What are the greatest toy trains of all time? This article takes a fascinating look at a perennial boyhood favorite. The fascination with toy trains is one that appeals to the boy in us all.
What are the greatest toy trains of all time? This article takes a fascinating look at a perennial boyhood favorite. The fascination with toy trains is one that appeals to the boy in us all.
Lionel Hudson circa 1952. My first train!
Bump for later
My toy trains are 1:1 scale.
“Toy trains” are different from “model trains”. Model railroading is a muti-faceted hobby. I’ve been in it for 35 years. What I like about it is: I do what I want, how I want, when I want. I don’t have to meet anyone’s standards but my own. And my wife knows where I am: in the basement.
Greatest hobby in the world, right along side drinking good beer.
Willie Green have an opinion on this?
American Flyer 4-4-2, May Dads Train from his childhood given to me back in the 70’s as a Christmas present. Still run her today and added more to the Collection.
God Bless A.C Gilbert!
The Man Who Saved Christmas: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339343/
Also American Models (S Gauge!) http://www.americanmodels.com/
I had a plastic G scale train that I set up around the Christmas tree. For close to two decades, each year, my three sons spent many an hour stacking the presents to make tunnels, mountains, etc.
Three years ago, my then 23 yr old son showed up at our house and noticed that the old train was missing...
Him: “Dad, where’s the train?!?!”
Me: “It died last year after Christmas.”
Him: “We HAVE to get another one!! The tree isn’t complete without it! You have grandkids who NEED to play with one!”
That year, I found a Lionel Polar Express G scale plastic train. Just a bit after watching the movie with our grandkids. The memories continue to be built...
Well, 1758 saw the first horse-drawn trains starting, they became more comon by 1808 when the first early steam trains started up.
1814 - George Stephenson constructs his first locomotive, Blücher for the Killingworth wagonway. The locomotive was modelled on Matthew Murray’s. It could haul 30 tons of coal up a hill at 4 mph (6.4 km/h) but was too heavy to run on wooden rails or iron rails who existed in that time.
That would be 201 years ago this year.
First successful commercial railroad as we would recognize it today was 1825 with practical engines and a money-making reliable product of transporting the public and public goods. Then they exploded between 1825 and 1830!
My half-brother stole the toy train I got for Christmas when I was six. He stole and wrecked my flying model airplane, too. I hate his guts.
Rather ascetic expressions on those boys' faces. Don't British lads smile at the sight of a toy train?
Ah, that's better!
As a kid, I particularly enjoyed playing with my father’s old Lionel trains from the late-1930s. The engine was one of those modernistic, art-deco streamliners. Looked great, going down those tracks. My own personal train-set (being of a later generation) was a really nice Tyco set-up. My parents allowed me to pick out a new ‘car’ each Christmas, to add to it.
Reminding me of which, it really saddened me when (real) railroad trains dispensed with cabooses. Seeing a train go down the tracks without a caboose at the end still strikes me as discordant, all these years later.
My dad was a conductor on the Pennsy rail so we all grew up loving trains. My brothers actually got to go on a GG1. If anyone is ever near Flemington, NJ there is a model train museum that takes 2 hours to go through. Thought I better find their site...
It truly is amazing
I’m not a train buff (although I grew up literally across the street from a sidetrack- when I was a kid, I used to go over and visit with the engineers and the guys in the caboose), but I have recently seen some very cool train stuff- full scale at that. My employer had a dinner for us at the Forney Transportation Museum in Denver (the founder of my company founded this museum, as well). Inside, besides a whole bunch of amazing cars, motorcycle, bicycles and other items, the have a number of railroad pieces- including a Big Boy locomotive, and it’s tender. It has be be seen to be believed!
Salvador Dali rides the Carolwood Pacific 7 1/4 gauge in Walt Disney's back yard. Ward Kimball, engineer.
Cattle cars, diesel switchers, barrel loaders, milk cars, log loaders, dump cars.....all good......
Ok I need some advice. I inherited 2 boxes filled with trains and tracks. One looks circular. The box had the word Lionel and it seems they are made out of metal not plastic. They may have been purchased around the late 50’s or early 60’s. They belong to my brother but he no longer interested in them. He remembers me being placed as a baby in the middle as the train circled around me. Now I’m trying to get rid of stuff. I’m not sure if they still run since they have been in its box for decades. I want to get rid of them but I’m not sure how much they are worth. The trains are still in very good condition however like I said I’m not sure if they still run. Any advice?
