Josh Topper has a video operating a real crane like this.

My Flyer set used to go from forward/reverse just by stopping and starting quickly. Thats why its was reversing when the pickup wheels were dirty. I liked American Flyer for the fact it didn't have the third rail.

So clean and organized. ❤

WOW that's IMPRESSIVE ❤

Amazing to see this, the engine 290 is identical to the one I have here in the UK , brought back from The States by my dad in 1955.They do indeed deliberately make a chuffing sound, in the tender is a loudspeaker for a remotely operated ' whistle ' chime . I had a box of the ' smoke ' vinyl sachets , a few drops were put in the smoke stack , when these ran out we used liquid paraffin ( probably a different term in The States ! ). When last used more than 50 years ago , the forward/ reverse mechanism in the tender became a little internittant but could be controlled remotely, a sort of solenoid mechanism . I also have the red cabose I think you call it - utter nostalgia !.

Passager cars, early 1952-1960.in your case 1952-1955, NYC 2344 1950-53. 1666 locomotive, 1946-47, also prewar. 2025 1947-52 tender usually2466 or 6466. 2926 locomotive 1948-53 usually tender is 6466wx. NYC gondola 1947-53, several variations and last but not least. Rio Grande 53, 1957, you have the typical variation like mine the backward "a" the corrected "a" is the rare one. Your dad left you some nice suff, treasure it. Merry Christmas Sir. Paul j. Train enthusiast. 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃

This is the exact AF set my father bought for me in 1952 (the 4904T set) when I was only one year old. You’ve acquired a mint set, complete with track, transformer, and instruction books, a true find! Lucky you! 🚂

I could be misinformed but I beleive TT Scale meant "Table Top"

Adjusted for inflation, that $23 on the box would be around $300 in today's money, so yeah, $23 sounds cheap to us modern people but it really wasn't at the time, definitely not kids toy prices.

love the Lites and the track, great gift from wife. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Just got my father's 1935 Burlington Zephyr under power again. Probably hasn't been run since 1970. Looks great under my sons Christmas tree!

Awesome video man really enjoy enjoyed it enjoyed your Christmas train really cool I've got to work on a little more Christmas train stuff next year

NICE video! I love your under-the-tree location and the involvement of your daughter 🙂 An earlier commenter is incorrect. The first NYC F3 was the 2333, built in 1948-49. It was followed by the 2344, considered the best of the 3 generations, from 1950-52. The 3rd generation (some slight cost-cutting) was the 2354, built in 1953-55. ALL of these are premium products, still highly desired even after 70 years! The Santa Fe version (also initially numbered 2333, confusing many) became THE most iconic Lionel diesel ever, and many generations later is STILL being produced! I loved them both. As child, my first Lionel engine was a plain-jane Santa Fe 220, a semi-scale Alco (but I pretended it was an F3!) which I dearly loved (and still have.) My good friend David (grade school) had an A-A set of your engines, and I still remember how they looked, sounded and smelled (the ozone) while running. I lusted after those and finally found a set at a train show, many years later. Your passenger cars are super-premium quality, too. Most kids only had the cheaper, gray-plastic semi-scale ("O27") versions, as they were all the parents could afford. BTW, where's your COACH ? (Lionel called it a "Pullman.") All you show are the observation (2531) and dome (2532). The coaches (they made 2) were the 2533 and 2534. All of those cars were made from 1952-1960 and are roughly worth $100 each. Newer passenger cars have overhead LED lighting that doesn't flicker as they roll over track joints, and have actual interiors (miniature seats with seated "people" in them.) Much nicer than flickering silhouettes -- but there's a lot to be said for the wonderfully-made (in the USA) postwar cars you have. Most people of my age would be tickled to have them!

Super video...love the MEC GP. I run a U25B MEC, same color scheme. So nice to see the wife and girls involved with the hobby. Happy New Year ! 🍺

I have had my share of new in the box Flyer. It seems to depend on Moisture, Corrosion gets the fingers the worse but a light sanding usually wakes it up. Clean all pick up wheels, tender, caboose, action cars. And if you have smoke on it put in the 8 drops of smoke oil. If you have ohms meter check the wires for continuity from track to action point, lights, solenoid or reverse unit. The track will need a scuff with Scotch Bright, Even clean track can get a film of stuff that insulates power transfer, do it! then wipe with old t shirt. Wiring is staight forward. But i had a Jeweler bring in his Lionel Engine that would not run He brought the engine, the track and transformer. He was so proud he remembered who toi wire it up. Upon inspection i found no juice to the track section. I checked the transformer at the terminals to find full power. Removed the wire to see all the insulation was still on all the wire to the end. I peeled the insulation and it all fired right up. No Charge. D

Hi, Brian, those are definitely two awesome trains of box cars. I must tell you that your Christmas display under your tree is one of the nicest I have seen! Thank you for taking part in this year’s challenge! I really liked the use of the snow plow to clear the way. It helped to give your display that “New England” vibe. Loved the custom box car too. Brian, you can most certainly proclaim, “Bill B., I did it!” I hope you had a good Christmas and that you and yours will have a Happy New Year! Bill

Great trains and beautiful videography! Well done! And with a plow on each end there's no way that Maine Central train's not getting through! Thanks for posting!

Love the Maine Central GP7. That and B&M are easily my two favorite railroads. Great video!

Hi Real Toy Trains & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks Real Toy Trains & Friends Randy

I didn’t know you had a foxbody ! I will have to tell you about mine the next time at B&F hobbies :) Maybe a car cruise in the spring!!

Cool... Cool... Cool... Cool... Cool... Cool... Cool... Cool! 😝

What scale is it?

Isn’t that a S gauge engine?

5-6-7 years along time ago? How about 30-40-50 years !

The backwards a is the most money

You have the Rio Grand with the reversed a.

Beautiful Trains

Those aluminum passenger cars were built in the mid-1950's, the 2354 NYC F3's were built beginning in 1948. Your model is a bit later as it has the plastic screens on the top whereas the earlier version actually had a wire screen on top. However, your F3 also has actual portal windows on the sides, later locomotives had no portal windows, just an indentation where they once were on the earlier versions. I would place your F3's at being built around the early-mid-1950's which would of course pair them up well with those aluminum passenger coaches. The 1666 is from the 1940's, maybe 1946? They were pretty common so they were built over several years. The 2026 and 2025 were both from around the late 1940's while that little switcher/snowplow diesel is a product from the later 1950's. Value wise, by far the most collectible items you have in this video is the NYC A-B-A F3 diesels. This is a very nice piece of your family history. You miss your dad and these trains bring back lots of memories. I lost my dad 12 years ago. He once had a large collection but by the time he passed away, it had been greatly reduced. I have his original O gauge set from 1938 (it too is a 1666E) with tinplate cars, his prewar black 763E and prewar 226E as well as some of his favorites from the much later, modern era. While I am still here on earth, these trains serve as a connection to my mother and father. While making this video, you created new memories with your daughter. Thank you so much for sharing. Merry Christmas!!🎄🎄

I love post war trains. To me it epitomizes what model trains were all about. I was born in 1964 and didn’t receive my first train until the 1970’s which was a set, of course it was a Santa Fe Set. Our models of today have come a long way with technology advances, but the sturdiness, quality and design are what I really miss. Thank You Very, Very Much for sharing those cool trains from the past! ❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏👍🔥💪🇺🇸

What a beautiful box of trains! Oh the memories!! The magic of Christmas! Merry Christmas!🎄🙏

The best part of this video was seeing your daughter help you and her interest in trains. That’s what trains are all about! Merry Christmas!🎄

3 generation holiday cheers to papa Johnny. What a treat to witness. Great Christmas layout👍

Nice trains. Love the Christmas layout.

Well done Brian and girls ! 👍👍👍

Yours is the common version with the backwards a. The rare one is the unit with the correct a. Odd how Lionel did that, be careful how you handle it, those window struts break easily and one of yours is already broken. The value is higher with unbroken struts.

The 2354 is a treasure ! The whole set is a treasure. Nice memories. I wouldn’t part with my trains for anything. Great video

Its one of the greatest treasures to have your fathers train stuff i have my dads old marx set and it still runs to this day

Now that's a great legacy worth MORE than money alone! Three generations tied together by one box of trains! Christmas miracles DO come in more ways than one! Thanks for sharing them with us, and a Merry Christmas to you and yours Brian!

Great trains !! So nice seeing your daughter getting involved with them!

Here’s some more classic trains! AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS - Will these vintage trains run?! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYvVo2RrmL99nZI

What a treat to see those trains your father passed down to you running around the Christmas tree. Thanks "Papa Johnny" and Brian!

Great video sharing between generations. Thanks Poppy…

I’m an old geezer and my favorite train car was the Lionel Milk delivery car. Do they still make that?

Enjoyed my past Youth...have 6 Engines 300 tracks 2 transformers plastic houses etc..but have no room...u r so lucky

Am almost 70 yrs old and I still love these things

Merry Christmas

I like you saying cool better that neat

Nice video merry Christmas