I was reading an article recently called, “All Aboard,” about old Lionel Trains, and what some are worth, today. This really brought back memories, first of growing up with my love of stream engines, both as toys, and the actual bigger than life, real ones.
LIONEL ELECTRIC TRAINS
My set of Lionel Electric Trains weren’t elaborate with switches, side tracks, or model towns. They were just a set of trains that went around, and around in a circle. There was the steam locomotive, several different freight cars, and of course a red caboose. I was very content just playing with my set of trains, and imagining the towns, and cities that they went through, and the other trains that they would pass on their trips across the country.
THE REAL THING
Of course, my father had a different idea. He wanted to introduce me to the real steam locomotives that were represented by my Lionel Train set, before they became a thing of the past. The closest and easiest place to go, and see actual steam locomotives in action, was at the Hoboken, New Jersey Commuter Railroad Depot. We took the subway from Brooklyn to Greenwich Village, and got off at the Christopher Street/Sheridan Square station. We walked west along Christopher Street toward the Hudson River until we reached the Hudson Tubes Train Station. Nowadays it’s called the Path System. It was a fairly short ride under the Hudson River, and to the Hoboken Commuter Railroad Depot. The commuter railroad served the small towns in northern New Jersey, giving workers a link to the Hudson Tubes, and then to the New York City subway system. I don’t think I was quite prepared the first time I saw an actual steam locomotive. All I was used to were our subway trains, which were electric, and didn’t make a lot of noise. The other difference was, when we entered the subway train from the station platform, it was level with the doors. Everything at the Hoboken station was very different, and a little unnerving. First, these steam locomotives were huge as they came roaring into the station. The station was ground level, which made them bigger, so that when you entered a passenger car you had to climb up several stairs into the car. I think the scariest part was when they started to go. Those big drive wheels, which were bigger than me, would start to move slowly, and then suddenly, with a lot of noise, and steam coming out, spin very quickly several times around, until they settled down to a steady movement. My father and I took short round-trip rides to some of the close surrounding towns.
HAPPY MEMORIES
After I got used to the steam engines, these were really happy memories, and I was glad to have experienced them. I loved those train experiences as a child growing up. Trains still fascinate me, especially the old steam locomotives which are disappearing. There are some still operating as amusement rides in small towns.
THE UNEXPECTED
When I was working as an art director in Manhattan, there was a model rail road store located on either west 44th or 45th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. Actually the store was in the basement of the building. They had a small display in one of the street level windows. When you went downstairs, the place was packed with all kinds of model rail road paraphernalia. They even had trains traveling around the store, up near the ceiling. On one particular visit, I was just looking at some of the model steam engines, when I overheard a conversation behind me. There were two men talking about actually traveling on small existing railroad lines that have steam locomotives. As I turned around to see them, I found myself starring at a Priest in full habit with a red neckerchief tied around his neck, and a grey striped railroad engineer’s hat on his head. I sometimes think that those experiences only happen in New York City.
