer. I am sure I still have the loco, caboose and cars somewhere at my parents. Will check later today.

[Medina1128]

When my father was in the Air Force, he purchased and set up a trainset from Marklin. Years later, my brother and I each got a Lionel trainset.

[cowman]

First train was a used pre-war Lionel 0-6-0 and a couple of operating cars from a friend of my parents.  Still have them all.  Don't remember when it came to our house on it's 4'x7' table, I was a bit on the young side.  Mom said my father would get frustrated, he wanted to let it run around and around in the dark.  I kept having it change directions.  Unfortunately most of the ones I remember getting under the tree were lost in our house fire, which was the major reason for switch to HO.  Some of the Lionel still remains in storage and if I ever find my office walls, there is a plan in the back of my  head for a lightly sceniced shelf for them  to run on. 

Many fond memories of train running under the tree and the not so fond memory of shorts caused by icicles falling onto the tracks.

Have fun,

Richard

[CSX_road_slug]

Mine was a Lionel 2-4-2 with a flatcar, hopper, gondola and caboose.  My father already had a loop of track laid on a 4x8, with an oversize flashing crossbuck and a signal mast, so I always considered it a permanent thing not just a Christmas setup.  I was hooked for life. 

[riogrande5761]

I can't remember for sure my first train as I got trains from a very early age.  At age 4 I received a Lionel train set with a 4x6 layout with a board painted breen and thing mounted on it like a lake made of blue aquarium rock, a train station and a siding.  The engine was a Hudson steam engine (which I still have albiet missing wheels and beat up) and a number of train cars in the orange boxes.  Later I got a set of red FA diesels which I sold with everything when I was about 12 years old.

[hardcoalcase]

I don't remember my first train - too young.  But got my next one when I was eight - a Gilbert HO train set with the little gas electric switcher (think diesel 0-4-0 with side rods) a Morrell reefer, white Rio Grand "cookie box" box car, black B&O hopper and a red B&O caboose.  This was the set that launched me into a lifelong interest in Model Railroading; and I still got 'em.

Jim

[Santa Fe all the way!]

My memory of my first train is a bit fuzzy. It had to be around '75-'76. It was either a LifeLike foam premade layout or Bachmann Overland set. This went on a unused ping pong table.

[Guy Papillon]

My first train was a Lionel HO train set that I found under the Cristmas Tree with my first Athearn BB kit.  A Hustler locomotive with 2 cars and a caboose in M&St-L.  It was in 1964.  Although the layout never went far from Plywood City, I used this train set a lot for operations. 

[farrellaa]

My first train was a Globe F7 Union Pacific dummy that I ordered from the back of a cereal box (don't remember what cereal) for $ .50. I was so impressed with the detail that I got the B unit. I just sold both of them on Ebay about 2 years ago. My dad ( I mean Santa) later gave us an American Flyer set with the B&O Royal Blue. That was it, I was hooked.

   -Bob

[kbkchooch]

My 1st train came for Christmas in 1965. My Dad built a platform 36 inches tall, just right for a 5 year olds "eye level" The loco was a Lionel 0566 "Texas Special" engine with rubber band drive and 4 cars. He bought it at M.B. Klein! I still have it. but without the rubber band drive. I managed to sneak in a Walthers FA chassis under it. Now it looks great and runs great, with no annoying rubber bands to priodically mess with!

I also managed to find another A & B unit over the years, and they all have Walthers chassis under them!

[hon30critter]

The first train set that was truly mine and mine only was Hogwarts Express. That obviously wasn't too many years ago (maybe 10?).

Before that I had inherited my older brothers' Marx O scale. They never let me run it when I was a kid so I was a very frustrated little boy, and when I did finally get my hands on it many years later the engine was in pieces with a burned out motor. I managed to find a couple of more recent Marx engines in decent working condition, one of which I mounted the original shell on. I set it up on a couple of plywood sheets in the garage and finally got to run the train by myself! That lasted a few days and then I realized that I wasn't really thrilled with the lack of detail and the noise it made, although I did like the smell of the copper burning from the arcing on the third rail and the motor brushes!

Next Christmas I received Hogwarts from my very loving and supportive wife. I was thrilled! Talk about bringing out my inner youth! All my childhood frustrations suddenly vanished! My sister-in-law Jen looked at me like I was off my rocker! Phooey on her!

Hogwarts Express doesn't even remotely belong in my layout plans but heck, its my railroad and I will run what I want!! I couldn't resist putting a sound decoder and headlights in it too.

Dave

[zstripe]

My first train set was a American Flyer S-scale 4-6-2 Pacific w/smoke 1949, I was seven. In 1952, I got a HO-scale Varney and there I remained til present and not to start a quibble, but I remain a DC user.

Frank

[Steven S]

American Flyer.  My father had bought them about a decade earlier for my older sisters, but they weren't set up on a board.  When I was about 7 or 8 he built a 13' x 8'  L-shaped layout in the basement.  There wasn't much in the way of scenery.  In fact I'd often walk around on the plywood board (it was only about 18" off the ground.) 

A few years later my aunt gave us her Lionel 3-rail trains, so we managed to fit them on the layout (mostely elevated.)  I had one of those big Lionel transformers with the two big handles. 

 

Steve S

[cacole]

1946, the first year American Flyer was available again after World War 2.  It was a Royal Blue streamlined steam engine, a circle of track, power transformer, and 3 pieces of rolling stock.

 

[EM-1]

I think it was around 1949, maybe 1950, sometime before I started grade school.  My dad bought me a Marx Commodore Vanderbuilt set, with an oval of 3 rail O-27 track, transformer, 4 wheel loco, tender, box car, gondola, and caboose.  I think they cost around $4.95 at Sears or W. T. Grant at the time.  Had it running for probably 10 years.

Sometime around the 1990s, Lionel released a special limited edition of that train, for around $595.00.

[AVRNUT]

I got my first train set for Christmas when I was 8 years old in 1956. My dad bought this humongous, used Lionel O Gauge set from someone in our church. I think the Loco was either a 4-6-0 or a 2-6-2 (can't really remember which) & it had the little smoke pills you dropped down the stack. Had about a half dozen pieces of rolling stock, my favorite of which was a gray maintenence/work caboose. Had a BAR State of Maine Red, White & Blue box car, a flat car full of logs, a flat car carrying a big electric generator, a red caboose and a hopper. Tons of track, 4 turnouts, a trestle & bridge, some working trackside signals & a whole bunch of Plasticville snap-together structures. Dad built some saw horses up in the attic, we got a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood, a big grass mat & set it all up. I used to spend hours up there having a ball with it.

Four years later, after we had moved, I went HO & sold off all the Lionel O gauge.

[Pantherphil]

My first train was the Lionel 1513S Set, the #2037 "Adriatic" locomotive with smoke and magnetraction, tender, Baby Ruth box car, Sunoco oil car, Lionel Lines gondola, and caboose, received for Christmas, probably 1956.  My brother had the New Haven "Little Joe" with two lighted passenger coaches.   Over the years we added the working crane and work caboose, coal dump car, log dump car, semaphore, whistle station, crossing gate, and operating beacon.  My dad made various plastic and cardboard structures, some kits and some from scratch.  We had a 5' x 9' semi permanent train board.  We called it the M (Mitch), M (Marge), P (Phil) and R (Robert) RR.  So pleased to receive the #2037 Hallmark ornament for Christmas this year.

[GP-9_Man11786]

My first train set was a New Bright battery-powered G Scale set my grandpa gave me in 1987. I stI'll have a box car from that set.

in 1991 my dad bought a Bachmann HO set for my brother and I on a whim. My brother wasn't into it but I was hooked, much to my mom's chagrin. My dad helps me build my first layout:

[Billwiz]

My first electric was an AHM Spirit of '76 HO set back in 1976.  I had to eat a lot of Kelloggs Frosted Flakes to get it for a "great price".  We would set it up every Christmas in the living room.  But before that there were dad's Lionels and Marx trains (which all these years later are still "Dad's trains"). 

[jep1267]

For me it was a Tyco (probably) F3 Santa Fe Freight train set. This would have been 74 or 75. The only thing I remember from the set was the locomotive, it was blue with the yellow Warbonnet, don't remeber the cars or anything else from the set.

JP

[HO60s]

My first train was a Lionel steamer with a whistle in the tender and two or three cars and caboose. Can't recall all the details as it was only 66 years ago!

Gale

[chatanuga]

Christmas 1976

Santa brought me a Lionel Santa Fe Twin Diesel set, which I still have.

 

In 1978, Santa brought me a Tyco Silver Streak train set (not related to the movie), which introduced me to HO.

Kevin