Going Back to the Older Stuff

I like the older "Postwar" Lionel also. Maybe it is because that is what I grew up with. Maybe it is because I am "afraid" of the newer electronics. I think it is a combination of the two. I only have one MTH engine, and  run it with my ZW transformer. Somehow, to me, the old Lionel is just the epitome of toy trains, so , that is what I have collected and run.

Jeff

I’ve been thinking along the same lines.   For years I had a large PW collection sitting on shelves gathering dust.    Lately, nothing new excites me.    I started running my PW and have found a long lost love for my roots in the hobby.   I still run my subways but now I’m running my 2020 and 671 engines with all PW cars.   I have complete PW sets and soon they will be seeing action again.

I enjoy my scale stuff, but I often find myself looking at the older stuff lately as well.  I'm a rather mechanically oriented person and not so much circuit board electronics oriented, so I'm not as comfortable popping the hood to maintain my new stuff.  The Postwar stuff is fun to take apart and service/repair for me because I can understand how the basic electronics work in it.  I also enjoy bringing long dormant pieces back to life.  You can also do a lot within pretty much any price range.  While some of the nicer and more collectible pieces still fetch a lot of money, you can also get some decent runners for not much more than a scale piece of rolling stock in some cases.

Like a lot of folks, I grew up and — later on — out of trains before returning to the hobby in my thirties.  I love the pre-war, early post-war and some of the post-war-inspired items of the mid 90s.  However, with all of the modern electronics and confusion they often bring, I like the simple operation of straightforward analog operation.  (Same goes for my Marklin HO collection.)  As a fellow collector/operator once told me, “no need to program... just play.” 

I've been going through the modern era back to post-war cycle for literally years.  Right now and for the last month or so I've been in the command command control mode but for almost the entire previous year I was in the post-war conventional mode.    I must admit I have a slight preference for post-war because of its simplicity and reliability but then eventually I swing back to our present technological wonders.   Actually guys, having both conventional and command control at our fingertips simultaneously makes for more interesting and diverse operating sessions.  Get tired of one then bounce over to the other.  When you think abut it, its great.  I don't think I'll ever get completely weary of either.

Pretty much all PW for me. The one exception is picking up some Lion Chief Plus now and then.

Agree with Mark's comment above about pricing. I was all in on that PW- inspired Santa Fe Set but finally decided the price was too much. For $800+ I can get a lot of PW.

The newer items have never done it for me. I tried to like it, but it didn't work. I sold the bit I had, except for an MTH railking challenger.  I'm with Mowingman, I like them to be "old toys". 

Nope.  I got into O specifically for scale stuff.  Without it, I'd be in HO.

The 1930's diecast locos and all the classic PW (Scouts excepted!) are perhaps the most durable and dependable O gauge trains ever made. SOME MPC makes the cut, especially the colorful 6464 repros. Oh, I also never met a MARX engine that was not dependable!

I don’t look back. I never had post war Lionel. I did have a couple American Flyer sets and they still have a soft spot in my heart. I got into OGauge mid 80’s and have enjoyed immensely the electronic evolution. I enjoy being able to run 3rail more prototypical especially the cruise aspect. 

I'm on the other side of the fence.  The command stuff with all the whistles and bells is what sucked me back in, I love it!  It helps that I can fix it if it breaks...

While I enjoy some of the new electronics, the cost, reliability issues, and lack of parts has been pushing me back towards the simple stuff.  And I like the whimsical nature of it.

Might go back to smaller stuff for building a more realistic layout - frying the guts of a $200 HO or N loco isn't as traumatic.

I'm only going 1 or 2 steps back looking at Tmcc stuff from the mid 2000's or so.

I find the build and paint quality superior to the same Loco offered in legacy and Tmcc versions can be had for as low as 30% of a legacy offering.

Of what I currently own. My Tmcc locos have been bullet proof. Right down to the smoke unit. Ironically,all of them were bought nos out of warranty, and had no issues of any kind.

If I wanted. I could always  upgrade those that need it with gunrunners upgrade package and still come in several hundred dollars below a new legacy equipped model.

Also not thrilled with the new direction Lionel has taken, but hey, that's my problem.

Never left the older stuff and enjoy pre and post war and have a small dcs layout..

All the mth engines here have bcr's and are also enjoyed.

If i had to only have one type of era trains it would be prewar just something about them.

As some of you have pointed out, the electronics are what makes me back away from the modern stuff. If it isn't repairable with a screwdriver or pliers, I'll pass. Plus, having a small layout means all the DCC, TMCC, whatever, etc. really has no use to me. The most modern engine that I own is the first Lionmaster T1 Duplex just because I fell in love with the real thing, and if / when the boards fry, they'll be replaced by a rectifier and a mechanical e-unit. 

Postwar and Conventional for me thanks.

When my grandfather gave me all of his stuff it was PW so I’ve just stayed with it. However Santa is planning on bringing the Lionel winter wonderland set this year so my son can grow up with his own

I have older stuff I like. I just gutted out the E-units, battery horns or PS1 and installed ERR boards and RailSounds in their place, to make them fun .

I’m a simpleton....er, I mean simple man. 🤔I like conventional control. I have mostly stuff after 2000, though I do have a little post war, and a couple of pre-war sets, one of which I adore. I can appreciate the new, high end stuff, but it just isn’t me.

I have the post war and have collected and run it on 3 loops and 1 siding.   It is easy to repair.   I have 2 of the new sets and enjoy the sounds and the fact that you can turn off the smoke.  Some people can not handle the smoke and I have been running it since 1954.