What was your first locomotive that got you into model railroading? Post pictures of it here! Mine was a Model Power 0-4-0. Surprisingly, the locomotive still runs smoothly, though it was bought many years ago.
1958 Xmas train set. Varney “Little Joe” Dockside, 0-4-0. Long gone and lost back in the late 60’s. That was my one and only steam switcher engine, ever.
My dad had a full Lionel 0-27 layout on table from 1948 to 1954 that I was allowed to run when I was very young, but they were not mine. Even as a kid I thought Lionel looked “klunky”. The HO Varney Dockside was my first personal engine.
Richard
My first loco was a tin (actually galvanized steel) 0-4-0, Lionel O-27 cheap line, passed down to a cousin when I was still a toddler. No photo in my albums, and I have no idea what it might have looked like.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
First train set,American Flyer,4-6-2 Pacific,with smoke,1949,switched,to HO,1951, Sorry no pics,of the Flyer… I think my parents,may have had a Brownie though,a lot of old faded pics,but no train…
Cheers,
Frank
My first was this Tyco F unit. I still have it and it still runs. It turns 50 this Christmas. The rest of the train came in the same set.
Long gone F 7 or something. Tyco train set , 1976. Wore out very quickly. No pix
My first identifiable train was a Lionel steam engine from the early 1950s. I sold my Lionels, and switched to HOs. I wish I had pictures of my O-gauge layout, but alas, there are none. I have one or two photos of my first HO layout, from back when I was a teenager, but I have no idea where they are. On the other hand, I did save the trains. To the best of my recollection, this is my first HO train set, all Athearns led by a rubber-band-drive GP-9 in Milwaukee colors:
The picture was taken a few years back on my current HO layout. The cars have been upgraded with Kadees and metal wheels. The engine, sadly, wasn’t a candidate for DCC conversion because it didn’t run well enough. On the other hand, it’s now a dummy, or “honorary,” locomotive and carries a sound-only decoder while being pulled around.
I figure these are 53 or 54 years old now. I’m really happy that I still have them.
I had “The Royal Blue” Tyco train set, sorry no picture. It ran for I think about one week, and just quit working.
My first engine was a Varney SW-1 switcher I had it for about 15 years then one Christmas I was running it around the layout and a huge puff of smoke came from the engine along with a strong burning smell and that was all she wrote.
John
Depending on how you look at it, I have two first engines.
The engine that got me started in railroading was a wooden Thomas the Tank Engine. I still have a sports bag that holds all the track and trains. (Darn new “Thomas” track doesn’t clickity-clack any more - all the texture is printed on!)
My first model locomotive was an Athearn Santa Fe F unit that came in a passenger set. It has BB construction. I’ve upgraded it to DCC, replaced the headlight (more light came out the windows than through the headlight), added clear plastic windows, and weathered it.
S&S
The same kind of model as my first loco (late 1970s) was featured in this month’s MRR DCC column: Mantua 0-4-0 switcher & tender (mine was labeled for PRR, and I believe sold under the Tyco brand in a train set, but same idea).
My first was a Lionel 0-27 train set that had a 2-6-2 steam loco. I got the train set for Christmas 1946. I seem to remember the loco number was 1666. I sold the engine about 10 years ago.
For Christmas of 72, I received my first set. It was powered by the Tyco GREEN Penn Central F unit. Not sure where it ended up, but I do want to acquire another someday.
My first train set was at age 6 (1959) was a Tyco B&O F7 A-A, Diamond Chemical tank car, Crazy Water reefer ,DRGW stock car, C&O gondola with concrete pipe load, TH&B box car, and a B&O caboose. Shortly after that came the Athearn B&O passenger cars, CNJ camelback 4-6-0, a camelback 0-4-0 lettered for B&O and a pair of Athearn Budd RDCs. Out of all that, the only thing I still have is the reefer.
HO Model Power CN Geep…all black with the white “CN” noodle…hand-me-down from my Dad. My first new locomotive came for Christmas from my Dad, a Model Power Canadian Pacific FA2 He actually built me a small N scale layout that Christmas to go with the CP FA2. I still have the locomotive but no longer model N scale myself, but my young Son has an N scale layout in his room and the odd time he let’s me run my CP FA2 (updated with knuckle couplers so that I can pull some of his rolling stock) on his layout [swg]. He (my Son) will have it handed down to him someday when I know that he will baby it as I do.
Happy modeling!
Don.
I remember it well. It was around 1952 and I was given an old Lionel set, the track of which was nailed to a sheet of plywood. It was located in an unheated second story bedroom of an old farmhouse my parents bought outside of the little town we lived in at the time. I remember running that thing as fast as I could around that oval until it would fly off - then I would just pick it up and start over. It was indestructible. I can’t remember what it exactly was but I know I wish I still had it.
Here she be, still have her… still runs. Lionel 027 from 1953.
Jarrell
One of these for Christmas, it stopped working the day after.
Didn’t we do this once before? Or was that in the other forum? Anyway, I don’t actually still have my first locomotive but I’ve got its cousin;
Lifelike Union Pacific F40PH.