How Long?

"How Long" is a Chinaman!

 

I guess that my interest in RR'ing started when I was about 3 years old.  Ever since I have held a fascination for some form of RR's, either in toy trains, then HO scale, next the operation of a museum RR, and finally for the last forty years or so, as a "Hi-Railer" in "0" gauge.  Have also enjoyed the RR photography or real RR.s.

 

Paul Fischer

I have been around toy trains since age 3 (1952) if not before: I think significantly before but I remember nothing much early than age 3.  I had my own layout (4 x 8 plywood sheet on two sawhorses in the basement at age 8 (shared with my brother until age 20).  I started out with O, went to Z and N for many years when space and money was at a premium, etc., and back to O about 8  years ago now.

3-4 years. A life-long love of trains.

Although I got a Lionel set for Christmas 1947, I did not build a under-the-tree Christmas layout until 1982. My first year-'round layout was in 2005. I now have small layouts in "O", "S", and "N". I've found that I'm more interested in the scenics than I am in the trains. This is just one of a number of hobbies/interests.

1940s. First set was a Marx 999 freight set. First Lionel was 1949. Grew up in Toledo Oh, trains were everywhere. I never lost my love for them.

Depends what you mean by "our hobby."  Only O gauge or all scales of model railroading?

 

Got my first 4x8 about 1954, Dad built me the table, I put my American Flyer trains upon it.  Didn't take long for me to "discover" HO trains.  Away went the Flyer, up went the HO, hand-laid rail on Tru-Scale roadbed and all.  Suddenly I had a "model railroad."  Flash forward.

 

In 1983 I got the sons what I still think was a really crappy Lionel DC  powered set which put me off and then some.

 

I couldn't stand not having trains and bought a high quality Lionel Polar Express set in 2008 or 9, and now here I am, action accessories and all.  Toy trains   forever!  Couldn't care less about "scale."  Life itself is more than realistic enough for me.

 

Pete

 

 

 

My father had a toy store in East New York, Brooklyn, in the late 1940's to 1961. I used to set up the lionel trains in the window every Christmas. As he got to be a bigger dealer, I used to go into Manhattan and play around with the trains in the Lionel building. Got away from it for 50 years, but I'm now back playing with them with my grandson. Regret being away so long, but glad to be back, Barry

I did h.o. and n scale as a teenager, Then got back into it in the early 90"s when the Proto 2000 h.o. engines came out from Lifelike. But on a whim I went to an A.T.M.A. at Allentown where I saw a MTH PRR K-4 (30-1115-1) in the RailKing line and a matching set of madisons. I thought it would be nice under the tree since my children were young but what I didn't know was the quality and how well O gauge was. As a child I went with my father in 1975 to a train store. I saw a lionel train and wanted it, But my father said "!@!! NO!" I CAN BUY 4 TIRES FOR THE CAR!. So I had to settle for h.o. Now I'm old enough to buy my own trains and without prejudice, MTH had done the job of converting me. Ironically they are now into h.o. Go figure, Lol

My dad bought me a Lionel 1939 passenger set with lots of switches, station, etc for Christmas in 1950. It was the store owner's son's train.

When my wife went to live and care for her dad who had Alzheimer's for most of the weeks for a year 2007, she said "do what ever makes you happy...". 

I got out the old set, built a layout, and the rest is a pleasant history.

All Fastrack and Legacy now...but hey, it's a new century!

 

I have been a train fan as far back as I can remember. I got my first electric train some time in the early '50s, a Marx M10005. I still have a soft spot for Marx lithograph, and a Lionel Merchandiser set for Christmas 1954. I took some time out in my late teens to pursue other interests (school, cars, girls) But the interest was always in the background.

First layout my father built for me when I was 7, first set for Christmas 1956 a Santa Fe frieght from Polk Brothers in Chicago.   Still have it and it runs well.  Stored it for many years and got back into the hobby in 1999.  Now building a layout to share with my son and grandkids.

 

1938. It's been inbeded in me for 75 years.

Since 1993, so 20 years. 20 out of 23 isn't bad, right?

Since June 10, 1992. Back in O gauge since 2004. 

My father built my first layout (4'x8') for me in 1949. I have been operating 3-rail ever since.

I'm 33 and have been interested in trains for as long as I can remember. I've had toy/model trains for probably 28 years, though I wasn't active in the hobby for about 8 years.  I still went to shows occasionally and bought a few things, but didn't start a layout again until 2010.

Christmas 1949 (11 months old) to 1962 when the voice started to change. Then 1980 - 1988 when the kids came along and now from 2011 till present when both me and the grandson play with our trains almost every day!

I never had trains as a child but was born in the early 50's.  Never knew anyone that had them growing up. Couldn't get enough of cowboys and Indians I guess. However I have had a lifelong interest in modeling and when a Smithsonian article about Lionel came along something clicked instantly. I made a big error right then and there. I built an HO layout. I was never satisfied with the size. Bigger was truly better in my eyes and I wasn't happy until my trains were bigger also. 

Got my first Lionel 2026 in 1951 (age 3), and still have it.  I can't recall any time in my life when I wasn't interested in trains, both prototype and model.

 

Like so many of us here, I went through an HO phase, then N.  But now I've been back to Lionel since the mid Eighties.

 

 

1948 I was 4 and got my first Lionel set. 2026 freight set. Still have it, still love trains. Don

Being serious about it?  The last 5-6 years, before that there was a series of attempts.  I think with the internet and youtube, it is easier to learn, watch and do.  When you are out there doing it all alone it's not the same.

My dad built a 4X8 layout in 1946 with a prewar American Flyer 4-6-2 Pennsy and a Lionel 238E set with two loops and today its DCS and Legacy with scale locos and rolling stock on a 21X21 walkaround layout.

since 1998, I switched over from HO.

my wife calls those trains,

"little crap trains".

been taking the train board to shows

for about 20yrs.

 

went to one show and dad and son were

watching my O gauge layout run, the kid

turns around and sees the HO layout next to me

and says to his dad, look at this.

 

His dad turns looks at the HO layout, waves

his hand at it and says,

"we don't play with those trains son"!!!

I would say for me around 6 years of age.My dad had gotten a a real nice set back in the mid 40's.He just got out of the airforce and purchased it from a friend who lived in the Alliance Ohio area.He said his mom was not happy because of how much money he spent on it.Dad kept it at my mom's granddad's house which was outside of a little town called Maximo Ohio after he gotten married.My granddad had it set up down in his basement,and when we would go up to see them from West Texas during Christmas and Summer vacation's I would playwith it.So thats when I got hooked and they also lived right next to a railroad track so we saw the real train's all the time.And my granddad worked for Pennsylvania railroad also.Fond memories for sure. 

i got in to trains when i was 9.  it has been a long time since i was nine. have been in them one way or another since then.  it may have been just a train around the tree or going to the train shows.  now i have a layout i have to work on

Bought my son a Polar Express starter set two Christmas ago.
First  Christmas layout last year.

Over $20k invested in it but I have curtailed my train budget to around $400. A month.

Now mostly running trains, working on my ever expanding layout,
Modeling, weathering and mostly undoing the earlier mistakes I made when I started.

I did not know much about clear ensues and made a lot of my scenery too close to curves.  I started with 0-4-0 switchers. So I had to reconfigure stuff when I got larger engines.

Since I can remember. I grew up in a two roundhouse town with plenty of Railroad Guys to influence my Love of Trains.  I found my first Lionel Outfit when I was 6 yrs old  set up and running Christmas morning.(1962)
Mom says I just stood there and quivered.
I have always been fascinated by miniatures, and  I spent a lot of time building models as a kid.
I made a big investment in HO 10 years ago and was very disappointed in the overall performance.
About seven years ago I read an article on this forum about Lionel being Remote Controlled.
A half a dozen Vision Line Engines later and I’m still hoping my modeling skills will improve…
Even if that doesn’t happen… it’s still a Heck of a lot of Fun.

K.C.

Got a 671 set in 1947 when I was 2 (still have it).  Mostly active ever since.  I was too cool to play with trains during college, but I got over it.  Built floor layouts in the 70s and 80s.  Worked repairing trains in the 1970s.  Built an attic layout in the 90s.  Took much of the 20s off the hobby, but kept most of the trains.  Now back again, currently building a floor layout and actively collecting. 

 

I don't really know what sustains my involvement?  I just like it. 

 

Bill

68 years ago when I received a Lionel Berkshire set for Christmas. Having a layout provides wonderful motivation to keep your interest in our hobby at a high level. At least it does for me.

I can remember back the mid 50's a family in the neighborhood had a Lionel layout, that was quite elaborate for the time.  I also remember looking (drooling over) at the trains at Christmas time in the downtown Tacoma Rhodes department store.  It wasn't until Christmas of 1960 that our folks gave us four kids a train set for Christmas.  It was a Sears Lionel set, that had the Minneapolis & St. Louis GP9. The set was well played with.  When my boys were little I resurrected the set from my parents' garage.

Most of cars were trashed but the engine was in pretty good shape.  I straightened all the railings and repainted the frame back in the early 80's.   I had it gone through by a Lionel service station 12-13 years ago.  It still runs good.  l replaced all the cars, so the set is pretty much as it was when it was new 53 years ago when I was 9.

 

Larry  

Since age 10 which is 47 years ago!!!

Since I was a baby - 

1982 -