Hi guys,
Just out of curiousity, how many of you still have your first Lionel set/engine… the one that started it all?
I grew up in the mid-1980s, so for me it was the Lionel Black Cave Flyer set; it cost $50.00, was all plastic (including the rolling stock wheels!!) had dummy couplers, no functional headlight (glow in the dark stickers only) and an underpowered motor that ran only one speed - way too fast for tight cuves!!
Still, I loved that thing to death!! I still remember the TV commercials for that particular set. It’s funny how the memories I had of that train are, in ways, better than owning the “scale masterpieces” that I’ve accumulated over the years. Wouldn’t trade those memories of that cheap set for anything, not even my scale ATSF Northern!!
My first set was a set from 1955, I still have it and run it occasionally. The set has a 0-4-0 1615 Yard Goat Switcher with a 1615T slope back tender. One of the marker lights is missing from one too many high speed accidents. The set also includes a red 6462 NYC gondola, a gray 6560 Bucyrus Erie Crane car, and a red 6119 D L &W work caboose.
726rr set my uncle gave me in 1968.
He had girls, who didn’t give a darn about trains.
Thank goodness for female cousins!
Still have it, runs GREAT after new axle bearings, and E-unit fingers!
Got a used Scout in 60s, ran it on my dirt basement floor; lubed it with 3:1. Used to love to watch the sparks fly and suck in the 3:1 oil. Brings back great memories.
Back about 1999 I got my 2nd LIonel; an RS-3 stinker with 1 loco that couldn’t pull 3 cars without spinning. But it piqued my interest and been running toy trains ever since (recently converted the trains to R/C 2-rail, but what the hey, they’re still the toy trains with the oversized flanges and couplers).[:D]
The #250 2-4-2 Pennsy set of 1957, followed closely by a #218 A-A Alco SF with two 2400 SF Blue Stripe cars. Still have it all although I repainted most of the 250 set except the NH 6464 boxcar. Got the SOO LINE operating car for Christmas as a bonus.
. . . 1110 Lionel Scout set put on a 3’ x 6’ plywood board in a figure 8 design. Dad eventually had to have the motor replaced and I ran it so much I burned out the 45 watt transformer, too.
Terry
My first set was a Lionel Micro racers set from K-Mart that my dad bought used at a hobby shop for me for christmass. The thing was missing all the race cars that were suposed to come with it. I started buying more track and more cars but up untill about a week ago the little 2-4-0 was the only loco on my roster. I would hook every car i had behind that poor little loco it would slip the drivers like crazy to get the whole thing moving but she would move it. I think the record was 16 cars. (11 freight cars and 5 cabooses!) I have been watching how much fun you guys look like your having with your trains and picking up CTT for a while and finaly talked myself into buying another set. So last week my Copper Range set arived at the house so the first thing to do was clear the floor int the living room so that i coudl set it up and run it. (but only during comercial breaks because my wife couldn’t hear the show she was watching over the track noise and whistle.)
Christmas, 1952, one of the first run of the Pennsy N5c caboose. Not sure why this particylar model; my Hornby O gauge set wasn’t reliable. I recently dug it out and started cleaning it up – I need a lot of parts to restore it.
The next May I got a whole train set with a 2055 loco.
mine was a 4-4-2 Seaboard freight set, I got it from my grandma for Christmas in 1995… I played with it constantly the first year or so, then started growing up heading into high school… I still used it around Christmas year to year, but lately I realized that I’m basically just a big kid still, so I built a layout with a few more trains…
1862 General Set. Still have all of except for the original transformer. Still works fine. I got it for Christmas in 1961, I was 5 years old two weeks from being 6!
Std gauge lionel 8E. Still have track, bridge, station & 4 cars. Engine was stolen about 15 years ago. Still have a lionel 252 that i run at christmas time. Have a 675 & two 671’s still going strong. doug
My first Lionel was a 1972-74 set. Not exactly sure of the year. It had a loco that looked like a 2026, but with a 4-4-2 wheel configuration, and Sound of Steam. One of the cars was a Wheaties boxcar. The tender had the Rock Island livery - I think.
Torpedo1688 Keith would know what set I had. He’s told me before and I’ve forgotten which one it was.
First bought for me was a early 70s Sears set with the plastic 8040 engine. Then my Dad gave me his set that I had played with since before I could remember which was the 1949 freight set with the 2020 engine. Still have and run them all.
Dennis
