As Thomas the Tank Engine enlightened every boy’s fantasy and graced the thoughts of those who have been awed by those fantastic machines, trains offer a powerful addiction to many. Small boys watch the talking trains from their living rooms and do not understand what it is that makes them so wonderful. But as boys grow into men they realize what it is that captured them when they were boys and stayed with them into their adulthood; control over a powerful machine.

What is it that drives men to play with “toys”? It may be that they are captivated by the thought of controlling something so powerful even though it is 1/87 of its size. Perhaps it is the puzzle of how trains operate; the electricity flowing through the lines to make it move. Perhaps it is because trains are so organized; only able to run on its track. Or perhaps it is the memories of seeing the train going around the Christmas tree every year that makes us want to relive it through our “toy” trains. But the word toy is not accurate any longer when talking about model trains. These wonderful toys have grown into machines and are ready to play with the big boys.

Toy trains are generally the plastic ones that you see on sale while you are Christmas shopping. They are low quality and priced as a great way to introduce kids to the hobby. When boys grow up they are called men. And when toy trains grow up, they are called locomotives. Locomotives are made to last. They are higher quality and many lack the “push it slightly to get it to move” feature like lower quality trains have. Their wheels are made to make greater contact with the track in order to get a better connection to the electricity which will help to get it going. They are the things that put a smile on a model railroaders face. Plus, locomotives have stronger engines. A stronger engine means greater pulling power. A quality locomotive is also made out of metal rather than plastic like toy trains. The overall weight of the train has a big effect on how well it runs. The heavier the train, the better it will make contact with the track and therefore, a better running train.

And if electricity wasn’t good enough, the wonderful makers of the model train industry offer steam engines for the little boys inside grown men. Of course there are a lot of different quality trains on the market that offer steam but, there is nothing better then enjoying these trains with lifelike steam filling their scenery.

Not many boys get to grow up to be able to actually drive a train. I’m certain that many train drivers look at the work they do as a job rather than a little boy’s life long dream. But, we don’t have to all grow up to be train drivers to fulfill our dreams. We can satisfy ourselves in the hobby that so many of us enjoy; toy model trains