Here’s mine, a Marx no. 333 NYC Pacific with “Pacemaker” freight set. I received it Christmas 1950 when I was three. It has never been apart, but still runs well with oil and lube. I guess this was the train that made me “steam crazy”!
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1954 set # 1519 WS known as the Greenball Express that I got as a Christmas present in 1954 at the age of 3:
This is an O27 set, and the locomotive is this 2065 baby Hudson:
Arnold
Steam Crazy and Arnold, you are wise and fortunate to have kept your first train. Mine are long gone but here is a photo of the 2343 ABA Santa Fe freight set, my first train. Set number 2191W.
Lionel set no. 1527 from Christmas 1955 shown under Christmas tree 2020.
Curt
Its been gone for a LONG time but here are photos from an auction of what was once mine....
Lionel 6-1183 Silver Star set in the early 70s. 
My first train, a Lionel C&O 8142 steamer, circa 1970-1971
My first complete set, the Lionel Kickapoo Valley & Northern, circa 1972
My Lionel train sets, a steamer from 1949 and a 2207W Santa Fe ABA diesel set from 1953, are long gone – given away around 1958, when I changed the O gauge layout to HO. This occurred because I had started reading Model Railroader and was taken in by HO. My first HO engine was a 4-6-0 steamer made by Mantua.
It was followed by a 2-6-2 Prairie steamer.
After a lapse of thirty-nine years, I went to a train show and bought a Rivarossi Big Boy, thinking that I might get back into HO.
At the next train show, I was amazed by an MTH Premier O gauge Hudson (with sound - no less) and bought it for display, never expecting to pay so much for an engine again. Little did I know where this would lead… I still own the Hudson but it has never been run.
MELGAR
Received my first steam engine in 1948 for my birthday while in the hospital for 2 months, couldn't wait to get home, still have it and a few other oldies.
What steam engine is in the middle above? I didn't know that body shell was available with separately applied handrails. Looks like a 2026 perhaps.
The third shelf up, Lionel set # 2572 Super O Diesel Freight Set.
That would be a 2026
My first train was a wind-up that I got for Christmas, but I was too young and I couldn't wind it up, always had to have someone do it for me. After Christmas my folks took it back and got me this Marx set. I played with it so nicely, my folks got me my first Lionel for the next Christmas, I am three or four years old. A 4-6-4 #2046 and I still have them, and all my postwar stuff from the '50's
OK for a huge laugh today. Here is a staged shot taken in 2011 when I was 60, starting to build my layout.
Merry Christmas!!
Ray, that was my first also. 2026 in 1948, I was four. Don
My first train was a Marx 999 freight set, shown below, received for from Santa on Christmas about 1946. This picture has a replacement engine as the original has a worn out motor gear but the cars are original. Santa also brought a 5' X 9' layout with an oval and figure 8 with 4 Marx 1590 switches and a Christmas tree in a mountain with a tunnel. That same year my two friends got a Lionel and a American Flyer layouts. What a fun Christmas that was for all going house to house running trains during the holidays.
Charlie
@scale rail posted:Ray, that was my first also. 2026 in 1948, I was four. Don
I turned 6 in the hospital, all I could do was hold it, what a beauty, I was happy just to be able to do that. Every week my father brought a different car into the hospital, that made my day.
My first train was a Christmas gift in 1960 or 1961. A hand me down 1666 that had been my cousins, with a few new added cars. I was in the living room opening gifts when my Dad snuck into the dining room, lights off, and started up the train. The searchlight car got my attention on its first time past the entry to the living room. My Dad and uncle had been up until 2 Christmas Eve setting the train up in the dining room.
Still run it, will eventually go to my son.
Fellow Forum members, seeing all your first trains is just great! Keep 'em coming!
John
My first trains were inherited from my father-in-law. I put command control in one of his few scale engines, have a couple PW engines and a few cars I keep for sentimental reasons although I don't know where they are at, sold the rest.
Recently had some incredible restoration work done on my original Lionel 637 by Len Carparelli (all the other cars are original) - even broke my standing smoke prohibition since I still have some original sent-less Lionel smoke pellets!!!
Here is my first set. Received for Christmas 1962. The second engine is a recent addition.
Bill
1952 from Joske's of Texas in San Antonio
This is my first train set.....a Buco tinplate train made in Switzerland. I got it in 1954 when I was 1 year old.....how do I know this?...my father told me so many years later. I think he and my uncle bought it for themselves, but I "took full possession" of it by about 1958. My father was a mechanical engineer, and he thought the electrics and Swiss drive gear was superbly crafted.
The set came with the small "301" loco (0 4 0) and two passenger cars, a small circle of brass 3 rail track, two straight length of 3 rail track as well, to go on each side to break the shape of the circle, two rail connecting clips for power, and an auxiliary HAG 220V transformer, that had to be purchased separately.
The catalog inside the box was printed in German/French, and I could not understand a word, but the pictures in that catalog captured my imagination, and wanted me to get more track, and more freight cars. Alas, this was not to be, and I never found anyone in Australia who had any spare parts, track, freight cars, or anything else listed in the catalog.
The train set sat in its box for most of my young and middle age adult life (despite having destructive younger brothers), and survives and runs like it was brand new, to this very day. It was extremely hard to get any 3 rail train equipment here in Australia in the 1950's and 1960's (some Hornby stuff, but Lionel nor any other American models were big sellers here, because of the 110V AC system they used, as opposed to our 240V AC power supply.....this would just blow their little motors every time!!!)
Anyway, as you can see from the attached photos, my original Buco train set has now grown over the last 10-15 years, to where it has been claimed by Buco stalwart collectors in Switzerland that I may have the largest collection of things Buco "O" gauge outside of Switzerland, starting with the items in the 1950 catalog (which is still inside the train box) right up to the last catalog in 1957, when the company went into liquidation.
I love my Buco trains.....thanks Dad for getting me started all those years ago. I hope you guys like them as well.
Peter......Buco Australia.
My first train set was this 681 Turbine headed freight. Got it for Christmas, 1950. I had just turned one in October of that year. Dad probably enjoyed it more than me for a few years. :-)
Marx set received in the 60's.Still my favorite!Running on our inside loop from last year.I need to set that up again..
For fun I edited my reply for a good laugh. I see when I submitted it, it did not show up as a new (edited) reply, so if you like, scroll back up to see my edited version.
Nother Silver Star set with the Mighty Sound of Steam! January 1973, after we came back to the Midwest from Christmas in California at Grandma's.
I'm the one in the blue shirt.
It's Christmas 1958 and I am the lucky recipient of a Marx "Allstate" 9-piece trainset! My Mom joked (perhaps accurately 
) that it was really for her father and my Dad.
Here is #666 "Ol' Sparky" running on Panhandle 1 in 2015.
The original set came with transformer (I think that's still around somewhere) and Marx O34 track (I've got it but it's rusted pretty badly). I also got some signs, crossing signals and other accessories - all static.
As you can see, the locomotive does occasional duty around the Christmas tree - still runs great!
The kids / grand-kids will get it some day.
George
My first locomotive which Santa brought me for Christmas 1957. The Lionel 2065 Hudson set with automatic milk car, automatic log dump car, NYC Pacemaker boxcar with automatic sliding door brakeman, Sunoco 3 dome tank car, and Lionel Lines porthole caboose with 1033 transformer, a circle of track and remote control track. I still have the set today fully intact. The 2065 is relegated to " fan trip " status and still runs on the main about once per year. 
The video below is my very first locomotive, a 736 Berkshire, pulling a 17 car freight train through the night. I was given it by Santa on Christmas of 1953. The first 2 cars behind the tender, the refrigerator car and cattle loader, are part of the original Lionel set that is still running after 67 years. As the great American, 20th century philosopher, Bullwinkle J. Moose says, " They don't make 'em like they used to."
My original set no. 1583WS received Christmas 
1957 sitting on my reproduction D-190 display layout first also offered in 1957.
Old #1 is alive and well and runs just fine. Lionel Scout set #1119 - 1952
Randy Harrison,
Very nice. It's amazing that the locomotive can pull all those cars without traction tires. Bullwinkle was right!
MELGAR
@MELGAR
Thanks for the reply. My 736 has magnetraction. The Berkshire set in mothballs at my brother's house for quite a few years until we gave it to my son Chris who had been running trains since he was 2 1/2 years old. Chris immediately coupled almost all of the box cars and refers that we owned behind the Berkshire and it took off with no trouble. Then Chris added more cars one-by-one until the wheels spun. 17 cars was its limit. That locomotive iss stronger than advertised. Though we run mainly MTH Proto 2 and Lionel TMCC, our post-war and MPC era engines and also get regular workouts.
Picture says 1955 but think it's actually 1956 or 1957.
Here is mine. My Dad gave me his 225e for my birthday 60 years ago. Runs better than me.The other train is for my son about 35 years ago. I have only changed a little since that photo. LOL.
Santa Claus brought me the Lionel 1611 C&O set Christmas 1960 making it 60 years old this year. Wife replaced the lost helicopter and rocket years ago. It still runs like new and brings back memories of Christmas long ago. This was my first set. My older brother had a Lionel Scout set from around 1949 or so and we played with these 2 sets throughout our youth.
Here it is around this year's Christmas tree.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all. God Bless.
Dean
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