Reading the Garage Sale Artifacts thread, and with the holiday season upon us, I'm reminded that as a railfan my friends and family always know what to get me for Christmas, birthdays, etc. Or at least they think they do. Since they know little about railroading, the gifts can range from OK to the odd and useless. I've recieved several of those toy locomotives that whistle, run into the wall, then go the other way I sell them at our yard sales). I've also gotten numerous train whistles that require more air than the brakes on a unit coal train, a steam locomotive made from Pepsi cans, cigarette lighters, cologne and liquor bottles shaped like steam loco's, incense burners, Christmas tree ornaments, poorly written books, tacky paintings
of Hollywood-style "old west trains", and railroad spikes made into everything, just to name a few.

On the other hand, my wife's cousin recently gave us tickets to ride a Buckingham Branch Railroad excursion in Virginia for our wedding anniversary, a thoughtful gift that we really enjoyed. Year before that we gave each other a ship cruise (for her) to Alaska and a ride on the White Pass & Yukon (for me). Awesome!
So here's the question: What are the dumbest railfan gifts you've recieved from well-meaning givers, and what are the best and coolest ones you gotten?
Mike Warren



p_michael_warren@yahoo.com

> The best is a tradition my wife has bestowed upon me at Christmas for the last 20 years. She hands me her credit card so I can wild ordering RR books & DvDs! I too received one those plastic battery operated train sets one year by a uninformed distant family member,was put to good use by my 9 house cats who enjoy derailing it every season! Reading the Garage Sale Artifacts thread,
> and with the holiday season upon us, I'm
> reminded that as a railfan my friends and
> family always know what to get me for
> Christmas, birthdays, etc. Or at least they
> think they do. Since they know little about
> railroading, the gifts can range from OK to
> the odd and useless. I've recieved several
> of those toy locomotives that whistle, run
> into the wall, then go the other way I sell
> them at our yard sales). I've also gotten
> numerous train whistles that require more
> air than the brakes on a unit coal train, a
> steam locomotive made from Pepsi cans,
> cigarette lighters, cologne and liquor
> bottles shaped like steam loco's, incense
> burners, Christmas tree ornaments, poorly
> written books, tacky paintings
> of Hollywood-style "old west
> trains", and railroad spikes made into
> everything, just to name a few.

> On the other hand, my wife's cousin recently
> gave us tickets to ride a Buckingham Branch
> Railroad excursion in Virginia for our
> wedding anniversary, a thoughtful gift that
> we really enjoyed. Year before that we gave
> each other a ship cruise (for her) to Alaska
> and a ride on the White Pass & Yukon
> (for me). Awesome!
> So here's the question: What are the dumbest
> railfan gifts you've recieved from
> well-meaning givers, and what are the best
> and coolest ones you gotten?
> Mike Warren


Forsyth63@yahoo.com