when I was four years old...

It would appear that you had a great Christmas sir!

Please post some photos of your trains if possible. We all enjoy a good story like this...

if you want to stay original, Lionel Lines sets (2530-34) are extremely reasonable these days as long as you stay away from the large baggage door 2530.  just recently i picked up a 2533 coach in similar condition to my original set which did not include the Silver Cloud.

have fun...gary

"my dad would be proud"

You bet he "is".

the picture is the original SF engine set that came with my set, i will post images of the box and accessories ASAP. there is a little paint damage at the top of the dumy which is apparently damage from being stored upside down in the box,, dampness in the attic has almost all of my boxes damp.. the only cause I can think of is the roof ridge vent the roofer insisted upon putting in.. I have never had this problem before.

The RDC was a trade that I took in when I had my hobby shop years ago, never even tested it,and don't remember where it came from or why but it ran!  needs some TLC and a battery cover but  nice overall