I am thinking about my next purchase and have been mulling around getting something that brings a smile to visitors even if they dont really care about trains. I think even though I like Diesels, think that steam has more general appeal because of all the movement movement and sound. But what about the unusual trains like the Phantom? So Im really curious, what is your most popular train with visitors????????
Bob
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Steam is always a hit,as far as my layout goes, the scale Legacy Polar Express berkshire is the most popular because most folks are familiar with the movie.
kids like the long City of Portland (i think the yellow livery has a lot to do with it as well as the little people inside).
adults like the vision line hudson. all that ultra cool action
At the modular club I belong to, the trains I get the best reaction from are my Marx 6" tin. The Monon 81 seems to be the most popular engine I've got:
(I wasn't the only guy to snap a shot of the staged scene above 
)
J White
I find the kids are impressed by anything, the more color and action the better. The adults come in two kinds; those that are impressed by detail and scenery and those that no matter what you do are bored watching you play with your widdle trains.
Al
Same here. I have a friend who's young son I gave a Potter set, and he's seen all my top of the line locos. I then gave him Diesel, Troublesome trucks and the Thomas set and he's intrigued by the moving eyes.
Postwar Santa Fe F3's pulling the aluminum Lionel Lines 15" passenger cars.
Either an SP Daylight passenger train or an Amtrak train, I have a RK 7 car train of Superliners with two Pepsi Cans pulling it, on our club layout.
I let my daughters best friends young son run my Potter set .He got so excited he's now getting an MTH RTR for Christmas although he doesn't know it. We may have created a new hobbyist.
David
You can't go wrong with tinplate or theme trains (Thomas, Harry Potter, etc), or sounds get attention too.
The Lionel Milk car. Everybody from 1-92 loves to see the little white man shove the milk cans onto the platform. Over and over again. And because it's a postwar Lionel accessory, you can do it over and over again.
Oh, excuse me you said train. Any toy train that goes real fast without derailing.
They love the California Zephyr with the 21" K-Line passenger cars pulled by WP F units. All that chrome and silver passing by is a real eye catcher. It is followed by the Alaska Denali Limited.
US Army Missle Launch Vehicle. 
The MTH Coors Silver Bullet, the music and the doors opening on the reefers with steam coming out is always a hit.
I've had a few comments about my K-Line porter being "cute" It is, so I guess it counts.
Definitely the NYC Empire State Express...
Anything tinplate and shiny! 
The MTH Aerotrain.
I've had a few comments about my K-Line porter being "cute" It is, so I guess it counts.
At your age make sure you tell her she's like your Porter. Chicks dig trains and compliments
David
Red steam locomotives are a hit...especially shiny Tinplate.
The Lionel Amtrak Acela....Seems like visitors love the way it looks speeding down the track and the door animation, sounds, etc.
Alan
The MTH RK SP rotary snowplow!
Steam, particularly big steam seems popular, but one that people out here relate to is Metrolink.
I have two modest-size layouts in my home (both works in progress) and a good many wall-mounted and free-standing display cases containing trains. In virtually all instances, it's the tinplate stuff that seems to attract and hold the interest of visitors. I've noticed that also seems to be the case at shows and other public displays.
Those of us in the hobby tend to lean toward admiring the realistic models, but I think the general public seems to be drawn to tinplate, even though probably 95% of those folks never were exposed to the originals.
I've had a few comments about my K-Line porter being "cute" It is, so I guess it counts.
At your age make sure you tell her she's like your Porter. Chicks dig trains and compliments
David
I only "invite" anyone who shows an interest when they hear I have trains upstairs to see them, but I imagine it would be my Yellowstone - big and impressive.
I think the missile launcher with the sound car and the milk car are favorites. My grandson's favorite accessory is the intermodal MiJack container crane.
The SP 4-8-4 Daylight locomotive pulling a short (4-car) 18" matching colors passenger train.
paul m.
"Non train loving" or disinterested visitors don't get to see the trains. On the other hand neutral or interested people who don't have trains at home love it all. Log loaders, gatemen, whistles, and even remote switch tracks draw an extra ooh or ahh.
In virtually all instances, it's the tinplate stuff that seems to attract and hold the interest of visitors.
That's true. The tinplate trains on the shelf are always hugely popular
As for trains running on the layout, My Lionel 2046, pulling a string of 1980s-vintage Lionel NYC 027 streamlined passenger cars seems to get the most attention. They're always amazed to see that the cars are illuminated.
When I was running my Lionel Legacy K4 with the Pittsburgh Independent Hi-Railers last month (see the video below), I overheard a lot of people commenting on the whistle steam effects, and many of them were kids and were excitedly pointing that feature out to their parents. Steamers, especially the big ones and the ones with interesting features like the whistle steam, are always impressive.
I echo the sentiment that themed sets like the Polar Express and the Hogwarts Express will be popular due to the general familiarity with the themes, and I also think that any unusual items like tinplate, Lionel's Phantom sets are attention-getters, as are colorful steam consists like Hiawathas, SP Daylights, Southern Crescents, Blue Comets, and Alton Limited sets.
Andy
The Blue Comet
Thank you for all the replies. One thing that really seems to be in alot of the replies is that lots of color helps, I think I will take a look at some tinplate, I currently dont have any and it does seem to sure have some bright colors.
I've noticed kids love BEEPS.
the two biggest hits of mine with kids is a consist of flats with construction vehicles onboard and a plain old long string of boxcars; they love to count the cars passing by.
(I wasn't the only guy to snap a shot of the staged scene above )
J White
Putnam Division has a similar Monon that he runs on our modular layout. It's fun to see that little guy screaming around the layout. Other popular consists include the AeroTrain, Polar Express, Harry Potter. Tons of little children ask "Where's Thomas?, I want to see Thomas!!". Ben has the cars and I'll be buying a new locomotive in July. I may even pony-up for James.
Gilly
I live in what amounts to a non-toy train area, but once they get over the concept of an old man who plays with toy trains the Lionel 125th anniversary Coca Cola® set seems to attract the majority of positive responses from other "adults," probably due to the familiarity of the product.
Kids who've seen 'em like all the trains, but especially action accessories like the 3662 Milk Car, the Lionel repro AF Oil Drum loader, and Sir Topham Hat, the infamous gateman.
Pete
We've noticed that most comment on our circus train that friend Harold has put together over the years with sounds and animation. Another is our RK Ten-Wheeler with its vast amount of smoke output. Color, action, and smoke are attention getters for certain!
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