What are your "must haves"??

Classic Toy Trains Forum
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I was running trains and working on the layout, when I got to thinking, what are my favorite trains? Some I don’t run all that much, but would never get rid of them. I’m curious, what is the pride of your collection/layout? What engines/trains do you look at, and think, boy, I’m glad these are mine? I’ll give my top four, and hope you will do the same.

  1. Santa Fe F-3’s with passenger cars. I have postwar Lionel 2343’s, Williams repro.'s, MTH proto-1, and modern scale Lionel conventional F-3’s. Have Lionel postwar passenger cars, MTH railking 60 foot passenger cars, and MTH repro. aluminum passenger cars.

  2. The Lionel Santa Fe FARR # set. I wanted it when I was a kid, and is something, after I finally aquired it, really prize it.

  3. Lionel Santa Fe Warhorse set. My first TMCC set. Always wanted a hudson, and if you can’t tell by now, I like Santa Fe.

  4. Santa Fe blue-and-yellow F-3’s. I have the Lionel version, and the MTH version. Looking for the Williams F-7 version from the early 80’s, as I used to buy Model Railroader when I was a kid, just to see the Williams ad for it.

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I’ll bite…

N&W J class by Lionel. It is the first scale J the 606. Love that train.

The Lionel Southern 2356 ABA F3s. My dad has the originals and I have the PWC set. I will add the RS5.5 B unit in the winter when they arrive.

Lionel Santa Fe F3s…don’t have one yet but this will be on my layout someday. Nothing says Lionel Trains like the Santa Fe F3s

Lionel Century Club Hudson… Classic Lionel with all the goodies.

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Lionel Century Club Hudson

MTH Premire Niagara.

Lionel Mohwak with elephant ears double headed.

Lionel Mohawk 2003

Lionel Big Boy Lionmaster.

laz57

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In all honesty, I look at just about everything I own and consider myself lucky to have it. The lousy, no good furnace being a glaring exception.

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Weaver NH I 5 Hudson and Flyer coaches.

MTH Green NH DL 109’s Took a while to find a second A unit.

Both K-Line B&A Berkshires

Lionel B&A 0-8-0

My wild card engine seeing I can only list 4. K-Line B&A Tank engine. Don’t think anyone will offer this one again.

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lionel c&o allegheny it’s a bute other than that i have all that i want and must have

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I have some Prewar, mostly Postwar Steamers. 95% of the time, on my three mains I run:

675 with MPC PRR passenger cars

MTH M1a with post/MPC/LTI freight

1666 with either prewar freight or passenger or Marx 333 with Marx freight or Lionel Postwar 2400 passenger

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My only must have is the one I’ve been waiting for from Atlas !! Their new 0-6-0 steamer that should be here in November !! I hope !!

Mostly I run my 0-8-0 MTH steamer cause it smokes up a storm .Tuff as a tank too !! Then I have a Lionmaster Challenger I run sometimes & smokes real good. Great sounds on that baby !! Then I like to run my MPC Budd cars a little & I have about 3 other diesels I like to run now & then. I mostly like to build stuff though & kind of save on my engines wear & tear !! I really don’t have that many engines but I’m glad I have the ones I do have, anyway !! I try to get one a year though .

Thanks, John

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The only real must have…that I still don’t have is a 726 Berk.

The ones I’m most proud of are, in order of importance:

  1. 2025 K-4-esque Pacific with alum smokestack.

  2. 3462 Automatic Refrigerated Milk Car, my first Lionel purchase.

  3. 2400 series passenger cars.

Kurt

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Lionel Postwar 681 with 2400 series passenger cars

Lionel Postwar 736 Berk (don’t have but will one day)

Lionel 0-8-0 Switcher (I love this engine even though it sounds aweful)

MTH C&O Streamlined Yellowbelly Hudson with matching passenger car set

IMHO - if you are running any diesels you should have:
F3s (have these in MTH Chessie)
GP9 (Don’t have one but want one)

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My turbine & FM from my childhood will always be my favorites. Over the years my “must haves” were GG1, Santa Fe F3s, NYC Hudson, etc. My latest must have is the Lionel PRR K-4. Its on order & with a November shipping date I am hoping that it will arrive in time for my wife to give to me on Christmas morning. I always think that the latest item will be my last, but they keep making new trains that catch my fancy!

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Interesting Brent…Why the 736 over the 726? I see Jimmy has a 736 as well.

I like the 726 because of the nickel rimmed Baldwin disks.

Kurt

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You can’t go wrong with either one, Kurt. I like the 736 because it has Magnatraction.

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I’m really fond of the 300

and 350 Royal Blue

and it’s smoking counterpart the Silver Bullet

the tried and true 282/283’s

Grandkids favorite is the Franklin 88

The 342 (top) was a friends train when he was small and he gave it to me so it is special too

this 322 was given to me by the guys who worked for me when I was on assignment in Oak Ridge Tennesse

so many of my locos have stories that go with them so many of the a special must haves

Jim

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This year it was:

A Lionmaster T-1

A Lionel 736 ( A great deal off of E-Bay to still can’t believe I won it for just $150)

And a American Flyer 3020

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The must have trains are the the ones that my kids pick out at the hobby shop. These are the must have for me.

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I was going to buy my son a Williams GG1 for Christmas. Maybe Doug will give me his! [;)]

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Here they are:

I’d have to say that my sentimental favorite is my PW Lionel 2036 and it’s consist of 5 cars (that includes not 1 but 2 3472 MIlk cars) from childhood.

Followed by;

PW Lionel 736 Berk I purchased through an ebayer (with much guidance from Jim) truly a beautiful engine;

PW Lionel 681 S2 Turbine, which after installing an new smoke unit and spring smokes great.

My must haves go like this:

PW LIonel 675 with Baldwin Disk wheels;

PW Lionel NYC F3 AA then adding a B unit (considering the prices I’ve seen this ABA might take a while);

from here, who knows.

Mike

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Die-cast tank cars. I’m a sucker for these. All road names, all companies, all styles.

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David, I thought of you - saw the Ace Trains ‘tinplate’ tank cars - ever seen some of those?

Jim, LOL. It was worth joining the Williams Platinum club to get one for $149 and some change. Whadda beast. The boys would love it.