12-08-2012, 10:22 AM
I'll say it brings back memories! I got my first Lionel train set at age 6. Can remember laying on the living room floor and watching the train chase itself around a large circle of track for hours on end. Sure got years of enjoyment from it as it grew and grew, after getting a home where my Dad constructed a 4x16 foot permanent layout (2 - 4x8's butted together) for me.
I was always a little envious of my friends American Flyer S gauge set and his even larger permanent layout. Everything (except the grossly over size couplers) seemed better proportioned and more to scale than much of the Lionel equipment and I grew to hate that third rail track I had! Of course, one day at about age 10, HO equipment began showing up at the local hobby store and from that point on, my goal was to switch to HO. Of course that wouldn't happen until years later when I was on my own.
My younger brother, although he loved trains, had no interest in the Lionel as he was lucky enough to be given an HO set on Christmas when he was 8 or 9 years old. (Lucky little monkey!) All the old Lionel stuff just vanished while I was in the Army in 1966-1969. Most of it given away or in many cases just thrown away by the family in my absence.
I was always a little envious of my friends American Flyer S gauge set and his even larger permanent layout. Everything (except the grossly over size couplers) seemed better proportioned and more to scale than much of the Lionel equipment and I grew to hate that third rail track I had! Of course, one day at about age 10, HO equipment began showing up at the local hobby store and from that point on, my goal was to switch to HO. Of course that wouldn't happen until years later when I was on my own.
My younger brother, although he loved trains, had no interest in the Lionel as he was lucky enough to be given an HO set on Christmas when he was 8 or 9 years old. (Lucky little monkey!) All the old Lionel stuff just vanished while I was in the Army in 1966-1969. Most of it given away or in many cases just thrown away by the family in my absence.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"