Then and Now : 1952 - 2015

Funny, you sound just like my father. He got his set in '52, but he has limited nostalgia for trains of that era. He loves command control and digital sound.

 

Me, I like the older stuff. Or newer stuff that's built like the older stuff. I own only one engine made since 2000. (Though I admit Lion Chief + is tempting me). Digital sound is nice, but I'll take an air whistle just as soon.

 

I guess the grass is always greener....

Me?  Give me PW and tinplate trains without fancy sounds (especially those annoying crew talk type things).  The clackety-clack on the rails (tin) is all the sound I need.

I was born in '52 and already had my first set as soon as the rabbit died. Never left the hobby. I started with postwar, added MPC, then Williams, was thrilled to death with my first-run MTH Railking Challenger, and went on to K-Line's scale engines. Then slowly but surely the electronics started to fail. I converted my favorites to old e-units and sold the rest.

Nope, the old whistles and horns don't sound as impressive as the digital, BUT: they've worked with no problem all these years and I think they'll continue to work long after I'm gone. As for smoke, well, I kinda like watching those little smoke rings puff out of my old steamers. Plus I can do most of my own repairs.

Beauty is all in the eye of the beholder. Run what you enjoy most.

I was born in 1935 and the trains that I received as a kid had their own sound.  Bang, bang, rattle rattle!  Those old Marx trains had no planned sound; they just banged along the 0-27 track, making a wonderful noise.  But then, in about 1941 I got my first Lionel:  Wow! A real whistle; what more could you ask for?  Smoke?  Not for another five years or so.  By that time I had discovered girls.

 

But now, I don't run anything without Command Control with all it's sound, smoke and smells.  Wouldn't have it any other way.  Use both DCS and TMCC amd love 'em both.

 

Paul Fischer

All I want to hear are the gentle sounds of mechanism, and the clicking of the wheels over the track joints.

I agree C.W., that is what I like. The 1952 is TODAY on my  layout.

If one doesn't limit oneself to just Lionel in 1952, there is the ever popular, dependable, and (still) great sounding Gilbert synchronized smoke and choo-choo.

 

Bob

Bob: You're right. The two things I always envied Flyer owners were that great "choo-choo" sound and the operating Mail Car.

I like the looks of some of the older engines, especially the steam engines. I have a few of the Lionel 224 type(2018 and others) of steam engines and they run very well. The old air whistles were a great design for their time and the post war 022 switches were a great design as well.

 

I have bought several Williams(pre-Bachmann) diesel engines and they run very well.

The QSI system in the Crown Edition Williams is a very good system in my opinion.

 

I have five MTH engines; 1 PS-1 steam engine and 3 PS-2 engines and 1 PS-3 diesel engine. I like some of the new sounds in the MTH PS-2 engines, and so far have no problems with them.

 

Just bought a used Weaver C-630 diesel engine with QSI system and will see how well it does.

 

Lee Fritz

 

I got my first train (Marx Allstate set from Sears) in 1958.  I'm not even sure the tender had a whistle; I swapped it out for a Lionel 234W tender so that I could haul cars with knuckle-couplers.  At this point, that train only runs around the Christmas tree. 

 

I am a fan of command-equipped locomotives and run TMCC.  I like the prime-mover sounds, whistles, bells, etc. but am not a fan of crew talk.  Most of that is nonsense.  But it's hard to argue with that deep resonating whistle of a Pennsy M1a or the recognizable Alco S-2 diesel engine.

 

George

My first priority is that the train run reliably.  The postwar engines and e units are hard to beat in my opinion.  The newer stuff is better for modeling and realism.  I just like running long trains, watching them pass each other and disappear into the next room.  The clackity clack sound of tubular track lets me know it will return.  The smoke pellet aroma lets me know I'm in the right era.  I remember laying on the carpet in the dark watching the lighted cars circle the layout.  My trains are just toys. 
Now and back in 1951.

A nice loud horn is important in a locomotive, particularly if you sneak the thing up behind a spectator who's looking the other way and go *HONK HONK!!!*  I generally get to startle at least one person per show that way... 

 

Mitch

I missed the 50's and 60's having been born in 1973.  But my first exposure to trains was my father's 1948 Lionel set.  Still have it, still run it and will always have an affinity for early post war Lionel trains.  Sound is nice, so is all the newer smoke effects.  But its just something else to go wrong and cause frustration.  I lack room for much of a layout, and the one I am building will be 2 rail.  But 3 rail carpet layouts are fun weekend activities during the winter months.  Mike

I was a child of the 1960's and my first two locomotives were both plastic. I still have them, but it wasn't until my wife bought me a beaten up 1950's steamer in 1994 from an antiques store that I got back into trains. Now, prewar is as good as it gets as far as I am concerned. I have locomotives that are closing in on 80 years old. All of them can easily last another 80 years not to say all were made in the good old USA.

 

Tom