Train on a desert island

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Hi everyone,

The Classic Toy Trains staff members were collectively daydreaming the other day about which 3 trains they would want if marooned on a desert island (it’s a daydream, so presume that the island has track, a transformer, and electricity). Which 3 trains – no cheating by picking more than 3 – would you want with you on your own “desert island”?

Neil Besougloff
editor, Classic Toy Trains magazine

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Hi Neil,

I collect a combination of postwar Lionel as well as the newer models made today. I have collected some really nice pieces over the years. But if I could only have three, I would take the ones that had the most sentimental value to me.

3rd) I would take my 1987 Lionel Rock Island Northern. This is the first engine I purchased after collage. This is the engine that caught my eye and brought me back into the hobby.

2nd) My 242 Lionel steamer from 1965, which was the first train I received as a child.

1st) My fathers 675 Lionel steamer from 1947. I can still remember the first time my dad ran it for me, I was four or five at the time. He set up a large loop with the cattle car, milk car, ore dump car and log dump car. I fell in love with toy trains on that day. I still have all his pieces. They bring back wouderful memories.

I think I could replace most of my trains at any time in the future. But not the ones with memories attached. Those memories make those trains truly "one-of-a-kind collectables; at least for me.

Regards,

Tim Pignatari

3

Is the Gorre and Daphetid elligible?

Ed

4

Neil,

I’d go with the #671 S2 Turbine, the Williams F7 in Lackawanna, and the Williams FM in green CNJ livery

Rolling stock: MTH Railking CNJ Madisons, Lionel Lackawanna aluminum 15" streamliners, assorted freights from Industrial rail and K-line’s Classic and Train 19 line.

Thor
(Neil, you might want to check out some of the new stuff posted on my site - http://www.thortrains.net - for instance, online manuals on operating Marx trains.)

5

Hi Thor,

Yes, I’ve already checked it out your web site. Nice job. By the way, I grew up in Toms River, even worked at the Observer newspaper for a short time. My folks still live in the same house near Route 37.

Neil

6

Neil,

I guess you know why I was rather specific on those three road names for the desert Island. Seems that I spent a good part of my youth riding the DL&W and EL, and a lot of the 70s riding the CNj and PRR / PC to Belmar. I lived in north Jersey then but spent most of my time either in Belmar, NJ or the family place a few miles north of Port Jervis, NY

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Two out of the three would be no-brainers. My standard gauge 8E set with at least one of every 330 series passenger car. The second would be my 1970 Wabash Cannonball set with several additional
1970 cars. The third one gets tough as I have several to chose from, the James Gang, the LASER set, the Alaskan set of the late 1990s, or my Santa Fe ALCO passenger set of the early 1990s. Ouch, this is tougher than I thought. Probably the Alaskan because Lionel is always adding on to it.

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  1. A Williams 2-8-4 custom painted Burlington with 25 assorted Lionel ore cars and caboose.

  2. A K-Line Santa Fe F3 ABA with a full consist of aluminum passenger cars - and two painted NYC sleepers.

  3. A 2037LTS with an assortment of S.A.M.A.T. cars. Both originals and reissues.

9

  1. A Williams 2-8-4 custom painted Burlington with 25 assorted Lionel ore cars and caboose.

  2. A K-Line Santa Fe F3 ABA with a full consist of aluminum passenger cars - and two painted NYC sleepers.

  3. A 2037LTS with an assortment of S.A.M.A.T. cars. Both originals and reissues.