When we were kids, a childhood buddy and I used to argue whose trains were better: his Lionel or my American Flyer. We each had passenger sets with three cars and extra track, and we’d bring our stuff over to each others’ apartments, set up the tracks and race ‘em. The races never seemed to settle anything, because the trains would eventually careen off the curved sections before a definitive winner could be determined, and we would laugh hysterically. Then we’d rerail the trains and do it all
over again. Both brands stood up to us boys being boys and came back for more. Nothing ever broke, so again no clear cut winner. Six of one, a half dozen of another so to speak.
Fast forward to last year, when I e-mailed my old good friend that I was getting back into toy trains, this time with Lionel and Lionel clones. His reply was, “AHA! I knew that you would eventually admit that Lionel is better!” Cracked me up. More than fifty years gone by and still the same discussion, because I just had to remind him that in my apartment building the Flyer households had outnumbered the Lionel households three to one.
To this day I still think that the Gilbert trains of the fifties had a more pleasing and well-proportioned appearance than the Lionel trains of the same era, and the two-rail track for sure looked more realistic. And there’s still no substitute for that wonderful Flyer choo-choo sound. But now I’m finding that the three-rail system sure does make wiring easier, and the tricks you can do with the non-derailing switches are way cool. I think that every brand of toy train has its own charm.
I was a Flyer kid but in the sixties, I think there wasn’t as much contention as there later would be. I never really had a layout though my trainset did have “snaptrack” type track with plastic scale ties.
I had one friend who was the first boy after 6 girls, and his Dad got him a big array of late fifties Lionel stuff, and a layout with Super O track.
I always felt bad for a friend who had a pretty big Lionel layout in his basement, but traded it in at about age 12 for HO stuff with brass track. AFAIK he never got it to run right, and sold it off eventually and never went back to the hobby.
In my case, I started in HO at 13 and had similar problems with brass track, but had bought a 1957 Lionel set from a pal for $3 so set that up and was a three-railer for the next 15 years until eventually hearing the call of the darkside of the force and going back to HO.
You’re right; 6 of one & half a dozen of the other. It depends on what you grew up with. To me, toy trains are supposed to have three rails.
Younger fans seem to prefer the smaller scales because you can do so much on a small layout. I’m thinking I need a Garden Train. Can’t convince the Mrs., though.
I agree with the 3 rails part but I’m starting to get into the standard gauge so I keep the 3 rails bit going. Just I’m going to make a round the room layout with it. ( one of these years lol)