My Early Interest in Trains – Part 2

When I was six years old I got an American Flyer electric train for Christmas. The set included an ‘Atlantic’ steam locomotive, which has a 4-4-2 wheel arrangement. It had three ‘New Haven’ cars; including two passenger cars, and a railroad express agency car. Here are pictures of the engine and the cars from an American Flyer catalog of the era. However, my passenger cars were green.

The locomotive had a headlight, ‘choo-choo’ sounds, and puffed smoke. The passenger cars were illuminated. Back in the day one could get an American Flyer or Lionel catalog in the mail for a quarter. They were my “wish books,” and would quickly become dog-eared.

The next Christmas the same train was packaged as a new present, this time with added switches, track, and a caboose. This made new possibilities! With my fourteen year-old brother’s help (or perhaps I helped him) a layout was created in our basement using our ping pong table and a heavy work table joined by a truss bridge built out of my brother’s Lionel Construction Set (similar to an Erector Set). The bridge spanned the gap between the two tables and was rather spectacular. The truss bridge, the smoke and choo choo sounds all added to the excitement. 

Around this time  I was given the chance to ride in a real train locomotive, and I regret to this day that I turned it down! My dad had a friend who worked for the railroad. He offered to give us a ride to the summit of the Siskiyou mountains south of Ashland and back in the cab of an F7 diesel locomotive. First he gave us a tour through the locomotives, which were several units coupled together. As we walked through the huge diesel engines and other machinery were all out in the open inside the locomotives. The noise and action overwhelmed my young senses, and I declined the trip. In consolation, Dad took me to a basketball game. I wonder if he was disappointed in not being able to take the trip. Here’s what the locomotive looked like. The paint scheme is called ‘black widow.’ It is my very favorite train paint scheme.