I was around 5 or 6(1968-69) when my parents gave me my first Tyco 0-4-0 shifter train set. My dad set it up in the basement on 2 ping pong tables where, eventually, he would build a bedroom for my 2 oldest brothers. The 2 tables were independent of each other & often the track would separate when you bumped into one of the tables. The set had 4 cars and a caboose. It was just an oval of brass track. It did have the single crossing gate that went down when the train crossed the plastic push rod(don't know what else to call it's operational system) I distinctly remember getting up on the table one night to shut off the light and then accidently kicking the crossbuck, thus snapping it off. Even though my dad tried his hardest to repair it with glue, it was broke for good. I was heartbroken.
A few years later, my parents gave me(for christmas) Tyco's "Spirit of 76" train set. I was in 7th heaven. Still had the 2 ping pong tables, but at least now my dad figured out that the 2 tables needed to be clamped together. After that C-430 suffered at the hands of a kid, I fell in love with the next greatest thing Tyco came out with, the 2-8-0 Consolidation "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" Again, my parent stepped up to the plate at christmastime. Ended up destroying that too.
I was 10 years old(1973) when I bought my first Athearn Blue Box SW1500 switcher(which actually was an SW7) It was in Illinois Central black. I still have it, although it no longer runs. Later years, when I was 18 & working, I spent money on lumber to build 2 - 4'x8' tables, set up "L" shaped with a 3rd sheet cut from corner to corner(wedge) and built a new layout. That lasted for 4 years until I was married to my 1st wife.
In my hometown of Rockdale, IL. the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific had their mainline. Rockdale was considered a "Heavy" industrial district by the Rock Island. In the late 1960's, the townspeople started having "Homecomings" to raise money for our local volunteer fire dept. Money was tight from the Village board and this was seen as a way to help buy new things that the village could not afford to. These were held over the Labor Day weekend. In 1974, I was at the festival when I spotted a train coming into town. I ran to the crossing to watch it go by. It was then that I had met Howard, he was a switchman working the local job to switch the industries around Rockdale. he was very friendly.
It was soon after I met Howard that he talked to his crews and they all ended up letting me ride with them, more often than not. I was able to get a pretty good grip on how railroads worked. This is where my love for the Rock Island has come from. Also, my first cab ride in a Rock Island locomotive was Alco C-415 #424, thus that love. I rode with those guys all through the rest of the 70's until the Rock Island shut down on March 31st, 1980.
In 1987, my first wife & I were going to see my parents when I spotted a Chessie System train headed toward Rockdale. I knew that Howard worked for them, but it had been a few years since I had seen him. Well, I gave chase. My wife wasn't too happy, but too bad. After seeing Howard on the train, he talked his crew into letting me ride the train to Minooka. My wife did come and get me, but she was steaming. She never did understand my fascination with trains. She did tolerate it though, even though there never seemed to be much money for model trains(I will not go there about my now ex-wife).
I did once get to ride from Rockdale to Ottawa, IL. on a freight train with Howard & his crew in 1988. It was a middle of the night run, on a Sunday night. The train was 7 locomotives, 215 cars and the caboose. That was something. Howard retired from CSX around 1993. Sadly, last year, at the age of 76, he passed away. Those are wonderful memories.
Today, I have a new wife, an 18 year old daughter and a 15 year old son. Of course, my daughter could care less about trains, but I have raised my son to enjoy them. Yes, he loves his internet, video games & instant gratification, his love for trains right now is kinda waning(it's an age thing, I'm sure) But when the old man goes chasing the Iowa Interstate, CSX or the EJ&E, he's right there with me. Even in divorce, I do have a fantastic relationship with both of my children.
Now I have a wife who encourages me to continue with my love for trains. If I see something & I can afford it, I buy it. She has her hobby of collecting Coca Cola memorabilia & I encourage her as well. She even has 4 Coca Cola train sets(Athearn), 1 of which ran around our wedding cake this past June.
As for a layout, we do not have the room at this time. We do have a plan for the future though. I'm still collecting though. We have somewhere in the neighborhood of about 100 locomotives(Rock Island, EJ&E, CSX & Iowa Interstate) and about 300 freight cars. Most everything is packed away, waiting for the planned layout.
Thanks to all of you who let me ramble on here & sorry for the long article. But that's my story & I'm sticking to it.
Regards,