This may get deleted, but here are my comments.
I was brought up on 17 sets of Lionel standard gauge. Dad would start setting up in September, & would all be running by Christmas. Mom insisted that the trains came down by Easter. My mother worked in the toy section of our local Woolworth's store. That is how dad got into doing repairs, was for mom's Woolworth customers. We later would take the Reading Railroad passenger train down to Philadelphia, with my red wagon containing 2 bushel baskets of repairs loaded into the baggage car. I was only about 10 years old at that time. When we arrived at the Reading Terminal, we would off load my wagon, go around the corner on 11th street to Wm. Becker's train shop, and then on to Nicholas Smith's shop. Each had 1 of the bushel baskets loaded w/ repairs. We did this for several years starting in September and lasting thru January. As I grew older, the next important thing in my life , was my 1954 Dodge w/ a replaced bored and stroked Hemi engine. I was 21 when I married my hot wife and fathered 3 of the greatest kids on the earth. We have been married 58 years, still in love and still playing w/ trains . Our life has been very blessed and the train hobbyist are the best. Our business is 82 years old this past September. Thank you all for your patronage thru the years. Harry 
