What was your very 1rst locomotive???

1964 Lionel 2037.

Nobody touch my trains.

Steve C.

2026 manufactured 1947. Given to me in 1953...  Still run regularly and still smokin'

First engine in O scale lionel chessie system GP-38 engine in 2002

Lionel 2026; Christmas 1951.  Still running, still looking good.

1958, Lionel, LV 44 Tonner that we bought at the Atlantic outlet in South Philadelphia.

My Mom gave it away when I was in the Air Force but I have two of them now along with six other assorted Lionel and Williams 44's.

I guess you can say that I over compensated for the loss.

Original Lionel Hudson since replaced with a KTM &  MTH Hudson.  

The 1st engine I purchased was a Lionel #8031 CN GP-7 back in 1971. Which I still have even though it has been replaced many times over.

My very first locomotive was an HO scale AHM Plymouth switcher, but that's neither here nor there...What I consider my "first" is this, from 1976:

It needs a replacement set of drivers, which I've already acquired. All I need is a repair shop that can press them on correctly. From there, I might give it a headlight and reverse unit (it's AC-motored, but manual reverse). In the process of locating parts donors for the wheels, I acquired a number of near-clones of this loco in varying states of disrepair. Not needing their wheels now, they'll likely be restored and live alongside this one.

---PCJ

Got this 2026 freight set in 1948. I received an American Flyer set two years earlier but I don't remember it much. Still have the 2026 set. Don

I grew up in the shadow of my older brother's AF 302 Atlantic which I wanted from the time I first saw it (age 1). My first 2 sets were Marx, a wind-up and an electric that I had little interest in. The big breakthrough came in 1958 when my dad purchased a small AF collection for $25 which he parcelled out to us over a a couple of years. That Christmas I got my first AF set led by a 290 Pacific which I still have and love even though many more AF trains both postwar and modern have come to live with me.

As seen in the attached picture, is a windup 490 and a 2016 that my brother graciously allowed me to run. He also had a #50 gang car and a #60 trolley that I could run under his supervision. 

2034 Set.

2037 Adriatic, my first purchase was a GG1.

I received an HO Santa Fe set with an F3. My second set years later was Tyco's spirit of 76, also in HO. In 1972, I got my first Lionel set, led by a 4-4-2.

My uncle bought a 2025 set and a Union Pacific diesel set back around 1950 for his nephews to play with, he had no kids.  The first real train I was ever around.  Same uncle used to take me to would watch the trains at the RR station in Seymour, In., when I would visit.  Over the years, I got a Cragston switching train, a battery operated HO, I remember an old Marx Loco that I ran on my brothers Lehigh Valley Switcher loop setup with a siding.   All of that is gone, except the Lehigh, which now belongs to an old fellow I go to church with.  My uncle died young and all his stuff stayed at my grandmothers house in the attic.  Back in the 80's, I asked for and was given the trains.   The UP's are gone, but the rest is still here.  I may buy a UP set again, although I really am only into steam this time around.  I really like the old tin passenger cars from the late 40's and now have several sets besides the old brown ones.   When I first built a layout for this stuff back in the 80's, I only had the original stuff, I had no internet and didn't care about adding to the collection.  How things change! 

My first locomotive was a Lionel 2035.  Grandpa gave it to me in 1954.  Since then I have had it rebuilt and repainted in the Brisbane & Bushong RR Livery.  The top pic is how it looks now.  I re-numbered it to 106, which is my badge number.  It still runs like a champ!  Matt

LV 44 Tonner.  Still have it, still run it.  Love the ozone

Absolute first....a wind up Marx 0-4-0, running on 2 rail O track, when I was three .

The folks then compounded the error in 1959 with a Marx 666 All State set !  Good smoke on that steamer, but all else was garbage.  The folks redeemed themselves in grand fashion in 1964, whe I was given a 2023 yellow U.P. Alco 027 FA2 A+A combo, in  near mint shape...with original box, liner, and instructions !  What a day...what a memory !   You guys that got a Lionel GEEP (2338/ 2328, etc.) really obtained what I always wanted, at least 'til those Alcos showed up.

Thats an odd place for the bell.I like it that will make it stand out.

There were only 2 locomotives in Pennsy's class K-5. This in not the common K-4. It used a boiler the diameter of the I1s decapod. Hence the rearranged appliances like the bell.

A 392 Lionel (used) in 1937. Dick Craig

My first locomotive was heading this Marx set in 1948.  I still have the whole set in the original box.

My first engine was an HO Lifelike GP ready-to-run set, but my first O gauge engine was a MTH PS2 Steelers 2-8-0 RTR set autographed by Dan Rooney. I still have it.

A Lionel 2026 was the very first, still running, received a renovation for its 60th birthday in 2009.

American Flyer S 307 Atlantic.

Gandy

variety is the spice of life.

with all the great responses we could

open up our own train store/club/museum/layout,

with all the different locomotives and train sets.

keep playing with trains

run em fast and furious

Guys,

Give me a moment to reflect......It still sits my basement neatly packed away with my American Flyer trains......It is  Union Pacific diesel! It just sits there in its box, patiently waiting for me to take it out and perch it on my shelf.....I don't know why I don't make it shelf queen?!

Thanks for reminding me with all of your recollections. The major reason why I don't run it around is because I have no room to run it with all the O gauge stuff I have amassed from 2005 to now.

It would make my aging father very happy by creating a special place of honor for it. What do you think?

He doesn't want to come up anymore so if we can't Skype, I can bring down pictures the next time I visit him.

Mike Maurice

The Train Board I take to shows,

(and happens to be the same one

I set up inmy garage), is only

8'x 12' and I run a 4 loop mainline,

with and airport, farm scenes, gas stations

Diners and more. During the show I also

run a loop of Statndard gauge onn the floor

and have it run under the board. The kids love that one, they follow it around the

board. Small space, lots of action, the kids love it. and I get

many comments from Mothers that love the atraction for their kids to

enjoy.

My first was a wooden 4 wheeler, connected to tender and cars with a metal hook. Ran on wooden track with rubber plug incerts to hold track together. Lone before Thomas and friends came along.

First electric was a 2-6-4 Lionel O-27 set, air whistle, no smoke.

A Lionel 520 set in 1957 at age 4

Christmas, 1947: Lionel Lines #1654  2-4-2.  It came as part of a set. I don't know the set number. I still have the whole set except for the transformer.

Christmas 1956  a Lionel 2065 Hudson steamer which pulled the top of the line 027 outfil that year.  I still have the entire set intact and the 2065 still runs great..... although I only ocassionally bring her out on the high iron for fan trips down memory lane.

Patrick W

Patsburg, Md.... Home to the Free State Junction RR ... Where the trains always run on time.

Popi, I attended many a show in my youth, always followed by toe, and calf pain from trying so see the tops of tables. By six I loved trains but left going to the shows to the grown ups, cant see, grumpy old guys wont talk to or show me nothing, not even the broken crap on the floor, or even attempts to swindle my cash. Bet my trains nicer than this geezers I was often thinking. It shocked a few what I knew and how I handled the items with total respect, but most just shoo-ed me away. Anyhow I stayed away from shows and any real model RR growth for 40 years only returning when parts searches demanded it. The part of the show scene led by guys like you is great. Who would even think to keep one down low for the littler kids. It is overwhelming in a way to see it happen. And how much more open and friendly the hobby has become. Thanks for being there for them Popi. Hope to bump into you at a show someday.

We go to these shows

Clayton NY first weekend after Labor day

Syracuse NY 1rst weekend in Nov

Massena NY last weekend in sept

Fulton NY weekend after Syracuse

and NEW this year TCA show in Syracuse NY sunday dec 8th

(Look for the Tall cowboy).

AND to give credit where credit is due. Im 6'7" and my original board

was 4 ft off the floor so I didnt break my back working on it.

My wife said the kids cant see it. So we lowered it to 3 ft off the floor.

I kept my control/work station at 4 ft. But the board at 3 ft and the

Standard gauge set on the floor gives the younger generation a chance

to get excited about our hobby. We need the new blood as the old

farts die off.

Run em fast and furious!!

For me it would be a wooden Brio train set from 1973.

I got my 1st Lionel set in 1976 for Christmas during the MPC Era : Lionel Amtrak Lake Shore Limited.

Post war Lionel Minneapolis & St. Louis GP9 which came in the Sears set.

Larry