@StrapHanger posted:What hooked my attention with my dads train set was that he used it with me like he used it as an 8 year old when new. His berkshire set was beat. chips, dings and hacked repairs abound. It was a seasonal holiday event to set up dads old train set on the ping pong table or floor, anywhere there was space. Repairing worn tube track, rewiring and paper clipping damaged couplers back together was the norm. Getting cuts from sharp track, sparks from derailments and white smoke from the occasional ZW induced fire added a sense of danger and I loved it! To make things more interesting we would set up cowboys, Indians and army men on any flat surface on the train an do trick shots with homemade rubber band guns as the train whizzed by at unrealistic speeds. Inevitably the train would jump the tracks from excessive speed or a rubber band on the track, but It was all good just reset and push the throttle. It was a blast and when the holidays were over the train was packed way until next year. We used it as a toy and it was awesome. I absolutely appreciate the detailed layouts, collecting and lure of pristine examples, but to a kid nothing beats pure mayhem.
So true, StrapHanger.
