NNBM - SI Branch Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : NNBM - SI Branch

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: altair19 who wrote (38137)	12/7/2004 8:57:20 AM
From: Clappy	Read Replies (2) of 104157

One of the memories of Christmas was flashed back to me this past weekend. My oldest son Kevin took it upon himself construct the train set around the Christmas tree. I remember as a kid shoving the pin side of each piece of steel track together of our Lionel Train set. As I went along figuring how many curved pieces it would take to complete the semicircle part of the oval I would often try to see what other shapes I could do with the fixed amount of track pieces. I always wished I had more track so I could make the train have a more elaborate path to follow but after each layout attempt it seem that the oval fit the best under the tree. It was actually more than just an oval. It was like a NASCAR race track with a pit area. There was a switching track that put the train on the desired section of track. The locomotive was powerful and well designed. It's front light lit the way through the darkest section of real estate at the back of the tree and the stack had the ability to puffed smoke. My favorite car was the logging transporter. In it you could stack Lincoln Logs and when it got to a certain stretch of track I could press a button that activated a magnet and the car would dump the logs into a lumber bin. That same magnet could also be used to detach the cars from one another. It would open the coupler and allow you to drop off freight cars while you did a lap or two and came back to get them by backing up the long line of cars until the couplers met and reconnected each other. There was a scale sized train station that lit up when you attached a special clip that drew power from the same two rails that powered the locomotive. We also had tiny trees, people and benches that we could place around the oval. The warm humming transformer had a lever on top of it that allowed you to control the voltage you pushed out and adjusted the speed. After a while I knew which notch on top to turn the lever to so that the train would take the curve just slow enough not to derail itself yet fast enough to make it back to the station in record time. What jogged this memory was when I saw my son's slippers and ankles sticking out from under the tree while hearing the kids version of these symbols: #%$!@&!!# as he reached way back to the same exact deepest section of track as I used to. No matter how careful a person you are, your butt still knocks off two or three Christmas balls as you reach to reset the front two little wheels to get them back in line with the track. Always seemed to happen in the far back section of track. I'd try everything to get it back before crawling under that tree. Lever forward. Lever back. Slow. Fast. Forward. Reverse. Just like having your car stuck in a snow bank, the steel wheels would just spin. But eventually my fingers would find the derailed set of wheels on the logger car or whatever, and I'd give the transformer lever a push with my outstretched big toe and it would start to move! Ah the sound of the locomotive putting those cars! My parents threw out that train set when I was older. I wish we still had it. The one my son set up is a rather simple battery operated set. I may have to see if I can stop by a hobby shop and see if they still make the good ones. -ChooChooCharlie

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next