Train under the Christmas tree

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RaniDart70 said:
hehehehe ...you guys are awesome .....yes the GM E and F series are cool you have to love the round nose and round portal windows.
the first train set i ever had was a Bachmann with a warbonet F9 ....i never had any E-series anything in model form i think the only difference between the Eand F series(at least what i noticed) is that the F-series are shorter with 4 wheels per truck and the E-series were bigger road engines with 6 wheels per truck.....

if this theory of difference holds true then the Alcos had the same product lines which makes sense as competitors

The PA series would be competiton for the GM E-series and FA series would be parralleled with the GM F-series.

i have always had a softer spot for the ALCO with its more stodgy nose and seemingly lower roof line

hehehehe as said before ...thanks for this thread

BTW my favorite road of all time is actually the Rock Island LOL
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I totally forgot about the Rock Island.. they had a really cool paint scheme as well.. Thanks for the pic! By the way, up til this point in my 44 years on the planet, I can count on 1 hand all the women that I have been able to talk trains with, and still have fingers left over.. you just upped your coolness factor even higher LOL ...
 
SpeedracerX said:
I totally forgot about the Rock Island.. they had a really cool paint scheme as well.. Thanks for the pic! By the way, up til this point in my 44 years on the planet, I can count on 1 hand all the women that I have been able to talk trains with, and still have fingers left over.. you just upped your coolness factor even higher LOL ...
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thanks ...im happy to find some more ppl to talk about railroading with ....i had a friend who worked for U.P. but unfortunately he passed away last year......so that kinda left me drifting bcoz i dont know anyone else who knows about this stuff.
i remember giving you a hard time in another thread about the availability of bucket seats in a 69 swinger 340 LM23P9 LOL.....but i would have never guessed you would be a fellow rail fanner LOL

i dont actually know much about steam other than the last generation was kinda cool IMO when they tried to make them more aerodynamic which was pretty much a vain attempt.
i know of one historical photo in a book i have that shows the zepher ....all silver set ....had mechanical problems and was towed home by a steam and that seemed symbolic of steam's struggle for survival.
its awesome, sooooo exciting......but the tragedy of it is, the railroad is a business just like chrysler and as much as we would like preservation of days long dead ....they wont unless its profitable.

i have a thread going about concept cars and it makes me wonder if there were concept Locomotives that didnt make production ....that can shed light on the thoughts of the times regarding innovation and general purpose of the industy....i know they had "demonstrators" in which a factory rep. would ride around with a road crew to test a new design/product. but whats the follow up on that......anyone know :toothy9::toothy9:
 
RaniDart70 said:
thanks ...im happy to find some more ppl to talk about railroading with ....i had a friend who worked for U.P. but unfortunately he passed away last year......so that kinda left me drifting bcoz i dont know anyone else who knows about this stuff.
i remember giving you a hard time in another thread about the availability of bucket seats in a 69 swinger 340 LM23P9 LOL.....but i would have never guessed you would be a fellow rail fanner LOL

i dont actually know much about steam other than the last generation was kinda cool IMO when they tried to make them more aerodynamic which was pretty much a vain attempt.
i know of one historical photo in a book i have that shows the zepher ....all silver set ....had mechanical problems and was towed home by a steam and that seemed symbolic of steam's struggle for survival.
its awesome, sooooo exciting......but the tragedy of it is, the railroad is a business just like chrysler and as much as we would like preservation of days long dead ....they wont unless its profitable.

i have a thread going about concept cars and it makes me wonder if there were concept Locomotives that didnt make production ....that can shed light on the thoughts of the times regarding innovation and general purpose of the industy....i know they had "demonstrators" in which a factory rep. would ride around with a road crew to test a new design/product. but whats the follow up on that......anyone know :toothy9::toothy9:
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The jury is still out on the availability of bucket seats in a 69 340 Swinger lol... and I always wondered if there were more train buffs (toy or real) on this site, and am pleased to find there are. Steam has always been my thing.. and I thought it was pretty wild when railroads attempted to streamline them.. The New York Central and Pennsy both had some neat streamliners.. The Blue Streak set I am running this Christmas, Lionel loosely based the engine for that set, of off the New York Centrals, Streamlined Hudson named 'The Commodore Vanderbilt' ... They streamlined J1E Hudson 5344, in 1934... it was the first streamlined locomotive.. It wound up with the nickname of 'bathtub'.. it was assigned to the 20th Century Limited between Toledo and Chicago...

And even though railroads are a business, and profit dictates everything.. I believe that trains make up too large a segment of our history as a nation, so there will alway be preservation.. whether in museums, special excursion trips, etc.. And I believe frieght trains will always be around (or at least for the rest of my lifetime) its passenger rail that has really changed dramatically... I love passenger trains.. I used to read all about them when I was a kid, a great deal of my toy train collection are passenger trains.. I wish I would've been alive back when steam passenger trains was THE way to travel.. Today all thats left in big passenger rail serivice is Amtrak .. and even that is just a small piece of what was... but as you said, thats because people traveling by rail became a process that just wasnt profitable.. (or even efficient)
 
So my grandson had his first encounter with the Christmas train today.. I have run it for him several times this evening... This video was taken the first time I ran it.. He wasnt afraid at all.. he was fascinated by it.. watched it intently.. the second time I ran it, he started laughing and waving his arms around.. lol.. the third time, he reached out and killed all the passengers LMAO .. pulled it right off the tracks.. lol.. the tradition has been started with the next generation.. its been a great day for me.. enjoy gang..

[ame="http://youtu.be/GaPOlzJe_OM"]302 Found[/ame]
 
That is a great video! Congrats on the start of a new generation!!! May you and your family have a Merry Christmas!
 
SpeedracerX said:
Keith, you just touched off a whole differant childhood memory for me LOL... as I have said, my dad is the one that started my love of all things railroad related, but he had thing for Johnny Cash's railroad music... all his train songs.. back in the early 70's Johnny even did tv promos for Lionel.. hearing that stuff again just brought back so many cool memories for me.. thanks dude...
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Here you go buddy!!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4M0D5hYhtI"]Johnny Cash Lionel Trains Commercial: Vintage Toys & Games for Christmas - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5HzgPk69k4"]Johnny Cash for Lionel Trains - YouTube[/ame]
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj33mYjjRPY"]Johnny Cash: I've got a thing about trains - YouTube[/ame]
 
Gotta watch these!!!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoR7mcsVxtU"]Johnny Cash Ridin The Rails Part 1 - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G80aOn8sxco"]Johnny Cash Ridin The Rails Part 2 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWQkZG1BQI"]Johnny Cash Ridin The Rails Part 3 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p75n6ti1dnI"]Johnny Cash Ridin The Rails Part 4 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znu_lacJSNs"]Johnny Cash Ridin The Rails Part 5 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bponT6yr7cE"]Johnny Cash Ridin The Rails Part 6 - YouTube[/ame]
 
Hmm, you guys and gals have me thinking, I have not set my lionel set up under the tree since my boy was younger, he is 12 now.
I have my lionel set from the early 70's and my dad's lionel set frome the late 40's.
Might have to get one of them out and set them up under the tree this year for the grandkids.
 
sireland67 said:
Hmm, you guys and gals have me thinking, I have not set my lionel set up under the tree since my boy was younger, he is 12 now.
I have my lionel set from the early 70's and my dad's lionel set frome the late 40's.
Might have to get one of them out and set them up under the tree this year for the grandkids.
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Heck ya,.. go and get the trains out.. and share some pics with us when you do.. This thread has really been fun for me.. I want to keep it going...
 
I remember as a kid always going to my grandparents for Chritmas dinner and my grandpa would always have his train set up going around under the tree. He used to build presents up so it would travel around and tunnel under the gifts. It was a very fond memory that I really enjoyed. So...... a few years ago I found the trains (still in the family) that had been stored for a looong time. The track and electrical box were no good anymore so I went to the hobby store and was informed the old trains should work on new track with a new control box. I bought just enough track to get around the tree and a new control box. Set the well known U.P. train on the tracks and it worked. It doesnt work quite like a newer engine would with the track, but it goes around. I just have to put the speed on almost maximum for it to get around at a normal pace. The people at the hobby place said it might need a internal cleaning or ... who knows.... but its a lot of fun that my kids can see my grandpas train and box cars going around the tree as I did when I was there age.

-RPM
 
I hope you kept the old transformer, they can be rebuilt and are worth money for parts - also, the track can be cleaned, either an eraser or something else depending how bad they are.
 
RPM said:
I remember as a kid always going to my grandparents for Chritmas dinner and my grandpa would always have his train set up going around under the tree. He used to build presents up so it would travel around and tunnel under the gifts. It was a very fond memory that I really enjoyed. So...... a few years ago I found the trains (still in the family) that had been stored for a looong time. The track and electrical box were no good anymore so I went to the hobby store and was informed the old trains should work on new track with a new control box. I bought just enough track to get around the tree and a new control box. Set the well known U.P. train on the tracks and it worked. It doesnt work quite like a newer engine would with the track, but it goes around. I just have to put the speed on almost maximum for it to get around at a normal pace. The people at the hobby place said it might need a internal cleaning or ... who knows.... but its a lot of fun that my kids can see my grandpas train and box cars going around the tree as I did when I was there age.

-RPM
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Is the train a Lionel? regardless, the fact that its more sluggish than you remember and requires max voltage to get her moving at a reasonable speed, are definite signs that it needs a thorough cleaning, and needs lubricated... Find a reputable hobby shop that deals with fixing trains and you'll be set.. that train will continue on for generations to come.. cool story, thanks for sharing!
 
MiradaMegaCab said:
View attachment 1714570358
Lionel Polar Express and "Faith" the cat
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Awesome pic!!! looks like you have all the add on cars for the polar express there.. lol.. and if you hadnt mentioned it, I wouldve never seen the cat! LMAO .. quick question, do you have any issues with voltage drops with lionels fastrack? If you watch my video you can hear the blue streak run like a raped date on one half of the loop, and slow down to a crawl on the other side.. its frustrating.. On such a small loop of track I shouldnt need to run a jumper to the other side...but aparently theres a bad connection somewhere LOL .. Anyways, thanks for sharing the pic.. loved it.
 
hi Y'all

thanks for the memories. my dad had a set of lionels my grandpa got him in the 1940s during the war. we used to set these up in the 70s when i was old enough to appreciate them. we even changed out the broken reversing switch on his locomotive as a father n son project back then. my nephew is really into trains, and on his 18th birthday my dad gave them to him. robert understands the value of these old trains since he is really into them as a hobby. plus the set was handed down to him and bought by great grandpa.

i was into HO and N both mounted to tables when i was in my early teens, but got enamored with scale O gage 2 rail (same size as lionels but no tinplate rails or third power rail). i have some really detailed rolling stock that were atlas O gage kits. even built an old AHM rivarossi 080 steam switcher working model kit. i dont think this kit was produced past 1971. took me some time to build, the satisfaction i get with this kit is that it runs so smooth and quiet.

i recently got a kid friendly cheap plastic old lionel set used from my dads childhood friend who turned trains into a hobby. i introduced my 5 and 6 year old step kids to them last christmas. the girls are rough on stuff i didnt get to teach them at an earlier age to appreciate and take care of their things tho i am playing catch up with this now that i am in their lives. so i wasnt about to put out my prized O scale stuff without a cheapo set to test the waters so to speak. the words no or dont touch only means to them lets try it and see if we get yelled at anyways.

my newborn son patrick i will be able to teach as he grows up since i get to be with him from day one, maybe he will have some of my more laidback traits, and not be so revved up as the girls are 9they take after their dad in that respect). i would concider some more durable G scale stuff, but its sooo expensive.

thanks for all the memories, i love the polar express set with the realistic looking 3 rail track. i may have to concider ebay to find one of those sets once i can teach the kids to appreciate just watching the train run around the track, and not try to play with it as an (OUCH) push toy on the living room carpet. as opposed to running my scale O two rail stuff since this cheapo set is rough on my eyes (not cool looking)

sadly the trains took a back seat once i started driving. i was also into slot cars back then, and got back into them a few years ago. now i have the money to collect all the ones i wanted as a kid. look at my avatar. that my 4 lane course i have in my garage.

matt
 
SpeedracerX said:
Awesome pic!!! looks like you have all the add on cars for the polar express there.. lol.. and if you hadnt mentioned it, I wouldve never seen the cat! LMAO .. quick question, do you have any issues with voltage drops with lionels fastrack? If you watch my video you can hear the blue streak run like a raped date on one half of the loop, and slow down to a crawl on the other side.. its frustrating.. On such a small loop of track I shouldnt need to run a jumper to the other side...but aparently theres a bad connection somewhere LOL .. Anyways, thanks for sharing the pic.. loved it.
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Thanks,
I have the add on cars and the supplied CW-80 transformer could barely supply the power. I had to get 4 extra straight tracks and run 1 curved track/ 1 straight track and I just repeat that pattern. This helps the train turn, rather than having a 90 degree turn, I now have 45 degree turns. The fast track with the CW-80 has some power supply issues(voltage drop and not enough Wattage to account for the add on cars) on the other hand my ZW really wakes things up.
 
MiradaMegaCab said:
Thanks,
I have the add on cars and the supplied CW-80 transformer could barely supply the power. I had to get 4 extra straight tracks and run 1 curved track/ 1 straight track and I just repeat that pattern. This helps the train turn, rather than having a 90 degree turn, I now have 45 degree turns. The fast track with the CW-80 has some power supply issues(voltage drop and not enough Wattage to account for the add on cars) on the other hand my ZW really wakes things up.
Click to expand...

I agree about the CW-80's issues.. I got that transformer with a differant set, and it barely supplies enough power.. lol... I am currently using a ZW transformer, but that hasnt helped with the voltage issues with my track..one side, the trains a speed demon, the other side, not so much.. lol
 
Found this video the other day.. This is what I want to do next Christmas LOL .. it reminds me of something my dads good friend George would do if he were still with us... When I was a kid, George was my dads best friend.. as far as I can tell he was the best friend my father ever had.. George loved trains as well.. but instead of the conventional layout, he had his track (a double track mainline) screwed right to the attic floor in his house.. the trains ran the full length of the house on the attic floor,... through walls, around beams... it was wild.. on weekends my dad would gather up some choice lionel pieces from his collection and we would head over to georges.. they would drink beer and talk trains, and I would lay on the floor and watch the trains go by.. they would even 'race' them LOL .. they would do this til like 3am... LOL .. I loved it.. George died of a heart attack while on the job (he was a plumber) when I was 11 years old.. in addition to being my dads best friend, he was like a 2nd father to me.. just the coolest cat you'd ever meet... I have one of the lionels from his collection to this day... Like I said, this video made me think of him... and those days when I was little.. enjoy gang...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y3E57pMq8w&feature=share&list=FLu7zHfHssAe5c4wvRM5K-pw"]Lionel Trains at Christmas 2010-2011 726 RR Berkshire & 2333 Santa Fe F-3 - YouTube[/ame]
 
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