[billybob_jcv]

There used to be a Dakin stuffed animal factory about 15 miles from where I grew-up. It was a common field trip for elementary school kids in the late 60s & 70s before it was all moved offshore. I wonder if any of your Garfields were born there...

 

[Argyris]

Quote:

There used to be a Dakin stuffed animal factory about 15 miles from where I grew-up. It was a common field trip for elementary school kids in the late 60s & 70s before it was all moved offshore. I wonder if any of your Garfields were born there...

 
I don't have it in front of me now, but think mine was made in Korea, so I'm assuming by the late 70s everything was overseas. That had to be a pretty cool field trip, though. We had a Lionel train office a few miles from our elementary school that was a popular field trip site. They had a huge room with tracks meandering in all directions, with some sort of mountain in the center. There were bridges and places where the tracks went underneath one another and through holes in the mountain.
 
That building has been vacant for years now, though.

 

[warrenpchi]

H a ppy  Belated Birthday Bowei!​

 
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There was another comment to be made, but I figured I would leave that for Warren to make(whenever he checks back in).

 
LOL, I would but I've already taken up residence as a brain tumor for ardakzay.
 
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I'm waiting for the platinum or ruthenium versions to be released so that I can ignore them too....

 

 
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lool dat face. Can't tell if happy or mad.

 
He just used up all of Bowei's lotion.

 

[Argyris]

Quote:

He just used up all of Bowei's lotion.

 
Bowei would be the one making that face if that were the case.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I don't have it in front of me now, but think mine was made in Korea, so I'm assuming by the late 70s everything was overseas. That had to be a pretty cool field trip, though. We had a Lionel train office a few miles from our elementary school that was a popular field trip site. They had a huge room with tracks meandering in all directions, with some sort of mountain in the center. There were bridges and places where the tracks went underneath one another and through holes in the mountain.

That building has been vacant for years now, though.

WOW!! I know exactly the Lionel factory you are talking about - Lionel had an office and factory in Chesterfield. When I'm not a head-fi dweeb, I am a big Lionel train geek. I've been collecting Lionel trains on and off my whole life! My dad bought our first Lionel train in 1952 and kept buying a few pieces every Christmas until the late 1960s. From Thanksgiving to New Years, we would fill our living room with track, trains and all kinds of motorized accessories - it was great fun! I have all of his stuff plus a bunch I have gathered myself from shows, shops & eBay.

Fun Times!


[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLroIZCgRy4[/VIDEO]

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

Quote:

I don't have it in front of me now, but think mine was made in Korea, so I'm assuming by the late 70s everything was overseas. That had to be a pretty cool field trip, though. We had a Lionel train office a few miles from our elementary school that was a popular field trip site. They had a huge room with tracks meandering in all directions, with some sort of mountain in the center. There were bridges and places where the tracks went underneath one another and through holes in the mountain.

That building has been vacant for years now, though.

 

 

WOW!! I know exactly the Lionel factory you are talking about - Lionel had an office and factory in Chesterfield. When I'm not a head-fi dweeb, I am a big Lionel train geek. I've been collecting Lionel trains on and off my whole life! My dad bought our first Lionel train in 1952 and kept buying a few pieces every Christmas until the late 1960s. From Thanksgiving to New Years, we would fill our living room with track, trains and all kinds of motorized accessories - it was great fun! I have all of his stuff plus a bunch I have gathered myself from shows, shops & eBay.

Fun Times!

 

 
You mean, you could help me get started 

in a whole 'nuther hobby?

 

[bowei006]

Quote:

H a ppy  Belated Birthday Bowei!​

 
 
LOL, I would but I've already taken up residence as a brain tumor for ardakzay.
 
 

 
 
He just used up all of Bowei's lotion.

Thanks Warren!
Quote:

 
Bowei would be the one making that face if that were the case.

ahhh........hmmm

 

[billybob_jcv]

You mean, you could help me get started 

in a whole 'nuther hobby?

Absolutely! I suggest you start with this one, it is highly prized and very valuable...

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

[MrViolin]

Quote:

H a ppy  Belated Birthday Bowei!​

 
 
LOL, I would but I've already taken up residence as a brain tumor for ardakzay.
 
 

 
 
He just used up all of Bowei's lotion.

I see what you did there. Man. You guys are so lame you're funny. Make my day brighter. 

 

[Argyris]

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Make my day brighter. 

 
Was that a request? Is this bright enough for you:
 

 

[billybob_jcv]

...putting on my Cliff Clavin mailman uniform...

I hate to break it to you, but even an 18,000 lumen flashlight won't make your *day* brighter. Bright direct sunlight is ~100,000 lumens...

 

[TrollDragon]

Torch 20K

 

[warrenpchi]

Quote:

Quote:

H a ppy  Belated Birthday Bowei!​

 
Thanks Warren!

 
Panda color scheme just for you!
 
Quote:

Absolutely! I suggest you start with this one, it is highly prized and very valuable...
 

 
What's up with the dildo color scheme?
 
Quote:

I see what you did there. Man. You guys are so lame you're funny. Make my day brighter. 

 
Mission accomplished! 

 

[billybob_jcv]

What's up with the dildo color scheme?

That was Lionel's 1957 attempt to attract girls to play with trains. For some reason, the attempt was a dismal failure... The result was predictable - in the collecting world, "failure" = "incredibly valuable" In this case, an entire original 1957 Girl's Train set, with all boxes and accessories, in Excellent condition, is probably worth ~$10,000. If the boxes are in mint condition, you can probably at least triple that price!




Some of the Lionel train prices are crazy - there are certain locomotives that are worth North of $30,000 - if they are mint condition with a mint box.

Of course, there are also TONS of Lionel trains that aren't worth anything. People drag their train sets from the 1970s to train shows thinking they have a gold mine, only to find out that the entire set might be worth $30 - *if* it is fairly good condition - and most of the plastic crap from that era ran poorly when new, was easily broken, and is now worth essentially nothing. If you have a Lionel train set that has a model steam engine, and the shell of that engine is plastic - you probably do NOT have anything worthwhile. On the other hand, if the steam engine has a shell made of metal - then drop me a PM...

 

[wink]

My elder brother is a train tragic.
His whole garage is being converted into a model train layout. HO/OO scale.
 
I remember in the early/mid sixties when I was an apprentice electrical fitter/mechanic on the NSW Railways. I used to go to Sydney for tech.
I used to go to Hobbyco to look at all the model trains for sale.
They were Rivarossi, Athearn etc. and cost about A$200+ each when the fortnightly tradesman's wage was less than that.
I went to Hobbyco about 5 years ago and saw the same models in a perspex case as an exhibit and a NOT FOR SALE sign attached.
Would be worth a mint now.
 
My brother and I built a little layout in our garage that swung up against one wall.
That was before my brother got married and he took the layout to his new home.
Most of the trains we had were Triang and Lima.
 
I don't miss them, but it was fun wiring up the layout. All the buildings had lights in them.
The track was isolated into sections and we had a display board over the layout with the tracks shown, and a light lit up when a train was in the section.
 
Nowadays with DSD and all the new stuff it's a totally new ballgame.