Model Railroading > The joys of finding an old train...

Hi all,

I was at the cottage today and discovered an old Marx box. Inside it was a complete Marx set. I bought this secondhand from someone who was clearing out his garage years ago and completely forgot about it. It hadn't been used since he was a boy.

I set it up and, amazingly, it worked! After some cleaning and some WD40 on the freight car axles, it worked REALLY WELL!

My son, Isaac, was enthralled. He's two. Later on we set up a whole city and Isaac and his big sister, Dalya (seven) were having a blast. They spent a good couple of hours playing train today.

How magical is that - a train from the 1940s is providing enjoyment and quality Daddy/kids time in 2014, just as I'm sure it did for that fellow I bought it from back in the 1940s and 1950s.

Best regards,

Jason

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The only adult in the house was taking the picture; but that is a good thing. Enjoy the great times.

Rick

Love it!

Chris

Sweet. Yes, toy trains got many of us started in to the hobby and bigger and better things.

Great story and images.
When our son was about 3 a second cousin gave him a Lionel promotional train for Libby Foods, complete with a tank car for pineapples and a box car for tomato juice. A crude 0-4-0, a power pack, and a loop of track.
30 years later a friend/neighbor's son was 3 and I passed it on to him.
No idea how old it was, as to "collector's value" it could not have gone to a better place.
My son's interest never did focus on trains but he does his own thing....

Does Jason have a basement that doesn't have a cool, old train in it?

Just a wonderful, heart-warming, happy, and positive story! That is where is all begins, and you caught it perfectly. Keep up the good work and remember family first!

rschonfelder Wrote:
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> The only adult in the house was taking the
> picture; but that is a good thing. Enjoy the
> great times.
>
> Rick

You got that right. A train loving Trekkie - and soul mate of Peter Pan!

Now all you have to do is get a few hundred feet of track so the big and little kids can go completely nuts.

My first electric train was a Lionel set I got for Christmas at age 4 back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I sold all of it as a teen except the Hudson steam engine, which is battered and missing parts but I still have it.

Jason, your a big dafty!

From one dafty to another.

Cheers, Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/14 05:02 by SPDRGWfan.

Thanks for the kind words, everyone!

Now that this is up and running, I think it's time to find some switches and extra track. I can't help thinking of that Tweety and Sylvester cartoon where Sylvester lays a branch line leading from the Christmas tree to his mouth!

The smell of the train when it's running is something that has sadly been lost with modern electrical advancements and DCC. I imagine it's probably the same smell as Frankenstein's workshop - pure electricity! :-)

-Jason

I enjoyed your "buildings", too! wag216

I forgot about that "electric" smell. I believe that may be ozone. If so, good thing we do not experience that with today's models, otherwise, here in the USA, the EPA would be wanting to regulate our hobby.

Nice set of photos. I agree that is where it started for most of us.

rapidotrains Wrote:
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> Thanks for the kind words, everyone!
>
> ....
> The smell of the train when it's running is
> something that has sadly been lost with modern
> electrical advancements and DCC. I imagine it's
> probably the same smell as Frankenstein's workshop
> - pure electricity! :-)
>
> -Jason

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/14 10:34 by garr.

I had not smelled or thought about that "electric smell" associated with old toy trains for several decades, but as soon as it was mentioned here I instantly knew exactly what that smells like and was mentally transported back to my basement when I was playing with Marx trains. Seeing that headlight on your engine brings me back to turning out the lights for that midnight express run. Thanks for reminding me of those simple and happy times.

This is what Model Railroading is all about! Lets keep focused on having fun and let our imaginations take us passengers anywhere we want to go!

Javier Cervantes
Castle Rock , CO

Enjoy ,It never last long enough

That was my first train also except with New York Central diesels. I think I got it for Christmas in 45 and still have it. Took the tops of the cars off so I would have flatcars to haul models of heavy equip. around on. Lost the tops by now. upkpfan

My first was a Marx passenger set, for Christmas in 1940 or '41... I've always preferred passenger trains, in HO, N, and full-size.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

It took me a while to figure out that if you cut the power for any reason, the train starts moving in the opposite direction. When I started testing it, the wheels kept reversing direction and I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on!

What an interesting way to operate a train set!

-Jason

Jason in picture two the smile on your face says it all!