Lionel Locomotive
Aug 22, 2020 07:51:40 #
As I posted before, I've been watching shows about model railroading on Prime. Last night, I watched 45 minutes about the design and construction of a Lionel steam locomotive, the 700E Scale Hudson, based on a real locomotive from 1937. I think this took place in 1980. Lionel produced it years ago, but ended production. Design and preparation was a detailed, lengthy process. As I watched, I realized this would not be a cheap toy. At first, I estimated $150. Then I raised that to $300, $500, and $600. When the show was over, I looked it up. Engine and tender cost $1,599.00.
Imagine a parent/child conversation before Christmas.
"And what would you like for Christmas, Billy?"
"I want a Lionel 700E steam locomotive!"
"Well, I'm sure Santa will be able to leave one under the tree for you."
If the price was reasonable, I thought I might get one as a display piece.
http://www.lionel.com/products/vision-700e-nyc-hudson-5344-6-11209/
Imagine a parent/child conversation before Christmas.
"And what would you like for Christmas, Billy?"
"I want a Lionel 700E steam locomotive!"
"Well, I'm sure Santa will be able to leave one under the tree for you."
If the price was reasonable, I thought I might get one as a display piece.
http://www.lionel.com/products/vision-700e-nyc-hudson-5344-6-11209/
Aug 22, 2020 07:57:58 #
Archboo3
Loc: Central Florida
that looks just like the train I had as a kid. Gave it away when my parents separated and I let home at 16.
Aug 22, 2020 08:00:37 #
ottopj
Loc: Annapolis, MD USA
It seems to me that these aren't for kids anymore, if they ever were. My father and uncles played with my train set I goy (American Flyer in 1949) more than I did.
Photos of people playing with model trains now are of older guys and not kids.
Photos of people playing with model trains now are of older guys and not kids.
Aug 22, 2020 08:40:34 #
jerryc41 wrote:
As I posted before, I've been watching shows about... (show quote)
Sounds like an interesting film. I still have my Lionel train collection stored safely away. I planned to give it to my son but he never developed any interest in trains and my granddaughters migrated towards dolls so the train set has been gathering dust for over 70 years!! I should get it out to see what model engine(s) I have. Maybe I could buy a new camera with the $$ if I sold them!!
Aug 22, 2020 08:45:38 #
Interesting history between Lionel Trains and Neil Young.
Neil Youngs son has cerebral palsy and playing with the toy trains appeared to be great therapy for the child.
Mr Young bought into the company. Not sure if he still owns some of it.
Neil Youngs son has cerebral palsy and playing with the toy trains appeared to be great therapy for the child.
Mr Young bought into the company. Not sure if he still owns some of it.
Aug 22, 2020 09:19:34 #
jerryc41 wrote:
As I posted before, I've been watching shows about... (show quote)
I'm guessing price was the reason why my parents bought me a competing "Marx" set in the early 1950's.
I'm not sure of the exact year, but it stopped functioning in Fall 1957; by then, my parents had an "Athearn" HO diesel set for me, but dutifully took me to a nearby hobby store several times to see how much I would have to save up to get a replacement {no, I don't remember how much - I forgot the idea once Christmas came and I found the Athearn diesel under our tree}.
Aug 22, 2020 09:26:27 #
There was a fairly large and quite nice train store near us for a number of years. Some of the the complete trains on display and for sale were gorgeous....and quite pricey. They were not built for junior.
Aug 22, 2020 09:43:57 #
One of my friends, who passed a few years ago, has an unbelievable collection of amazingly detailed engines and tenders; HO gauge, all around his house in beautiful display cases.
Quite impressive.
Quite impressive.
Aug 22, 2020 09:44:06 #
Aug 22, 2020 10:43:19 #
Indi wrote:
One of my friends, who passed a few years ago, has an unbelievable collection of amazingly detailed engines and tenders; HO gauge, all around his house in beautiful display cases.
Quite impressive.
Quite impressive.
Some people are interested in 'detailing', others of us are interested in operations, and some may appreciate the results of detailing but are not interested in doing the work.
Aug 22, 2020 17:27:20 #
ottopj wrote:
It seems to me that these aren't for kids anymore, if they ever were. My father and uncles played with my train set I goy (American Flyer in 1949) more than I did.
Photos of people playing with model trains now are of older guys and not kids.
Photos of people playing with model trains now are of older guys and not kids.
Yes, I agree. Even though there are reasonably-prices sets, kids don't the interest they used to. Different level, but same idea - yoyos! Every spring, those things were bobbing up down all over the place. Too bad. It looks like they've gone plastic, and look at the prices.
https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=yo-yo&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
Aug 22, 2020 17:34:26 #
ottopj wrote:
Photos of people playing with model trains now are of older guys and not kids.
and some of us reject even the word "playing", as though those of us who photograph are "playing with cameras".
Aug 22, 2020 17:39:55 #
rehess wrote:
and some of us reject even the word "playing", as though those of us who photograph are "playing with cameras".
Yes, that can be a delicate situation. There's always a more serious word one can use.
Someone should write manuals for various hobbies with "adult" terminology.
Aug 22, 2020 17:50:43 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Yes, that can be a delicate situation. There's always a more serious word one can use.
Someone should write manuals for various hobbies with "adult" terminology.
Someone should write manuals for various hobbies with "adult" terminology.
I straddle both worlds, since I became interested in photography because of my interest in trains.
Aug 23, 2020 05:54:39 #
rehess wrote:
I straddle both worlds, since I became interested in photography because of my interest in trains.
In Part 2 of that train movie, I figured out that Lionel makes trains for two types of buyers: people who want to run Lionel trains, and the collectors. The collectors have always demanded extreme detail in their locomotives and have always been willing to pay big bucks - like over $1,000 for a locomotive decades ago. That's not something a kid runs under a Christmas tree. Lionel listens to what the collectors want and tries to make them happy, but they don't always ht the mark. Looking online, I see basic Lionel train sets for $150 - $400.
Another thing I found interesting about these shows is that some men are fanatical about scale, while others consider them toys and don't care about scale or realism. They just want a project and trains that will run on a layout. It wasn't surprising that the most enthusiastic women in these "train houses" fall into the category of either, "My wife like the trains, too," or "I appreciate the fact that my wife lets me do this." Maybe if these films weren't made up to twenty years, they would have shown women who build large layouts. Maybe not.
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