Last summer, I purchased a 2037 engine with 6 postwar cars to give to my nephew for Christmas. Cleaned and serviced the engine, and it works great! Did the same with the cars. Bought a loop of Lionel Fastrack at Hobby Lobby using the 40% coupons, and powering the set with a Lionel 1033 transformer. All works well.
I’m now wondering if I should have just bought him a new Lionel set. Feel kinda like a heel giving him a bunch of used stuff, although I think it is better than the new stuff. How do you think a kid will feel opening up a Christmas present with old stuff in it, compared to a new boxed and pretty set? I’m now having a few last minute jitters here. He really likes playing with my trains, so I wanted to give him some of his own. What would you do?
Two ways to lok at this. one when I was a kid and my father got me used lionels to go with the rest I thought it was the greatest thing as I like llionels so much.
now lets jump ahead 40 years today kids I’m not sure if they would appreciate it as we did then things today are a lot different than when we were.
If it was me I would probally 1 explain to him that in realality this is better set than you could get from a starter set today. other choice is as you strated go get him a starter set (Ibelieve if you do it friday or saturday theres another 40% at hobby lobby on there web siteyou could use and get him the PA. set for a real decent price.
Your call you know him think how he would act you could ask your sister/brother and see what they think.
P.S. I forgot to mention my first set was used it belonged to my fathers lawyer’s kids but guess he didn’t like the way they took care of it so offered it to my father.
I wouldn’t worry about it, since each kid is going to take to trains differently. My 6 yo loves trains more and more, esp. this time of year. But his older brother was never into it at the same age.
Hopefully your nephew will prize the gift, since it is a train just like those you run on your layout. Once he’s hooked, you can wow him with a starter set with railsounds or from MTH next year, that will blow his socks off!
You failed to give the age of your nephew. However, I would box each piece seperately as nice as I could. Make sure he opens the track box first since it is new. He will probabley be so excited he won’t even notice the rest of it. Also may be a good idea to talk to his parents about this and get their input. However, not knowing you or your family, it’s going to have to be your call
I will tell you my experience. Back in 1970 I told my mom that I wanted a Lionel trainset for christmas. It was the only thing I wanted. Come christmas morning I was dissapointed. No train. We always had great christmas’s with are family but it was a big let down. We always had christmas dinner at my grandparents house and opened her gifts after dinner. As ussual, clothes. Then my grandmother says, you have to go down to the basement to help your grandfather. When I went to the basement my eyes lit up. There on a 4x8 sheet of plywood was a lionel train set with a 2036 engine, Sunoco tanker, NYC gondola and a lionel caboose. On one side was a plasticville station with prewar lamps, a american flyer beacon, a marx crossing gate and a uncoupling track section near the station. All run by a 1033 transformer. There was another trainset that was tinplate and very beat up but still ran. The box was dated 1938. It was my dads set. I played every weekend with the train at my grandmothers house until march when all of sudden, it was gone. I guess my grandfather was tired of the train layout in the middle of his basement. It wasn’t till I was older that I found the train set and the box was dated 1950. It never bothered me that the train was 20 years old at the time I got it. Everthing looked new and today is in pretty good shape. I don’t know how my grandfather got the set. I assume he bought it used. I enjoy running the set every christmas with my son. He doesn’t know how old it is, he enjoys to run it. My brother got the tinplate set. I’d like to see it again. It has been 37 years since I seen it but I know why it was beat up. The engine was a rocket.
I say, give it to him. If you are running post war when he comes over, I don’t think he will care. if it is new or not. He might even think that you gave him some of your trains.
mpzpw3 - Since the boxes aren’t new, perhaps try this. Put the trains on your layout at Christmas. When the boy comes over, take him to the layout and tell him about this new trainset that appeared. Let him run him it. “Do you like it? It’s all yours…”
Don’t forget that its the thought that counts. It seems to me that a lot more effort went into the approach you took then just buying a new one and its not something he will be able to find in any store. I’m assuming here, but what you did came from the heart and that is why he’ll love it. You had to piece this unique set together and get it in working order. Anyone can buy a new one, but you spent time on this because you care. That’s as good as it gets.
I think fifedog hit the nail on the head! Have him come over and run it. Have the track and transformer in a wrapped box under the table. Then if he likes it…say “Merry Christmas! This train in now yours!” Then give him the box and say this is the start of your new layout.
If he can not come to your house but you can go to his…then set up the track on a “portable layout” with transformer. Tell him you are coming over just to run trains. Bring a few different ones. While he is running this one tell him the story of your search for it and its renuwal. Then while he is running it say…the rest you know.
It is your involvment that makes this train special.
I agree give it to him (the more I think about it) and do like the other said give it to him in 5 or 6 packages as it will make it look like even more that way. I seem to remember you saying hes 6 a few months ago if this is the case you might even get his parents to set it up around the tree so when he comes down there it is already to run. That would be even better than 5 or six packages it would be the first thing he sees and thats what he would remember about this christmas for ever.
Had Thanksgiving with the family today. When I mentioned to my sister I was giving him a train set, she gave me a NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! Her reasons were too expensive ( I didn’t tell them what I paid, just fighting the old Lionel trains are gold peception.)and takes up too much space. Took awhile, but I got her to come around. My brother-in-law also helped me out on this one, even though trains really aren’t his thing. He likes the idea of getting a real Lionel, not the new stuff. This is his opinion, not mine.
The only thing I’m sure I’ll do right now is print up some instructions, throw in a new catalog, and a little history of the set, like the year manufactured, how they were a big deal back then, etc.
Whenever He comes to visit the layout is the first place he goes and wants to see the trains run. I’m afraid he might be a little disappointed with a loop of track on the carpet, compared to a layout, but if he does like it, shopping for birthdays and Christmas will be a lot more enjoyable to me!
I feel I should probably state something else here. The reason I picked this set is because I’m cheap! I like the kid, but not $200.00 train set like. My self-centeredness gave me a fun project, and in my opinion, a more reliable product. No CW-80 to worry about, no can motors that I can’t fix if something goes wrong, and a smoke unit that may or may not puff. This thing works, and if in the future it fails, I can probably fix it. I’m not trying to put down the new Lionel products, but this set won’t have to be sent back if something ever goes wrong.
“Whenever He comes to visit the layout is the first place he goes and wants to see the trains run. I’m afraid he might be a little disappointed with a loop of track on the carpet, compared to a layout, but if he does like it, shopping for birthdays and Christmas will be a lot more enjoyable to me!”
Offer to allow him to run his train on your layout when ever he comes over.
I think if he loves to watch your postwar trains, he’ll love to see some postwar trains of his own under the tree. I like the idea of having it on the layout running when he gets there. He will probably notice the new train and when you tell him its his train…youll have one happy kid.
Im 21 and when I was 8 I wanted a PW berkshire, not a new set by lionel. I read a story in what im guessing was CTT about a guy telling his memories of his 726 berk he got for christmas. I wanted to have that same engine. I got a few new sets instead which were great, but I always wanted a part of lionel history. I had to wait until I was 18, but I got my berk!
[2c] Since you put so much TLC into the older set, I would buy him a new set with an eye on the consist (ie. cars that you yourself would like if the trains “novelty” wears off–you can always substitute another gift for him and take back the trains)
If you see that he really enjoys trains, the older set will certainly be appreciated as a future gift.
JUST MY OPINION GUYS!..So, don’t attack my “selfish self-satisfying” agenda. I hate to give up any of my trains.[:)]