Ironic this thread should be posted today... My dad passed away on 7/14/2014... Yes, my dad and his mother bought me my first lionel train set, I am guessing 1963 or 64... He wasn't a hobbyist or DIY guy, but I always got a modest addition to the set each Christmas.... He let me take up most of the unfinished part of the basement in our split level house in NJ. Then after I started mowing lawns for folks around age 11, I started saving money and he would drive me to peoples homes, locally, who were selling trains in the classified ads in the newspaper.... Remember those !!!
At age 13 or 14 one of the homes we visited was a TCA member named Bill Lucy in Waldwick NJ... To make a long story short, he drove me up there alot of Saturday mornings, and Mr. Lucy encouraged me to join TCA and sponsored my membership. Whenever we had company visiting the house my dad would encourage me to do "train shows" and run the trains for family and freinds... I was really blessed to have a father who was so encouraging, while letting me go in whatever direction I wanted to without alot of over bearing input..... On the other hand I do wish we could have shared the hobby a little more, but he was involved in my life in many other ways, particularly teaching me to play baseball... Anyway sorry for the long post, thanks for bringing it up as I have been thinking about all day long.
