Who likes to get surprised on Christmas morning with a train as a present?

I love it.

My late wife surprised me several times at Xmas with  a train gift she bought. Usually something I admired but didn't buy at the time.  They are still cherished. Now I just buy what I want whenever.

I wish

Not since I was a boy.  Our Christmas gifts varied, depending on how dad's job was paying.  I remember getting a 55 tie ejector, 41 navy switcher, and a 6017 grey caboose in different years. But other than that, no trains.  Usually got school clothes.

of course.   I'm lucky I have a wife that has never disappointed with a train under the tree.  Even when I was a kid and was lucky enough to get a train under the tree quite often.  Never took it for granted and now its a good way to remember all those times with family.   Trains are just special that way for me.

The best Christmas was when the wife bought me three engines 1 Atlas, 2 Athearn diesels in HO, that was 40 years ago. Wow.

always

JPJ,

   You bet when I was a boy, it was the greatest Christmas gift of my life, my Grandpa ran the Tin Plate Train with me, and I will never forget how happy it made me.  The magic has lasted a life time.  I know there is a new Lionel/Hallmark Santa Train coming Christmas morning, I know my Grandfather and Father will be watching, there is magic in the O Gauge Trains in our home, always has been.

PCRR/Dave

Unfortunately, there are few surprises in our house at Christmas. We generally tell each other exactly what we want, and we all pretty much work off those lists. I hate it, and I have no idea how we evolved to this point. My wife will get me trains for Christmas, but it will be something she knows I want. I'd much rather be surprised, and I've really tried to convey that to her this year. What she does know, is that if there is not a train, or toy car, or some other non-essential fun item under the tree for me, I will be one grumpy son-of-a-nutcracker for the rest of the holiday.

I generally buy my own trains for Christmas, put the under the tree, and open on the day.   This year, my purchase is delayed from Lionel, so will appear in Jan or Feb.

The last train surprises I got was in 1961 with my Lionel F3 Rio Grande. and in 1963 when my dad picked up a collection and I found a 2020 turbine. From that point on and expansion to my RR was from me,  With my involvement in the hobby, LHS trips, ebay, OGR 4-sale, I ask the family NOT to get me trains and surprise me with other things

Yup.

Most of my train items are ones I bought, so I know what they are.  But there is always one under the tree that my wife picked out, so other than knowing it's a train item, I don't know what it is until Christmas morning.  At first I had to send her links to things I liked, or pointed to a couple items in the store, and she'd pick one of them, so I generally had an idea of what it was but it could be one of three things.  This year I took her to the LHS, said get me something, and walked back out and sat in the car.  All I know is that it's a RailKing item because it's a yellow box, but as to what, no clue.  I want to open it first, but it got put under the tree early on, so it's buried now.

My dad buys me a Railking Loco and cars and Menard's... Your always at least 2 of the cars from the first year.  This year I will be getting 8 Scale flatcars.

So Mark, enjoy your Christmas...

Nothing like trains on Christmas morning.  However, I learned long ago that relying on others to get the "right stuff" doesn't always work (and can result in unwanted items). Sure, I can buy the trains and give them to others to "give." Nah, no fun.

So, every year in early December I always buy myself a train-related Christmas present. Satisfied every time ! 

Two train surprises in my 59 years! Christmas 1962 grandparents bought me my first Lionel, Christmas 1992 my wife bought me the Lionel Great Northern Empire Builder set. Since then she goes with me to the hobby shop and "helps" pick something out. Hence one of the reason I have only one all black steam engine!

Santa brought me my very first train (a Lionel 2026 and three freight cars) in 1951.  To say that three-year-old me was surprised would be a gross understatement.  Nothing can top that one.

Great Post John! The past posts bring many good memories to mind. 

I am fortunate enough to have have received some train related present under the tree for the past 51 Christmases. 

I wonder what car Santa will place under the tree this year????

Merry Christmas to all.

Frank

johnstrains posted:

Nothing like trains on Christmas morning.  However, I learned long ago that relying on others to get the "right stuff" doesn't always work (and can result in unwanted items). Sure, I can buy the trains and give them to others to "give." Nah, no fun.

So, every year in early December I always buy myself a train-related Christmas present. Satisfied every time ! 

I feel the same better to get what you want than not what you don't want.

When I was a young boy, I never went to tree first to see what Santa brought. I always started at the train layout.

Who likes it? A better question might be... who doesn't?

RoyBoy posted:

Who likes it? A better question might be... who doesn't?

I don't.

It has been a very long time since anyone has bought me trains, and that's exactly how I like it. I pre-order what I want when the catalogs come out. It isn't as if there were any brick and mortar stores that carry what I like, within 300 miles anyway. I can't just give people a list and send them shopping. They know me well enough not to bother.

That said, I just got an email yesterday from FedEx, saying that Charlie Ro was sending a 22 lb box. I have no idea what is in it, I just know it's something that I wanted. It doesn't matter to me if it doesn't show up by Friday. I'm kind of curious to see what it is, so I'll probably open it.

This is something I miss on Christmas! Last I got trains for Christmas, they were a few pieces of rolling stock I already purchased so I swapped them out at the LHS. Used to always get a new engine each year. I haven't gotten a new "surprise" engine or anything "train" in many, many years. As I'm told, "you don't need anything else".

Is this a trick question?

Me! Me! Me, me, me!   

Heck, I would be surprised if I got  ANYTHING Xmas morning or any morning, for that matter. Those days are long gone.

I love the surprise on Christmas morning - this year it cam on the 22nd.

Any train surprises are good surprises, unless they're too big for my curves lol

i rarely get train surprises on christmas, she gts me something she knows i want most of the time, she bought my 8801 last year while i was looking at it in the display case. she knew i wouldn't spring for it so she did. however 3 years ago i unwrapped a hersheys vat car that i wasn't expecting, she liked it and bought it for me.

Yes, and my birthday is 5 days after Christmas, Problem is, wife really doesn't know what I need or want train wise and I find it distasteful to "ask" for a particular Christmas/Birthday gift. I am not saying that is wrong; I am saying it is just the way I feel about it.

MartyE posted:

Is this a trick question?

Why yes Marty, it is.  If you answered the question wrong,  then Santa will not come down your smoke stack this year.

This brings back memories of my first train, which I still have.  Plywood on the floor.  Big Marx oval.  That great smelling Marx smoke in the WICKED green bottle.........

I have the same problem others have mentioned:  a wife that is generous but takes absolutely no interest in the hobby.  She wouldn't have the first clue as to what to buy or where to buy it.   It's not fun for me to have to tell her down to the last detail exactly what I'm looking for, and it's not a lot of fun for her either.   On occasion I'll buy something and she'll wrap it so that the kids get to see me opening something, and I always play it up, but for the most part, trains are like my other hobby - skeet and sporting clays.   If she tries to understand it, bad things will probably happen.   It's enough that she accommodates them without too much hassle 

Every year my wife goes through the Ready to Run catalog by Lionel or the Railking catalog from MTH to see if there is anything I have to have.

This year I think she is surprising me with the Peanuts Halloween set. She usually knows what I like. No complaints here.

Sean