jay jay posted:RonH posted:SJC posted:I ALWAYS called Postwar "rusty old sh*t!"
Had no interest in it. Didn't want it. Wanted only command control trains with sound, cruise, etc.
I ALWAYS wanted a 671 (or similar) Semi-Scale turbine. Don't ask me why, I just knew I wanted one. I gave up waiting for MTH to bring back the Rugged Rails turbine popular in the PS1 and Early PS2 days. I found the Railking Imperial turbine a bit large. Something about the 027 semi-scale unit I loved. I was on the fence about a modern Williams reproduction or an original Postwar.
Walked into Toy Trains and Collectibles one day. Dan had a very nice, boxed, 681 on the shelf. Price was reasonable. I asked about it, saw it run and said "pack 'er up"
Got it home and, quite frankly, didn't expect much in it's operation. Got it on the tracks and start watching it drag a train around, smoke puffing and air whistle blowing. I start slipping back into being that kid on the floor of our house on Falls Road with the Lionel train years ago........I was very impressed with how it ran, looked and was having a great time. I hadn't had this much fun with a train in years.
I also started thinking - here was a ~70 year old toy train. Wayyyy older than me. I started asking myself, while looking at it, "Who had this?", "Who got this for Christmas on year?", "Where has this thing been and what kind of stories could it tell?" For me, wondering those things cranked up the "cool" factor even more.
I bought that 681 about 14 months ago, the first Postwar ANYTHING I've bought. What do I have Postwar today?
-2055
-726RR
-2065
-2025
-2023
In addition, plenty of freight cars. I also have two complete, all original, boxed sets - 1515WS and 1467W.
I'll be looking for a 773 at York this week.
As you may be able to guess, I don't call Postwar "rusty old sh*t!" anymore.....(well, some of it still is
)
You stated:
"I also started thinking - here was a ~70 year old toy train. Wayyyy older than me. I started asking myself, while looking at it, "Who had this?", "Who got this for Christmas on year?", "Where has this thing been and what kind of stories could it tell?" For me, wondering those things cranked up the "cool" factor even more."
I moved from post to prewar (still keeping my post war) and asking the same questions. Always imagine the person who received this as a gift/Christmas present and the joy they got out of thatI always wonder the same thing about any pre-owned locomotive. Who had it...where was it....was it a Christmas gift?....etc. For instance, I have a pre-war British locomotive manufactured by Hornby in Liverpool in 1937, and I always wonder where it was during the Blitz. (It didn't make its way to the US until the early 1990's.)
We are just a bunch of sentimental folks. Shows where are heart and minds are
