[Theresse]

Hello!

I wonder how often you guys get some parent inquiring about a Christmas train and then never hearing from the person again?

I have a feeling I'll visit here for other reasons in the future though since I have three boys who might become interested in trains - if I can get them to! My boys are ages 7, 3 and 3 (twins). It was hard for me to have no girls so I'm just going with this whole "boy thing" - ha ha. I'm attempting to give them some traditional boy things/memories since my husband's unfortunately not really into doing so (just not very hobby-oriented or into buying stuff). So I thought I'd give them their first train-around-the-tree Christmas, to be discovered Christmas morning maybe? I think it means something to me also because my grandfather loved old steam trains (he was born in 1902) and I inherited all his old train records that he used to play for my brothers and me when we were kids. Nothing but the sound of old locomotives. So I wouldn't say I'm bitten by the bug but definitely nipped. There's something so...well I don't know what it is about trains but they're special aren't they.

What I want for my sons is a train that can be appropriate for Christmas as well as other times of the year in case they DO get the bug. So I prefer a traditional steam train with lots of black (and of course colors such as red and green can't hurt). I've read many excellent reviews about the Lionel Polar Express O gauge train set. I called a train store to ask about whether it can be slowed down and left to go on its own and during that conversation the store owner said I'd like the MTH RailKing 2-8-0 passenger steam train much better than the Polar Express one due to it being much better quality and at a cheaper price. Here's an example on youtube though you probably already know the train (?!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igut8EDC8Bw&feature=related

Lastly, my boys are all EXTREMELY into Playmobil - and since I'm the one into hobbies/collecting - as well as history - I've been slowly collecting retired Playmobil medieval sets and now have quite the ever-expanding castle and army of men and medieval villagers - pretty fun stuff. I brought this up here because what I really want for a Xmas tree train is the also-retired Playmobil Christmas train. These unfortunately are near impossible to find and the bidding on ebay just gets too high each time. But I keep looking...and I know the LGB trains aren't the same caliber (or at least I assume) as the Lionels or MTH's et al.

What do you think about all these options? Is there another train I should be considering?

Thank you so much, and sorry I wrote so much!
Theresse

p.s. if the Railking one really is better, my eldest may be disappointed that it's not the Polar Express. The Polar Express one is known to have a decent engine but lousy passenger cars. Are the passenger cars of the two companies interchangeable by chance?

 

[full maxx]

Hi Theresse I also am looking at getting a train for my 4yo son ...he loves trains, we have a ton of brio Thomas stuff . Also debating the Polar Express from Lionel, but this will be something we will play with all year and add to as time goes on. Tomorrow we are going to a hobby store and talk to an older man that has been into trains for a long time. Knowledge is power and I want to be up to date on as much as possible. My situation is that we will be adding to the starter set and doing the landscaping and adding track so I really want something that will last and of good quality. He loves the Polar Express and I think he may be dis appointed if it is not that , however he has no idea we are getting a train set but he has watched videos with me about them and I know he wants one.I joined this forum the other day for the same purpose and will be returning often with questions and pics and videos. Good luck with your rail experience

 

[T-Man]

First, is what does the 7 year old want?
Lionel and MTH have a wde range of beginner sets.
They have cats online.
Also these sets have expansion sets. Three more cars you can add.
I think the MTH had an expansion set that you showed. The actual set may be smaller.
How long will the set stay in quality condition with 3 boys?
You may want a less expensive set with a smaller engine and more interesting cars instead of coaches(they are nice for a tree but play with?)
I believe the cars are compatible.
Pick a set there are many options. The Polar does have a sound system in the tender. If you introduce them to sound they may be spoiled in the future. With electronics the tender alone is 110 for replacement.

Beware of the Polar G set, it is on sale and not to get it confused with the 027 set. Also the set you get, has a certain track. Trains will fit from one set to another but the track will not with different manfacturers.

Also look for a cast locomotive instead of plastic. You can also read the K line brand owned by Lionel

 

[Reckers]

Theresse, if I could add an additional suggestion, decide how much space you're willing to devote to a full-time setup. Look at your home and ask yourself, "If the boys really like this and want to use it all year round---where am I going to put it, and how much space will it take up?" That and cost are factors that heavily influence your choice of scale (size of train). It's no fun if you have too much train and nowhere to use it. This site http://www.thortrains.net/index.htm has some good example layouts so you can see what is possible with each size. Second, you sound like a hands-on kind of lady: there's no reason you can't take a train that is a similar to the Polar Express and paint it to match, overcoming the "but they don't make the Polar in the size I want" problem.

In closing, lots of people come with only a single question, and that's okay. We don't mind and welcome the opportunity to involve younger people in appreciating something we enjoy. When you have more questions, bring 'em on!

 

[Theresse]

Hi Theresse I also am looking at getting a train for my 4yo son ...he loves trains, we have a ton of brio Thomas stuff . Also debating the Polar Express from Lionel, but this will be something we will play with all year and add to as time goes on. Tomorrow we are going to a hobby store and talk to an older man that has been into trains for a long time. Knowledge is power and I want to be up to date on as much as possible. My situation is that we will be adding to the starter set and doing the landscaping and adding track so I really want something that will last and of good quality. He loves the Polar Express and I think he may be dis appointed if it is not that , however he has no idea we are getting a train set but he has watched videos with me about them and I know he wants one.I joined this forum the other day for the same purpose and will be returning often with questions and pics and videos. Good luck with your rail experience

Thanks for sharing your similar circmstance! I feel badly for all these serious model train hobbyists - to have to put up with parents who may or may not stay interested. But the thing is - we may! Thank goodness for forums on the internet...so so so much information and excellent advice!

 

[Theresse]

First, is what does the 7 year old want?
Lionel and MTH have a wde range of beginner sets.
They have cats online.
Also these sets have expansion sets. Three more cars you can add.
I think the MTH had an expansion set that you showed. The actual set may be smaller.
How long will the set stay in quality condition with 3 boys?
You may want a less expensive set with a smaller engine and more interesting cars instead of coaches(they are nice for a tree but play with?)
I believe the cars are compatible.
Pick a set there are many options. The Polar does have a sound system in the tender. If you introduce them to sound they may be spoiled in the future. With electronics the tender alone is 110 for replacement.

Beware of the Polar G set, it is on sale and not to get it confused with the 027 set. Also the set you get, has a certain track. Trains will fit from one set to another but the track will not with different manfacturers.

Also look for a cast locomotive instead of plastic. You can also read the K line brand owned by Lionel

Thanks T-Man! My kids don't know I'm doing this for them so I don't know what they want. When my 7 y/o was younger he loved the wooden Thomas trains but he's been out of that for quite some time now...but he loves the movie Polar Express. My twin 3 year-olds are more likely to be very excited even though ironically, they're not as interested in the wooden trains as my eldest was at their age (they're not as popular now in the tiny tots culture due to the China leaded paint scare, I'm guessing. Also we no longer have the train table set up so they just set them up on the living room floor when they want to play with them).

I hear what you're saying about passenger train vs. freight trains. It's a tough call. I think passenger cars will stimulate their imagination (imagining what it would be like to be tiny in there) in a special way but the freight cars are also something all kids - or boys at least - like because they memorize the names of the kinds of cars and what their functions are. Passenger more Xmasy in a way but freight cars also carry "gifts for the good little boys and girls." (aren't people who use smiley face emoticons annoying?!)

I prefer the good quality sets over cheaper ones because I just don't like cheap toys and besides these boys are NOT old enough to be allowed to just go hog wild and play with them however they'd like. Hopefully the train will withstand the kids better should they have a rough moment with the train, if not plastic. They'll need to be supervised for the first couple of years (the younger boys at least). Also, in a perfect world, the train will be handed down to future generations so I prefer some decent quality for that reason too. If no one stays interested then obviously we could sell it later. But I think they'll love it. I know the Polar Express train's cars are supposed to be not-so-great plastic but so far no bad reviews on how they hold up. I like the idea of replacing them with better cars later (except that the writing on the sides won't match up of course...but I may not even get the Polar Express - I have no idea which to get!).

You mentioned the polar set having sound but the MTH one does too (?). I don't need silly music but I LOVE the sound of the whistle and horns blowing and the steam sound - it reminds me so much of those old records of my grandpa's! I'm also not too concerned about sound spoiling them as my real goal is actually not so much about trains themselves as it is about creating Christmas traditions full of sensory memories (good food, smells, sounds, lights, etc.) with less of an emphasis on material junk a.k.a. heaps of presents that will fill our house w/ clutter as well as fill the landfills! I think if they become interested in model trains because of this Xmas experience, then that's great! We have a very small hallway next to the living room which doesn't get used (closes off w/ door to become a closet-type of space - though we have no clothes in there) and the train could in theory - if we buy more track over time - go around the Xmas tree, into the hallway/down that, then come through back to the living room on the other end and back to the tree. If I had more money I'd set that whole thing up Xmas Eve for the biggest surprise of their lives but I'm guessing 30 or so feet of additional tracks ain't cheap!

I know the Polar Express G set has bad reviews and isn't the right size - at least I assume most people use the O size, yes? Thank you for the warning!

So if you were a small child waking up Xmas morning to your first train, would you rather wake to a freight train or a passenger train?? I'm getting further and further away from the "much like the Polar Express movie's train" idea when I consider getting a freight train...but maybe the freight train wins out even over the movie? I guess I'm asking for a man's/boy's perspective here.

Many thanks!

 

[Theresse]

Theresse, if I could add an additional suggestion, decide how much space you're willing to devote to a full-time setup. Look at your home and ask yourself, "If the boys really like this and want to use it all year round---where am I going to put it, and how much space will it take up?" That and cost are factors that heavily influence your choice of scale (size of train). It's no fun if you have too much train and nowhere to use it. This site http://www.thortrains.net/index.htm has some good example layouts so you can see what is possible with each size. Second, you sound like a hands-on kind of lady: there's no reason you can't take a train that is a similar to the Polar Express and paint it to match, overcoming the "but they don't make the Polar in the size I want" problem.

In closing, lots of people come with only a single question, and that's okay. We don't mind and welcome the opportunity to involve younger people in appreciating something we enjoy. When you have more questions, bring 'em on!

Hey Reckers! Wow - what a website you linked me to! That's definitely going to come in handy! We have a pretty large living room (long and rectangular) which like I was saying earlier, sits next to an unused skinny hallway which just lets light in from the back of the house to the front of the house through doorways. It doesn't have to be used cause the whole main floor is circular or has "flow" as they say. So you come in entry way, then you can either go left to living room or right into dining room and then those rooms go into further rooms heading toward the back of the house and then come full circle. So I think that hallway could be used in a very fun train-related way! I like the O size best I think - but I'll go find a model train store if there is one around here, to make sure first. I also have no idea how expensive it would be to get all the tracks I'd need to go down and around that hallway. I'm grateful for your advice to take the size carefully into consideration! Obviously if it's used only for going around a tree, a smaller size would be better. Hmmmm...

Thank you also for being so welcoming.

 

[Reckers]

If there's one thing I like, it's a lady with enough class to take time to answer everyone and say thanks. You come back any time you want, Theresse!

 

[full maxx]

my concern is space , I am thinking about a table top that is hooked to the ceiling with rope so you can raise and lower as needed and hook and unhook the rope as needed ... the play room in our small house has no light in the ceiling so that idea may work and the table will be 4x6 or 8 feet but I don't think much Lionel will fit on it but we will know more tomorrow...I can't wait

 

[Big Ed]

my concern is space , I am thinking about a table top that is hooked to the ceiling with rope so you can raise and lower as needed and hook and unhook the rope as needed ... the play room in our small house has no light in the ceiling so that idea may work and the table will be 4x6 or 8 feet but I don't think much Lionel will fit on it but we will know more tomorrow...I can't wait

make a hinged 4x8 on the wall. you frame it out and it lowers when you want to run it. then when your done you just put it back up in the frame. If it's O gauge you got to build a deep frame so it accommodates yours structures.It works better with HO or N.

sort of like a hidabed.

but you just got to make sure everything is tight on the layout.
and take the trains off to before you put it away.

I have seen plans in one of the magazines years ago.

 

[Big Ed]

Hey Reckers! Wow - what a website you linked me to! That's definitely going to come in handy! We have a pretty large living room (long and rectangular) which like I was saying earlier, sits next to an unused skinny hallway which just lets light in from the back of the house to the front of the house through doorways. It doesn't have to be used cause the whole main floor is circular or has "flow" as they say. So you come in entry way, then you can either go left to living room or right into dining room and then those rooms go into further rooms heading toward the back of the house and then come full circle. So I think that hallway could be used in a very fun train-related way! I like the O size best I think - but I'll go find a model train store if there is one around here, to make sure first. I also have no idea how expensive it would be to get all the tracks I'd need to go down and around that hallway. I'm grateful for your advice to take the size carefully into consideration! Obviously if it's used only for going around a tree, a smaller size would be better. Hmmmm...
Thank you also for being so welcoming.

Sounds to me that you want the trains more than anyone!


Welcome to the site.
When my twin boys were little I got them all the wooden Thomas trains they made. We still have them all somewhere.
They loved them and my electric trains.

Now they are 17 and all it is is computers and electronic devices games, wide screen TV, etc.

I vote for freight cars and operating accessories. It will stir their imagination better. Passengers cars later when they grow up some.

I still have my first die cast old Lionel steam engine I had when I was a kid and I can't tell you how many times I crashed that loco and derailed it landing it on the floor 4' down. I had collisions of a great variety. My RR was weathered naturally by the wrecks I had!
It's got a couple of bruises and missing a marker light but still running strong.

If I had dynamite back then I would have run them like Gomez Adams.
I got a couple of bruises from my dad for running them like that too. lol

Now a days it would be called child abuse.

 

[full maxx]

well we thought about that but we are renting and that may do a little more to the wall than I like...the suspended idea is only a few small holes that can be filled and painted over granted it would take two people to raise and lower but we would all be there together anyway

 

[tankist]

my 4x7 table is folding to the wall (the side that attaches to wall slides down on rails). that way if i really feel like getting car into garage i still can

oh, and welcome Theresse. i think you got plenty of opinions so far. i can only concur - passanger for around tree holiday layout, freight for every day. i got my first HO set when i was 5, probably one of the most bright moment of my childhood

 

[Big Ed]

well we thought about that but we are renting and that may do a little more to the wall than I like...the suspended idea is only a few small holes that can be filled and painted over granted it would take two people to raise and lower but we would all be there together anyway

If you got a big master bed you could build one that rolls in and out from under it.

If you do the ceiling thing make sure the anchors are secure.
Into studs for sure.

 

[modeltrainhead]

make a hinged 4x8 on the wall. you frame it out and it lowers when you want to run it. then when your done you just put it back up in the frame. If it's O gauge you got to build a deep frame so it accommodates yours structures.It works better with HO or N.

sort of like a hidabed.

but you just got to make sure everything is tight on the layout.
and take the trains off to before you put it away.

I have seen plans in one of the magazines years ago.

hey remember kakashei455 off of h0scale thats me

 

[prr1361(inactive)]

I noticed theres some from PGH besides me on here, If any of the pittsburghers are into lionel repair, What happened to Bill at Log cabin Train shop?

 

[Theresse]

Sounds to me that you want the trains more than anyone!


Welcome to the site.
When my twin boys were little I got them all the wooden Thomas trains they made. We still have them all somewhere.
They loved them and my electric trains.

Now they are 17 and all it is is computers and electronic devices games, wide screen TV, etc.

I vote for freight cars and operating accessories. It will stir their imagination better. Passengers cars later when they grow up some.

I still have my first die cast old Lionel steam engine I had when I was a kid and I can't tell you how many times I crashed that loco and derailed it landing it on the floor 4' down. I had collisions of a great variety. My RR was weathered naturally by the wrecks I had!
It's got a couple of bruises and missing a marker light but still running strong.

If I had dynamite back then I would have run them like Gomez Adams.
I got a couple of bruises from my dad for running them like that too. lol

Now a days it would be called child abuse.

Thanks Ed (and sorry for the delayed response - have been busy) - I love the Gomez visual!:laugh:

 

[Theresse]

my 4x7 table is folding to the wall (the side that attaches to wall slides down on rails). that way if i really feel like getting car into garage i still can

oh, and welcome Theresse. i think you got plenty of opinions so far. i can only concur - passanger for around tree holiday layout, freight for every day. i got my first HO set when i was 5, probably one of the most bright moment of my childhood

Thanks Anton. Well I got the train, but it's nothing that I expected to get and is in fact freight and not passenger, unfortunately. Read below as I'm about to post about it, share links to pics and ask for more advice!

 

[Theresse]

If there's one thing I like, it's a lady with enough class to take time to answer everyone and say thanks. You come back any time you want, Theresse!

(thank you!)

 

[tworail]

In for the pictures