After reading this article I realized how important this really was, My first set was a 2572 B&M GP9 Freight set. It was about a week before Christmas, My father came home and set it up around the tree while I was at school. It had Super O track. Now not until I read his story did I really realize how much of an effort my father put into doing this. See My father lost his left arm in an automobile accident in 1959. So it meant he had to get down and lay on the floor to put this together using is stump of and left arm and his right hand. This really must of been a feet for him to do. That was his love of this hobby he passed on to me. back in the 60's things didn't have to be complete/perfect for us to enjoy them. My set was missing the rear coupler and the flood light part of the 3535 security set, it was missing the brake wheels and missiles from the 6544 missile firing car, it was missing the submarine, and the satellite launcher and satellite from the satellite car, but it was my first and introduction to O gauge. We had Ho prior to this but this was all it took to convince me O was the way to go.
To this day I still buy items that need help and try to fix them to where they are what they should of been, sometimes I even get help from a good friend.
What is your story.