The Roundhouse: Episode 13

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The Roundhouse: Episode 13

I thought I would suggest a question. Amtrak or Commuter trains for passenger service?

Great show! The best train related holiday gift I got was when I was 7 years old. My family moved from a small apartment to a new house. In the mid-West many houses had basements. So that move meant I could finally really start a layout. Great year!

My first train set was from Athearn circa 1965 or ‘66. The SD45 was painted in the EMD demonstrator paint scheme. The set also included a flat car with a boat, tank car, stock car, boxcar and caboose. The engines and rolling stock, came in the Athearn light blue boxes that had clear cellophane fronts. The set also included enough Atlas brass snap track to make a 4’ x 8’ loop under the Christmas tree. The MRC power pack was sold separately. The set also included a uncoupler that looked like a dog bone with two wires attached to it length wise. You placed the uncoupler between the rails to uncouple the X2F hook horn couplers. Those were the days. Another great Roundhouse episode and thanks for the memories.

Best train gift? A battery powered clock that whistled on the hour.

Worst train gift? The fifth one. Received the following Christmas.

I enjoy the Roundhouse episodes! Could you please help me out with a question? My husband and I would like to build a small O gauge layout for our grandson! My question is, is there any advantage to 3 rail over 2 rail? I like the looks of the 2 rail track a little better but someone told me to stick with the 3 rail track? Thanks!

I had gotten a cab ride on a revenue run on my birthday, but by far the best rail related gift I got was just a few months ago. My wife bought me the opportunity to operate the Nevada Northern’s 2-8-0 #93 for my 50th birthday! It was awesome! If you ever have the chance to operate a steam locomotive DO NOT pass it up!

Would go with three rail O gauge for a child. Much more choice should he get hooked and want to buy more rolling stock, accessories, track. Also more availability in terms of retail sources than for two rail O gauge.

Thanks for a great Roundhouse episode, It took me back to my childhood. The best train gift, When my son was born on Feb 14th 1975 and that Christmas we set up a train around the tree. He was fascinated and so was I. The worst, when I was a kid around 7 or 8 and my dad bought a Santa Fe train set at walgreens, Brought it home set it up and didn’t work, took it back for another, home , back, home and then took it back for the last time. I didn’t get a train set till I bought the one for my son. After that I’ve always had trains and so does my son and now my grandson and grand-daughter are into trains. And they all work!!! Merry Xmas and have a Great 2014.

I got my first train set in 1945 it was a prewar set at a big store in Boston that they had put away during the war it was 3 rail American flyer and I was 3 yr.old. and I had it till i was 10 and my dad got me into HO buy building me a Mantua Pacific and I have been in it ever sense.I was building a layout in 1976 and his last words to me were sorry in never got down to see your layout. .

ANOTHER OUSTANDING SHOW… WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE ON THE COMPLETE STAFF A VERY HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR.

My first train, and it was around the Christmas tree, was made by Marx. 1940, I was 4. My Father took colored movies. Am I that much older than all of you who received Lionel train set? I don’t remember anyone referring to Marx.

1st train was Tinplate Flyer that my brother got for christmas and hated ,so he gave it to me. I’m pretty sure it was destroyed in a fiery chrash involving firecrackers and plastic army men!

Hah! my first model train was also a Lionel C&O 4-4-2, part of this “Seaboard Express” I got at Age 6.

This past Christmas, I also got a train in the disguise of a coffee maker, a PRSL RDC was cleverly hidden inside.