Let's see your family trains! Photos/videos

Chris - This is a great topic. Unfortunately, the AF set we had under our Christmas tree for most of my young childhood years has been lost to time.

The PRR Flyer set that got me back into the hobby some 15 years ago was long ago sold to help fund my journey down the dark path of full O-scale immersion in the hobby.

-Greg

Great idea, Chris! 

Just about all the trains in my collection were bought by my Dad over the years; he started collecting in the 60s and I watched him build the collection, going with him to York and on various other "hunts." 

Here's my Dad's first train, Lionel's prewar City of Denver, and my first 2 trains, the MPC Kickapoo Valley set and MPC C&O steamer. All these trains have many, many miles on them. 

John

This was the set that hooked me. The Lionel Santa Fe 2353s. I still have the outer box with the $89.50 price tag still attached. Do not have any of the track.

Charlie

Here I am at the age of 3 or so "working" on one of my dads Marx switches....  Notice the  early 70's Tonka giant dump an the glass bottles of DR Pepper in the background!

So, if anyone ever wonders why I work on, break, or fix stuff...we need not go any further than this photo.

My first trains were my dads Marx.  We had 666 and 999 steamers a bunch of cars and an AF 596 water tower.  in about 1971-72 my dad got us some Athearn ho stuff, Santa Fe F3 and GP35 and more cars.  Then about 1973 I got my first Lionel set with the 8111 DT&I switcher.  It's just never stopped, its been steady for 45 years.

Dennis Holler posted:

Here I am at the age of 3 or so "working" on one of my dads Marx switches....  Notice the  early 70's Tonka giant dump an the glass bottles of DR Pepper in the background!

So, if anyone ever wonders why I work on, break, or fix stuff...we need not go any further than this photo.

My first trains were my dads Marx.  We had 666 and 999 steamers a bunch of cars and an AF 596 water tower.  in about 1971-72 my dad got us some Athearn ho stuff, Santa Fe F3 and GP35 and more cars.  Then about 1973 I got my first Lionel set with the 8111 DT&I switcher.  It's just never stopped, its been steady for 45 years.

 

 

Great stories so far guys!   Dennis. Funny you mention "Tonka" I had a truck just like the one in your picture. Those Tonka trucks were bullet proof and I wasn't easy on them. 

yeah I had one of those Tonkas...used it a lot.

Dad passed these down to me after I got married and had a place to set them up.

His 1684,6110, and the Marx CV that Grandma bought during WWll at GC Murphy for $1. Dad passed it onto his kid brother, my Uncle Jim.

These  were Uncle Jim's trains that were left to me when he passed. I have the platform that was under my Grandparents Christmas tree when I was growing up, laying on the floor watching the Keystone on the front of Jim's 2020, firing off the missile at the exploding boxcar.Now Jim's platform and trains run under my Christmas tree.

This is what is now considered our family trains. The top set is the PostWar 2353 Super Chief Set that I got new in 1953 and she still runs great, complete with both baggage cars and assorted other Post War that has been in the family for more years than my feeble old mind can remember. 

I usually only post this around Christmas, but here goes. The trains start in earnest  after 2 minutes. Before that are a few glimpses of a Marx set in 56.

Peter

My brothers and me playing with or clockwork Märklin train, Schuco cars, Dinky toys and wooden Mobaco buildings in 1957:

Regards

Fred

Nice photos!

nice choice for a post topic.  this is the heart of the hobby

My dad's gray and maroon #10 set bangin the diamonds like it has since 1927.

Chris Lonero posted:

Dennis Holler posted:

Here I am at the age of 3 or so "working" on one of my dads Marx switches....  Notice the  early 70's Tonka giant dump an the glass bottles of DR Pepper in the background!

So, if anyone ever wonders why I work on, break, or fix stuff...we need not go any further than this photo.

My first trains were my dads Marx.  We had 666 and 999 steamers a bunch of cars and an AF 596 water tower.  in about 1971-72 my dad got us some Athearn ho stuff, Santa Fe F3 and GP35 and more cars.  Then about 1973 I got my first Lionel set with the 8111 DT&I switcher.  It's just never stopped, its been steady for 45 years.

 

 

Great stories so far guys!   Dennis. Funny you mention "Tonka" I had a truck just like the one in your picture. Those Tonka trucks were bullet proof and I wasn't easy on them. 

Got the dump truck and the crane and the payloader

OH yea trains too. Started in HO- Lionel ATSF passenger set with ALCO AB unit.  Jumped back into O last year after my in-laws came across these in the attic.

William 1 posted:

My dad's gray and maroon #10 set bangin the diamonds like it has since 1927.

Great video! And you have also shown two "sides" of a Figure 8 can be different

My photography skills are virtually nonexistent but in the interests of family heritage I'll go ahead and post these photos anyway.

The first picture is of my Father's Lionel Freight set #1423W that he purchased in 1948 which is still in fine running condition. 

The second photo is of my Grandfather's Lionel Freight set #1590 that my Grandmother purchased for him for Christmas in 1958.  It also is in first class running shape.

The third pic is of my Grandfather's Marx freight set #52282 that my Grandmother purchased for him for Christmas 1959.  It runs and smokes as well as it did in 1959.  

I should note here that after my Dad and Grandfather passed away it did not take me long to completely destroy the component and set boxes even though I was quite careful with the trains themselves.  Over the years with the introduction of the internet I have been able to rectify that mistake and all three sets now have all of their proper boxes.  No matter what happens to the rest of my trains my soul will rest easy knowing these three sets are still in my family.

my 1st train 1964  h o,  still have it, and it still runs,  Santa Fe engine and 4 passenger cars...

A few shots over the years of the "Family Train" that I mentioned above:

1997 - I guess it would be helpful if I mentioned it's the Santa Fe set.  It ran so very poorly that my brother and I decided to commit funds after I tore it down to get it running right.  The ZW was Dad's too - it still worked perfectly.

1998 - the first year after my brother and I got 'er all fixed up.  Barely visible by the church.  I chose this picture because the manger, cardboard houses, church and little plastic street poles were things my Father bought for, at the time, "his" layout.

1999 - I chose these 2 images to show that Dad's coal ramp and conveyor were up and running too.  This was the first year for me to set them out after repairing them:

2001:

2004: Even the track and 'O' switches came from Dad:

2014:  Old meets new!

Well, I guess I bored you all enough by now so that's it for me

- walt

18009 New York Central L3a Mohawk was the first scale engine I bought with my own money back in 1994 I think it was. Waiting right now to hear from the guy who will be upgrading it to TMCC. Emailed him last week what I was looking for based on some recommendation from some good members on here. Suppose that ERRC has to make some boards and such yet.

When I was 7 I think it was, my Uncle Richard had given me a Commodore Vanderbilt from Marx(I believe). We ran that under the Christmas Tree a few years and it went down to the wet basement. I still have it, had repainted the shell. I will post a picture later, have to dig it out.