I’m 64 and have been a train nut since the early '50s. Like many of you, I had Lionel trains when I was young, but sold them and went to HO as a teen. Twenty years ago I got back into Lionel postwar trains, but was not interested in them from about 1960 to 1985 or so.
Sometime in 1961, right after I switched to HO, my father’s best friend and boss at work (Drexel Ice Cream - Chicago) offered to give me his postwar Lionel train collection. From what I understood, it was pretty sizeable.
I was a typical 17 year old, and my Dad and I were not “good buddies” at that time. So as you might guess, I said “No, I don’t want them - Lionel is for kids!”
My Dad argued that I should accept the gift, but the more he argued the more I refused!
Well, when I got the Lionel bug again in the mid-80s, that decision I made back then came back to haunt me “big time”. Frankly, today its one of my “top 10 regrets” of my life. I could kick myself in the butt for being such a stubborn, bull-headed fool. Of course I tried to rationalize saying that my Dad should have gotten them anyway and made me put them away for the future. But it was really my own darn fault, and my Dad let me have my own way.
If there is anyone else out there who could share their “train confession”, please do so. This is the first time I have really “confessed” this, and I sure would feel better about it if I wasn’t the “Lone Ranger” here!
My big regret was when I was about 15 I started to sell some of my first trains to get more expensive stuff. Now that I look back I wish I still had all the stuff I had starting out in the hobby like my first transformer (A 4090 from the early 70’s), my first station, and other stuff.
Sometime in the early sixties I purchased a set of Lionel’s from an ad in the paper.I paid twenty dollars for the set.It had a Blue and yellow Jersey central NW-2 and four or five cars.I was a teen at the time and when someone offered me twenty-five dollars I sold it.What a great profit.I sure wish I still had it now !
Sold my red 6262 wheel car, should have kept that one. Found it in the bottom of a box of trains at an antique store. Bought the whole lot for $200 including the 1615 switcher set the red 6262 came in, a 2025 set, and some prewar cars as well as a marx engine. It was neat, I had to unscrew all the track from the board before I caould take the stuff! It was a great vacation. Same trip I ran across my orange door 2454 Pennsy box car and the rest of the set. I couldn’t talk the wifey into buying both lots and I had already bought the first one. So I left a note at the second antique store with an offer for the 2454 and waited. The gy accepted my $40 offer and they shipped it to me. So I got both rare cars on one vacation trip!! Oh, the wife and I had fun seeing the sights as well [:-^]
Only a couple of folks have “bared their soul” about their not so good train decisions. I guess I must be really “stupido” as my Italian Mother in Chicago would say!
The title of the thread had to do with a free gift which was turned down. We are all “stupido,” mobilman. It’s just that my stupidity with my trains lie in several other areas of the hobby, and I certainly didn’t want to speak “off topic.” [swg]
I had one – I got this collection from a family friend when I was in college, lots and lots of mint in the box, Post War motorized stuff, new 4046, lots of rolling stock, some operating accessories, AND some AF items. Since I was Lionel only, took the AF items and sold them at a train meet a month later. (Cal-Stewart). The first guy bought the ABA it was a Missouri Pacific, as it turned out it was extremely rare. I sold the whole thing for $35. I’ve never had the courage to find the real value.
Oh boy, that was a 3,500.00 mistake, oh well… had a mint in the box prewar O gauge AF steam engine (not sure of the number) with (3) silver/chrome plated passenger cars, with interlocking diaphrams. I think it was made in 1935 or 1937? Traded it back to my Uncle for an O-27 TCA '76 Bicentential pass set and a Coca Cola train set… was only 10 at the time… did not know what I had…but 2 for one was good back then…do not even know what the sets above are running… the only good thing was I was able to meet Lou Redman (Mr. TCA) when I picked up my new set, great guy.
In January of 1959, Two Guys was having it’s annual Hobby Sale that included the Lionel Trains that they carried. Included in this sale was a stack of the infamous Girls Train that they could not get rid of, and they had them marked down to $14.95. Further the department manager told my Father that he would cut the price more if he bought 2 or greater. My dad asked my Sister if she wanted them, and she flat out refused.
I often remind her that with a stack of mint Lionel Girls Trains we could have paid our nephews tuition bills at least.
As a reminder I bought her a recent Lionel repro of the Girls Train boxcars. After all what’s a younger brother for.
Mine has to do with Madison Hardware and maybe it’s more of a regret.
Early 80’s I was in art school (SVA) and Madison was only a block away. I went in there only once with my Dad’s 2056 to see if they could get it running. It wasn’t until years later that I got it running myself and got into Postwar trains.
Thinking back they must have still had some wonderful stuff still new in boxes. GG1, Berks, F3s and the like. I just didn’t think to go back in there again.
Sheeze, you were a teenager - far more important things on your mind at the time. I was lucky in that my trains were packed away in the basement of my parent’s house during those years, so the decision on what to do with them never came up. When I finally got my own place after 6 years of college, I resurrected them just to run around the real Christmas tree in my apartment (I never forgave my parents for getting an artificial tree in the 70’s [:D]). From there they became a display on the mantle, and onl
I loved your story!!! It made me laugh, and feel a tad better about my own “confession”.
Funny thing is, my younger sister (6 years younger) wanted the Girls Train set badly, but Dad thought it a waste and back then, it was kind of expensive for a “toy”. Ha, she still talks about that.
LOL… brings back memories when I was a kid and saw this locomotive and set at a meet. I asked my Dad " Hey Dad, why would any one want a pink engine and wierd colored cars?’ " He replied " I don’t know, maybe it was a mix up at the factory" and we walked on… Cannot even remember what the set was going for…