Train Sets

[tom mann]

I was browsing around looking for the Lionel Polar Express S gauge set for this Christmas when I came across some Bachmann G gauge Thomas.  I'm not sure what would be the most enjoyable for around the tree - the kids like both.

As an aside, it dawned on me that it was kind of funny to consider a temporary train set when I am continuously buying and running "year round" trains. It's a different kind of model trains.

What train sets do you guys have experience with?

[Denver Road Doug]

S-Gauge huh?  Who knew? 

I bought the Lionel Polar Express set for my son when he was four.   He enjoyed playing with it but it went with him to his mom's and as far as I know has never been touched again.   I am trying to get it back but I'm not optimistic.

Overall the trainset is--as you sort of alluded to--a weird phenomenon to the everyday model railroader.   I've always thought it important to have a decent and decently-priced trainset available, but I'll admit that I'm backing off of that contention of late.

They are very exciting to see!   They elicit the emotions of those times as a youth where I experienced the thrill of a trainset as a gift, which happened often.  I think I received 3 trainsets as Christmas presents from Santa before I was 6...two Lionel O-27 and one Lionel HO.   But outside of that, my family was big on shopping the garage sale, so I would often find complete trainsets at garage sales for next to nothing and it was a similar thrill, even if they typically weren't in their original box.  Something about a box full of trains...and not just the rolling stock but track and a power pack and everything needed to get those trains rolling.  I ultimately would buy another trainset....in N-scale...sometime when I was in Junior High I think.   I already had *some* N by then, but no layout and it was fun to just run trains.

Our Hobbytown USA's always have tons of trainsets, and even the high quality sets from Kato and the like.  I see those and think man that would be so awesome for a 11/12-year-old a but then you're looking at upwards of $300.  (H-USA is of course MSRP or more)   Bachmann actually has some decent sets that are more inexpensive and yet still have knuckle couplers (which was always a pet peave of mine several years back) ...they can be had for around $100 and at places like Hobby Lobby or Michaels they offer deep discounts almost weekly so it wouldn't be impossible to walk out of there with a good basic set for $60-70.

That $70 pricetag isn't the worst thing, but I think about how people shop these days, and I think generally most people are more likely to do a little more research on such a purchase and "mix-and-match" products, or definitely shop online and even if they're buying trainsets that $300 set might be $200 or whatever.   So while I always thought it was important to have some decent sets (not the el cheapo's) for folks "getting started", I think now that the barrier for entrance into the hobby is no further than the keyboard, a credit card, and two days for the USPS truck to stop by.

That's not to say they're not still cool to see--I still want to buy that Kato Superliner set everytime I walk past it--and they obviously sell pretty well or the stores wouldn't have so many of them.  But yeah, it's a different perspective as a model railroader.   

[wcfn100]

We do the Lionel O scale Polar Express but have a little larger circle than what comes with it so it fits under the tree better.  The boys have busted a couple of the details of the engine but it's held up really well to the operating sessions it gets put through. 

 Might get an add on car this year or maybe the sound tender.


Jason

[Dave V]

What train sets do you guys have experience with?

We do traditional Lionel O27 with all the goofball train cars like the "alien autopsy" car and the radioactive car...  I started with the old tube-style track but switched to the Lionel Fast Track...it's nicer looking and more stable.

Here it is when we lived in Nebraska in 2009:

[Bob Bufkin]

Was thinking about getting the Polar Express for my grandson to put under their tree this year. 

[nkalanaga]

A lot of O-27 equipment used to be (near) S scale.  Lionel just put it on O gauge track.

[nscaler711]

I have the Thomas G scale set, Thomas is a really useful engine, while Annie and Clarabelle like to derail every chance they get... Something along the lines of too tight curves and axles that have no pivot points... So yeah... Buy bigger radius track if you go that route...
But his wandering eyes may disturb people lol... Oh and yea may want to try and light that headlight up, I did and it was a pain... But worth it...

[chicken45]

And you can weather him with coal!


Or treacle wooly bear Percy!


And the money shot:

[peteski]

I actually watched some Thomas episodes and it was cute.  But I noticed that in the lastg few years they have moved from physical models (I assume LGB size) to CG generated images. So while in the past Thomas was "real", now it is just a computer graphic.  Ersatz Thomas and friends are just not the same.

Oh well, someday, not in a very distant future we will no longer even need human actors to star in movies. It'll be all computer-generated.  One thing, the production costs will be cheaper. 

[pjm20]

I grew up with Thomas and still love it, but CG ruined it.

[chicken45]

I LOVE Thomas, or TtTE. I always have since the late 80's. That's before kindergarten for me! A neighborhood friend's mom was from England so in addition to Penguins and Fruit Pastilles, they brought over TtTE tapes. I had a few of the Ertl toys, too. I loved, and still love Shining Time Station.
I stopped watching not because I grew out opf it, but because I never knew when it was on and became busy and watched less TV. It all ended with George Carlin for me. Never saw many eps after that. I know Alec Baldwin was doing it for a while, too.

Fast forward many years... I bought a single new DVD for my toddler and was not a fan. I don't like how each engine has its own voice actor. I guess it's more immersive, but I like the old audiobook approach.

As far as the CGI goes, of course I hate it. However, I heard before making the jump, they did focus groups with kids to see which they liked better. Turns out they liked the added facial expressions of the CGI versions, so they went with what the kids liked.

Thanks to YouTube, we can have it both ways. There's a supercut of every Richard Starkey narrated episode.

[Rich_S]

Tom,
   I vote to go BIG, GO Bachmann "G"

[Santa Fe Guy]

My two year old Grandson sits on my knee in front of my computer and we watch Thomas together, the original of course. Don't much care for the new stuff.
Rod.

[nscaler711]

Well I'm impressed I thought id get a lot of crap for having Thomas but nope, guess I can go relive my childhood and go watch some STS TtTE... lol

[Nato]

              Train Sets , what train sets."We don't gotta show you no "Stinkin Train Sets". I actually have purchased three sets in the last three or so years, all N Scale. First one was a Bachmann Mc Kinley Express Alaska set, bought it to have the dome cars to run with my other Alaska cars. I really wish Bachmann had done the Ultra Dome cars in N like they did in HO. At a train show about two years ago I purchased a Micro Trains  Cotton Belt TOFC set that just called out to me, the PFE and SP TRailers on flat cars along with MT's version of the Silver & Red SP steel coupla caboose, the locomotive is Bachmannn. The cars match custom painted cars I have several of from the N Scale Collector (now Enthusist) so I could expand my short train. Third set is the Micro Trains Grand Central Terminal  Anniversary set. I knew from day one this set would be a foob, a MP 2-8-2 lettered for New York Central pulling Pullman Green MT heavyweights lettered for NYC. Hey, no steam ever ran regularly into GCT MT could have found a smalll Kato or Tomix electric locomotive, but the anniversary is a historic event to I had to have. My final advice is yes go large scale to run under your  Christmas Tree. Nate Goodman (Nato).