So my little boy is turning four at the end of the month, and while we have a 12x7 L in the basement, he is now getting old enough to have his own stuff, and be able to actually operate. My mom and dad bought him a train set for his birthday that was just for him. They found a nice Lionel Scout 2-4-2 set from a few years ago on clearance at one the LHS in Cleveland. We wanted to make today a little special for him, so first we took him to the Conneaut Railroad museum and looked at all of the great things they have there and then take him out to "Train Papa's" house to give him the train.
I grew up in Ashtabula, so I remember going there to look at "Toodles" when I was little. My little boy said that it was the Polar Expresses Big Brother.
NYC Track speeder
Nickel Plate 755, they've painted it since the last time we were here
When we got back to my parents place, my dad brought out a box.
"IT'S A LIONEL!!!" My boy couldn't believe it and started to try and rip the box open.
Huge smile, he also loved the fact that he got a second copy of the Lionelville movie boxed with it.
Deftly working the control
My dad, bored wife, and son with the train. I talked to my dad one time, he said that my Grandfather worked for NYC. When they were little, they'd go all over on the trains, but they never had enough money to afford a train set for him. He said that sometimes they didn't have enough money to eat and would have to go down the side of the road picking up bottles for the deposit on them so something like a train set was out of the question.
He loves trains as much as me and my boy so he wants to make sure they have train sets. He's currently building a monstrosity in the basement to play around with for him and the boys but sitting there watching my son play with it tonight brought a big smile to his face.
Wanted to share, what simple loop of track and little engine can do for someone. My son is currently got the engine in his bed sleeping with it.
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