I find myself more and more interested in older stuff, for me presently it is late prewar Lionel and early postwar stuff as well, 1940-46. Anyone else here have more interest in just one ear of toy trains, enough so that that is all you collect/buy? If so, what does your layout look like?[:)]
I regularly run my 248 and passenger cars from the early 1930s and a 2-4-2 and tinplate Lionel cars from just before the war. My layout is all 027 - see it on my website in the signature.
Don’t have a layout, but collect old tinplate and wind-up trains. I set up trains on the living room floor, run 'em a few days until my wife gets tired of tripping over them.
Doug - like your layout!
My guess is that there are a large number of folks out there who thoroughly enjoy the older toy trains. I do myself, and would probably be far more involved with the originals (50s era Lionel, in particular) except for the fact that I can’t afford them in the condition that I want them to be. I’m kind of a stickler for nice, unblemished, new-looking stuff, and although those items are certainly available if one is willing to spend some time looking around a bit, you still have to know who you’re buying from–someone you can trust to provide an item that truly meets your expectations. Can’t accompli***hat all that well over the Internet-- it needs to be someone who shares your collecting philosophy and really knows and understands your requirements. That’s why most serious collectors of early trains work within a fairly tight circle of friends who they regularly deal and trade with, and each member of the group helps others locate and find the items they’re seeking. Networking at its finest!
I expect that most pre- and post-war train enthusiasts don’t often frequent or participate on these various on-line discussion forums. They realize that the vast majority of topics are heavily oriented toward the “latest and greatest,” and that’s just not their cup of tea. And they are, of course, absolutely right about that. So, they simply exchange communications within their own group of like-thinkers who share their own passions and/or specialized interests.
By and large, these folks who are truly perpetuating the legacy of toy trains in America (and elsewhere) couldn’t care less about command control systems, lawsuits between manufacturers, prices of trains, preordering, late deliveries, and that sort of thing. They are simply doing what a whole lot more of us should be doing: Playing with these great toys, collecting in the specialized area that interest them, learning what they can about the history and heritage of the products they enjoy, and just having an all-around carefree good t
Boy, thanks Paul. I was hoping you would post to this thread. You take the greatest pictures!
Allan is v. eloquent - my feelings exactly
Almost everything I buy is either postwar or MPC. I go in spells where all I buy is postwar, and then I’ll decide to buy MPC again. Right now I’m on a postwar kick, 6464 boxcars in particular. After I get bored with trying to find decent, affordable ones, I’ll move onto something else.
Typically, whatever era I’m trying to buy from is the era that is running on my layout. My layout’s buildings are mostly Plasticville and K-line (marx tooling), and most of the accessories are PW Lionel, with a few MPC signals.
Here’s a shot of my layout:
I agree with a lot of what Mr. Miller says above. I don’t often post on threads about the new GeeWhiz items. I don’t knock the product, and am glad it is available for those that do like it, but most of the latest and greatest just doesn’t do much for me. As you can probably see in the layout pic above, I prefer my toy trains to be toylike.
J White
I find that I have been spending more time running prewar o and standard gauge with a little post war. most of the newer trains do not interest me anymore. I can repair any prewar or postwar and parts for repair are plenty. try finding parts and boards for the newer trains. Right now track one has a 2025 pulling freight, track two has a 253 pulling three pullmans, track three has a 1700e ,1701, 1702 running . Love the ozone!!..tony
I am most interested in postwar Lionel. I do buy some of the new stuff but postwar is really where it’s at for me. The simplicity, ruggedness, and reliability attract me. Postwar lhas a charming character all its own and doesn’t go out of its way to be the real thing. For me this hobby is an escape from the real world so the real world is not what I look for.
The most gadget loaded engine I have is a MTH Bantam N&W611 that has the smoke and the sound chuff synchronized that came in a set my wife gave me one Christmas. Living in Roanoke Va. I had to have at least one example of this great machine. All the other ones are cheaper postwar…old Scout from my grandfather, and a 1960 C&O Alco. I buy the cheaper postwar rolling stock I can get with $40 about the max. I have a few boxes of the 3 boxcar Lionel 6464 boxcars that are real nice. Really like the postwar stuff, but some of it is just too expensive, in my opinion. I recently purchased a nice Lionel M&STL GP9 from around 1978. Also purchased a postwar Lionel 600 MKT switcher. I solved the no sound problem that some of these have with a MRC Sound Station that has all the sounds I need. Diesel horn sounds like the NS diesel that I hear every night. It is not railsounds, but it is pretty good for about $40 or so dollars, and it works with every engine I have. Oh yeah, grandson gets a big kick out of making the engines talk. I have a few of the Williams engines and love them. Williams is my first choice for future loco power purchases as I will stay with the old post war way of running them. I work with computers all day and really like just “running” the trains with my 1033 or the one and only ZW. I have seen the “big boys” with all the remote control and sound at the Rail Yard in town and they are impressive…just not for me. Great time to be involved in the world’s greatest hobby with all the product and choices available.
[:)][:)]
Yep, I run mainly 40’s and 50’s stuff. I have three 2035s and 8 -2025, 2018 etc and like the way they run. Have a 671 turbine from 1946 and a 2056 baby Hudson. Also run 246,248 242, Marx 999,666,333s 1095. All these engines cost less than $60 apiece, some as little as $15.
I do have a K line GG1 and a Willians BL 2. Figured I would never pay $600 for a Lionel GG1.
I can not afford to spend $600 or $1000 on a toy train and then have all the problems keeping the batteries charged and all the programing etc computer problems to deal with. I can barely keep this computer working.
I’m not into spending lots of money to have the best or latest stuff. I just enjoy building a layout and running the trains with the kids and now grandkids and others. I backed in to collecting extra trains to have a variety of trains to run. Can run 5 at a time on by floor portable 027 layout with 27 Marx switches and a turntable and roundhouse and lots of accessories.
A guy at the voting pole asked me today if the layout was going up this
year, he wanted to bring his grandson over.
Charlie
If you want the nostalgia trip, go for Williams. They are copies of Lionel postwar. Poor folks like ol Red can’t afford the Lionel originals. I hear someone is copying Marx but don’t know who.
Williams trains are SUPERB (in my opinion). Even though they are new (as opposed to pre- or post-war), and incorporate current day components such as can motors, etc., they are beautifully made and they evoke all the nostalgia of the originals made by Lionel. No command controls stuff in these babies; just simple, rugged, and reliable mechanisms. Best of all, they are very affordable, and come with a lifetime warranty.
Marx trains are, indeed, available in a “new” form. They were originally being made by Jim and Debby Flynn in Ilinois under the “New Marx” brand. A year or so ago the Flynn’s sold the operation to other parties who are now making the trains under the AmeriTrains brand (although they haven’t done a whole lot to expand the line yet). The “New Marx” trains made by the Flynns were great! I have a large collection of them, and will eventually provide them an all-tinplate layout to operate on. True tinplate–beautiful examples of lithography on metal. I started collecting them with the first issues, since the nearly lost art of lithography on toy trains is something I am drawn to.
J White-
Can we see more pics of your layout, I see a lot of postwar, which I’m always interested in looking at. Anyway, going back to the topic, I do enjoy mostly running postwar lionel and accesories. There something nostalgic about it. With all of this new technology coming out these days, its nice to refer back to where it started.
John
John,
Here’s a few pics:
Here’s a 2025 going past my yard. The yard area on my layout needs some work (wiring, and general cleanup)
This 2016 on the inner loop was my first postwar steamer. It’s pulling a pair of short gondolas, a 6465 cities tankcar, and a 6257 caboose. The 2046 on the outer loop was my second pw steamer. I got it for next to nothing because the cab roof had a large chip missing. I repaired it with some kind of two part putty and repainted the roof. Have to look close to see that it’s been repaired.
This is that same 2016 (with a repainted 6026w) going past the grade crossing in the middle of town. Some of the Pasticville is postwar, some of it is newer. Don’t yell at me, but a few of the postwar pieces are repainted (some of the capecods, and the church) because they were so badly glue stained.
I just bought this 624 yesterday. It runs great, and I think it looks decent too. One of these days I’ll get aound to hooking up the 445 tower behind it.
Nothing I have is terribly valuable, most of my steam engines were bought as basket cases, and I threw some time and money into them to get them running. I don’t think I’ve spent more than $30 on any car (perhaps the 6460 crane and 3520 searchlight might have been a tad more), and most were less than $20.
The layout is two sheets of plywood arranged in an L. The tabletops are 7/16" OSB, painted gloss green with grey primer for roads. The two mainlines have cork roadbed under them, no ballast. The outer loop is O42, the inner is O27. I recently converted my switches from MPC Lionel to the new K-L
I have a post war engine and cars that i got from my uncle. They are from the 50’s or 60’s. the engine is a pennsylvania R.R. and a lehigh valley coal car with a flat bed car and caboose. the cars i took pictures of and posted in sunday photo fun.
Yep! Anything made after the 60’s holds very little interest for me. I occasionally read the Model Railroader forum and often wonder if those guys really enjoy their hobby, what with all the high tech gizmos and the high prices they pay for modern equipment. For me, keeping it simple and enjoying running trains is a whole lot more satisfying than being in a constant building, buying, and modifying mode.
My trains, accessories are all post war Americn Flyer. My layout is all “old” stuff. The electronics have there place, but, for me the old stuff is where my collecting and operating is!
Jim
Buy by roadname only: Southern[1900-1953 when steam ended ] and N&W [1900-1960 when N&W steam ended ]. Also have a few “off-suit” eastern big steamers that worked the applachia coal ridges: Clinchfield Challenger, C&O H-8 and B&O EM-1.
Have a modern N.C. DOT/Amtrak FP59 and “Piedmont” passenger consist for my Grand Daughters but am careful not to let it contaminate my “real” trains.[;)]
Well, sorry to get on board so late…, I run a Lionel 2026, 623, 2343, and 1668. The bulk of the rolling stock I have is lionel postwar with the exception of a MTH porsche car carrier( another passion) and 80s generation C&O box car, I liked the color scheme. All the engines run great and can only hope to get even better deals over the old net. I bought the 1668 via ebay for 64.00 plus shipping. I would like to get a 221, however I expect to price to run near the 100 mark with what I have seen going the last couple of weeks or so.
I like the feeling of running something so sturdy, easy to work on, and reliable as the 50’s vintage items I have been running. Even though I was born in 1976 it gives a since of 1950 nastolgia which I love.
J White, I see your in Hobart, I just moved from Hammond down to Lafayette, small world. Nice layout at the carrage house huh!
I probably fit in with most of your views on this subject, I’ve dabbled in new stuff, had 7 railking engines at one time, but am down to three now and may shrink that some more if I can figure out how to get decent money for my alleghney. Like most of you though, when the layout was up, I spent most of my time running a 2332 GG-1, several 224E’s, 225E’s, 675’s, and my C&O 624. All run faultlessly with a little Z-juice. I do have the PC series congressional and CP sets and do RUN them, in fact both the GG-1 and the F’s have a minor mark or two on them. Well, you guys keep running those trains for me till I get a house bought and another layout up huh!!