Lionel trains rumbling over circular main lines erected at different heights and surrounded by operating accessories, including this No. 397 Diesel-Type Coal Loader, combine to bring Raymond Smith back to his youth in the 1950s. Long ago, this O gauger modeler residing in Bradford, R.I. recalls, life didn’t move quite as quickly as today, and kids enjoyed sharing their Lionel locomotives and rolling stock. Ray liked to join in the fun, although he was careful not to let his beloved No. 2353 Santa Fe F3 A-A combination roam too far from home. The levels of activity and simple yet effective scenery remind our host of the excellent three-rail operating display Lionel opened to the public in its New York showroom in 1949.
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