How long have you been back in the fold?
I can’t answer this one Kelly, because I’ve never left.[swg]
I left at age 30 when my first child was born and returned at age 56 after a lot of things had changed and “settled down”. Now I look forward to sharing my love of all things trains, but especially toy trains, with my 2 grandchildren.
I got back in the hobby after picking up a Model Railroader magazine at the local library in 2000. I started in N scale but am now in O. This was after a hiatus of about 20 years since I was twelve and had a layout on a ping-pong table in a spare bedroom - when the bedroom was needed, the trains were put away.
I was never away. I did have a train in our living room and when I was nearly 17 I dismantled it because I got interested in bringing friends round. This was November 1970. Guess what, in December I had arranged delivery of timber to floor the loft and started a layout there.
I was out of the hobby for quite a while, and was enough out of touch that I didn’t even realize the amount of O-gauge stuff that is available. In around 1985, we decided to put up a small Christmas layout at the auto parts store where I work, and I volunteered my old trains for the layout. We used my old stuff for about 10 years or so.
One day out of the blue, a copy of CLASSIC TOY TRAINS arrived in our daily freight shipment. (Apparently someone at the warehouse accidentally tossed his copy in our freight.) I had never heard of the magazine before. Well, after paging through it for about 2 seconds I subscribed and I’ve been more addicted since then than I ever was as a kid. 
We still put up the store layout every Christmas, but it’s now 32 feet wide and features all new track and equipment, while my antique Lionels are safe at my house.
Well I just got back again sometime late last fall, & I think I started heavy in O around 1995, when we bought this house. Had Lionel as a child, then HO off & on in the 70s & 80s. I sold all my stuff in 2000, & started all over last year. I was always into the R/C helis & planes, but this time I quit the planes altogether. I find the trains are even more fun now, since I have a computer & the internet. I see the way we model today is a lot different than the way we modeled years ago! Then, you would wait a long time to find out something. I think it’s more fun now than ever! Thanks, John
I’m 52, got my first set when the doctor told my mother she was pregnant, and I’ve never left the hobby ( and still have that first set, and it still runs ). My wife and daughter are also in the hobby ( lucky me ! ). We run O, G, and Standard Gauges. We’re counting down to York.
i came back when my dad got me a train set i really loved it and on it went and now im here
i came back when my dad got me a train set and on it went and here i am now
I am such a geek that I never left! I even remember building a Rico Station kit in the dining room of my fraternity house!
I also remember steamy romance in the back seat of a Chrysler in the P & LE yards at night around the same time.
Killing two birds ya understand…
Jon [8D]
Been back two years now after being away for 32 years. My grandfather set up a 1950 lionel 1463w set with a 2036 2-6-4 on a 4x8 piece of plywood with AF beacon, 45N gateman, Marx crossing gate, plasticville train station and various lionel street lights. After 4 months he put it away because I wanted to add detail to the layout. After my grandfather passed I received the set and put in the closet for 12 years.
My son started getting into Thomas at 2 years old and started receiving the little wooden trains to play with. I pulled out that old Lionel train set and set it up on the kicthen table and ran it for him. His eyes lit up watching that train go around that little oval. I picked up the video I Love Toy Trains parts1,2,3 and we both got hooked.
I have a few hobbies that I still enjoy but this is one that my 4 year old son and I enjoy together.
I’m 56.Got my trains when i was 7, and remember running them with my dad and
brothers. My older brother had them for years in boxes.When he passed away in 2000
i got them and built my 1st layout last year… Went to a couple shows and bought some modern era struff , and guess what …i’m hooked. Tore down my 1st layout in Jan.,
knocked down a wall between my extra bedrooms, and building a 22’6x12x12 layout.
I need to win the powerball…Lenny
Sixteen years ago I dismantled a large HO layout when we moved. Boxes are still sitting in the attic. But I took my granddaughters to see the Polar Express and got hooked. I am building up an O guage layout in my basement and enjoying the return (I had an 027 Scout and blue Alco Navy A&B engine set as a kid, but they are long gone). Enjoy reading all the forums, too.
Interesting you should use the term fold!!! [}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)]
underworld
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I got my first at around 6 years old for christmas. Its the ho scale spirit of 76 figure eight layout with the cool bridge. Then the next year I was given a santa fe oval set and for a few years after that I got cars and “plasticville” scenery each christmas. Im 37 now and I still have all the items I had. I set up my figure eight track and was able to pull out a picture of that first christmas morning with it to help me in remembering how far apart to space the trussells for the bridge. I goofed and oil my engine wheels with 3n1 oil and now it has trouble with the grade. Im getting hooked on the train stuff and wondered if I should stay with my ho scale which I really like or should I move to some thing different? Steve
Well, like most, I never really left. Fourty years ago I was pretty heavy into HO. I scratch built cars and rebuilt engines, mainly steam. I liked to get brass engines and modify them to my ideas. About fifteen years ago, I got rid of all my HO except for a couple of small brass engines that I kept for old times sake. I started getting interested in pre-war Lionel and bought at train meets, antique shows and etc. Along the way my wife picked up a pre-war Marx with about six cars in excellent shape. She likes the lithographs. These are all the 1937/39 cars with eight wheels and one way couplers. Since then I have picked up just about every car of this grouping other than the flat with the automobile load. One day I will find it at a price I can live with.
Ialso have a Joy passenger set, the City of Portland, the City of Denver, a Lionel Jr. passenger set, most cars of the later small series freight cars, most cars of the last small series freith cars, and most cars of the later large series freight cars. I have picked up a 258(early) engine, a 259E engine, a 260E engine with the twelve wheeel tender, The Lionel jr engine is a 1681E. I also picked up a 1922 windup Bing Windsplitter engine and a cast windup AF10 engine.
I am always looking for buys and go to train shows, antique shows and comb the internet. I find that the collecting is very addictive, and sometimes costly. I’m lucky in that being retired I can go to these places and have a great time doing so.
I remember my dad buying Lionel trains from about the time I was age 5 until about age 8. Still have those trains. Was gone from the “fold” for about 25 years. Been back about 20 years. Now 54. Never did venture into other scales. Basement layout is a never ending project. I run hot and cold with it. Winter months are the big hot times. Other times give way to warmer weather outdoor activities. Still run the trains even if there are parts of the layout that are under construction or repair.