Nostaglia

Nostalgia:

*A wistful desire to return in thought or fact to a happy time in one's life

*A sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time

*A sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

This picture of me at age 4, on my tricycle, wearing my Davy Crockett T-shirt, brings back wonderful feelings for me. I loved playing "Cowboys" with my six-shooter cap guns and friends. In addition to my Lionels, I have a collection of Disney Davy Crockett items.

My Lionels also bring back warm feelings of day's past; my Dad building a layout for my brother and I when I was 6 or 7, painting figures with my Mom, running trains on combined "layouts" with friends, opening Christmas packages containing a new piece of rolling stock, and more.

When I operate my Warrenville Railroad the aroma produced by original Lionel smoke pellets, the e-unit buzz, the air whistles and diesel engine "bicycle" horn sounds and the smell of ozone always, without fail, makes me happy.

Running my re-created original Lionel set, headed by a 2338 Milwaukee Road GP7 is one of my favorite things.

Nostalgia can also extend to past desires - it definitely guides my purchases of Post and Pre War Lionel trains. It plays a huge role in the whole look of, and construction methods used, in building Warrenville.

Nostalgia. A wonderful thing. Without it would I enjoy my PostWar lionels so much?

I think not.