I am 34 and started my PW collection about 4 years ago with a 623 switcher. I have gotten a lot of nice stuff over the last 4 years, and very rarely buy anything from the modern era anymore.
Its nice to know I am not the only one who collects this stuff that didn’t grow up with it.
Darrell,
I’m 42. Postwar trains were always around the house. Even though my father used to get me MPC stuff when I was growing up. We always ran the “good stuff”. The MPC stuff was for the train crash re-inacatments.
I got even crazier into this stuff in 2001 when my father and I attened our first auction together and purchased Lionel postwar production documents. I started a small company to publish these documents and since then, we’ve done two books. Now it’s trains everyday and spending a bunch of time with my father…it doesn’t get much better than this!
Long live Lionel!
John Schmid
Author - Authoritative Guide to Lionel’s Promotional Outfits 1960 - 1960
Age is only a number. BUT, if you really want to know, 65+. Devoted HO until a few years ago. Now, 100% “O27 Tubular Track Postwar”. I’m not a collector. I “play” with my trains. Thanks for asking.
49 here. Started collecting postwar and MPC in 1981 at the age of 23.
55+,I will celebrate 47 years of postwar enjoyment this comming christmas…
21 here… Started out with HO, then modern Lionel, and then postwar when I discovered my grandfathers 2025 and other postwar pieces. Dont think Ill ever go back to modern stuff. Always had trouble with the new stuff, but postwar is easy to run/take care of.
I’m 42. Started with a 1666, from flea markets with Dad when I was 12. Everyone called him ‘train man’. Resurfaced in the last few years with the birth of my daughter(s).
Kurt
52, first Lionel received my first Christmas, a 1000W set, still have most of it.
49yo, I was born with Lionel in my blood!! I have 3 older brothers and they’ve had it ever since I can remember, I now posses all of my Dad’s prewar stuff now, and then some. It’s pretty cool!
I’m 36. Love the postwar-era Lionel trains.
44 and enjoy toy trains of all eras - have some pre-war, post-war, MPC-era and newish ones.
52, just got back into it a couple of years ago. Have a few PostWar 2037,2020,2026, a few MPC like my Jersey Central Blue 2000, a some newer stuff like NYC & Pennsy Flyer, 2002 Fire/Rescue set. I don’t think I collect, rather amass a bunch of “runners” The only one that isn’t out regularly is the Blue 2000 JC. Dunno why, just sits in it’s box…may have to change that[swg]
Im 13 and have been collecting postwar for 2 years now, postwar just has something that the new engines dont.
I joined TCA - TTOS in 1972.
Does that help?
[:)]
I am 38. I have been running O scale for about four years now. While the majority of my collection is new or MPC, I have collected a few Post War cars. I am thinking about breaking down for a 726 or 736.
I joined the TCA and LCCA this year. “Does that help,” yes and welcome aboard[:)]
Darrell
49 here. I guess that means I grew up in the waning years of the postwar era. The usual story, started out with Dad’s sets as a youngster in the basement. I’m delighted to see some youth chime in on this subject. My kids and nephews love the postwar trains as well.
I’m an operator, not a collector. Postwar toy trains were made to run. Tubular is still my choice of track.
Rod
You’ve nailed it right on the head. What I was hoping to find…I found. Postwar has bridged the generation gap. More importantly Postwar is not dying it’s probably going to stay “an investment in happiness,” as well as an investment that will continue to grow in value. So far, pre-teens (I am counting my daughters), teens and 20 through 70 year olds have posted to this thread. WOW I had no idea. I’ve always known kids big and small enjoy trains, but I never knew such a wide varity of people owned postwar. Thanks to everyone for the fantastic posts. I would love to hear from more people.
Darrell
Hi Darrell.
I’m 38 years old and I started running my Dad’s postwar trains when I was the wee age of 5 (1976).
That’s the year I got my first train set headed by a blue Santa Fe 8351 diesel.My Dad’s first Lionel set was a Santa Fe bell ringer 6220.Both reside in my display case in my train room.
46 years old here, although the bulk of my collection is K-Line, I also operate/collect some PW as well.
One of my collecting goals is to assemble the 5* sets that Lionel offered in the last PW catalog in 1969.
I like putting an historical spin on things, within financial reason. Another example of this being I operate/collect the Marx trains that K-Line used the tooling from. It’s an interesting time stamp to have the Marx 333 running on my upper track loop and one of the many K-Line re-creations running below.
Ken