Big Trouble over Big Boy - need help!!

Whoa... that's exactly what's being asked about... remember?

Did your mind wander?

We've been promising our son for the last 2 years that he could get "big boy trains" when he turned 5. He's been asking for "big boy" trains for almost 2 years.

We thought he wanted a model railroad set and thought we'd all pick out a nice Lionel starter set for him when the time came.

No, we were wrong. My 4-1/2 year old wants the Railking Union Pacific Big Boy that he saw on "I Love Toy Trains" video #10.

Our jaws hit the floor when we FINALLY put 2-and-2 together and we don't know what to do! Does anyone make a Big Boy engine that would be appropriate in this situation? I've seen the little wooden one and that just won't do. The kid knows what he wants and we thought we were promising him somehting else.

Even if we could afford that train I wouldn't give it to a 5 year old!! Please help!!

Yeah, I guess it did. Must be all the acid I did as a kid ukelele player in the 60s. Sorry.

Dale

Con-Cor makes a plastic model of a big boy. It will need to be assembled and the wheels don't turn, but it just might do the trick. If I recall, it is about $20.00 at a good hobby shop. Your price may vary.

Learning about 'affordability' is an important lesson for him, you just have to bite the bullet and explain that it costs to much, then try giving him a budget and the task of finding something he wants for the price. Hard work but neccessary for all of except the millionaires Keith

Yeah - the whole prob is really that we have been promising him something we can't deliver! We didn't realize what exactly it was he wanted!! It's been 2 years so we feel horrible about this!

Thanks - I have been looking at something like that and I know he will like it and it may distract him a bit but it isn't going to fool him.

Don't forget to tell him the truth about the mix up. He may only be 4 1/2, but he deserves the truth. Explain that you know it is not what he was expecting, and that he is not old enough for the one he wanted. But you did get him a big boy.

You might also take him to a hobby shop and show him what you thought he wanted. Who knows, he just might fool you and want the Lionel or MTH set. You might also start him on an allowance so he can 'save' up for the engine he wants, while you save up for it too. then when he is older and if he is still interested in trains, you can pool the savings and buy it.

I have been the full time stay at home dad for my two children and while the truth may not be pleasant, they were told of mix-ups when they happened and I have said "I'm sorry about..." many times. They accepeted the truth and any compromise that we worked out.

Try it, he just might fool you.

Another thought: Find an O scale club or train show nearby and take him to it. One of the members might have a big boy and **might** let your son operate it. (Might not, but it never hurts to ask). Just do it descretely out of ear shot of your son. Of course you run the risk of having to join the club if your son really gets interested. Unfortunately most clubs have a minimum age for student members and a parent would have to be there with the child.

Good luck and please, keep us posted of your trials and tribulations with your budding railroader.

If you are anywhere near Kalamazoo, Michigan, I invite you to visit our club. You can get an idea about it at

.

If you are not near here, but travel to us, I still invite you to visit.

Frank Rosenbaum spake thus:

Yes, but keep in mind something everyone else seems to have missed or forgotten about the original request: the kid is *4-1/2 years old*. How long do you think that fragile model will last in their hands? Come on.

nanner spake thus:

OK, then it might just satisfy your need. Keep in mind, though, that this model isn't even painted or decorated (apart from some decals for the roadname and numbers): I have one (the old Monogram model, which is the same thing), and it's kind of charcoal-y colored plastic. Looks very much like plastic. If this is acceptable, no problem; otherwise, someone's going to need to paint at least some of the parts, a non-trivial job. (I've been meaning to put mine together for some years now.) Other than that, it makes a pretty credible-looking Big Boy model.

Part of the problem, Nanner, is that he wants an O scale locomotive. The Revel model is HO scale. There are two major manufactures of O scale steam. Lionel and MTH. Both are expensive.

If you can 'switch' your son to HO scale, you might be able to find a Big Boy for under $400. I just looked in the Model Railroader Magazine at an ad for Trainworld/Trainland in New York. They did not list a Big Boy, but they have other loco's by Riverossi/IHC. They might have one that they haven't put in the ad. Their phone is (718) 436-7072. They also have their website at

.

You might also look at

to see if they have a big boy in stock. According to the Walther's catalog for 2006, the Rivarossi big boy is due out in early 2006. Now,early 2006 could mean in time for Christmas, (G) but since it is an import, it could take longer. Part number isd 635-HR2005#4003 on page 61. This is HO scale and the list price is 349.99 Remember though, these are not push toys and you will need to buy track and a transformer to run it.

When my children wanted to play with my trains, they could, but only while I was there to watch and make sure they were doing it safely. My son was 3 when I taught him to use the trains. If your son is careful with his other toys, There should be few problems with the trains.

the fragile model will be on a shelf, assembled with our help of course. He knows the difference between a model to look at and a toy to play with. He already told me he'd like it but wants to have the "real" big boy set to operate! I guess no one makes a Big Boy set that is not soooo expensive!

Thanks - trainland is only about 20 minutes from here, did I mention my location? I will call them (and the other shops I know) Maybe they can help.

Yes, we have some HO experience and some stuff here, but wanted to go O scale. My little engineer happened to independenly fall in love with this huge beast of a locomotive LOL. I don't know if he cares about the scale.

Thanks

OP:

I would guess that 3-rail O gauge tinplate really would be best for a 5 year old, since it stays on the track so well. I had an HO set as a kid, then a fairly low-end Lionel, and the latter held up a lot longer (to be fair, the former was the Tyco Golden Eagle.**) The trick is finding something that's sold as a toy for kids rather than an overpriced pre-approved collectible. I'd advise you to go to a model shop and ask the train pusher therein. However, the Lionel die-cast 4-4-2 has a solid reputation as an unkillable locomotive, and comes in some fairly cheap sets. The "Pennsylvania FLyer" is around $180 or so, and has smoke and reverse. No, it's not a Big Boy, but it's big and black and heavy, goes fast and makes smoke. If you could get it decorated in Union Pacific I bet it would fit the bill without disappointing -- and the RailKing Big Boy would surely disappoint when it jumped the tight table-top curves and bent its rods to heck...what do the local tinplate braves think?

Cordially yours: Gerard P.

OP:

I would guess that 3-rail O gauge tinplate really would be best for a 5 year old, since it stays on the track so well. I had an HO set as a kid, then a fairly low-end Lionel, and the latter held up a lot longer (to be fair, the former was the Tyco Golden Eagle.**) The trick is finding something that's sold as a toy for kids rather than an overpriced pre-approved collectible. I'd advise you to go to a model shop and ask the train pusher therein. However, the Lionel die-cast 4-4-2 has a solid reputation as an unkillable locomotive, and comes in some fairly cheap sets. The "Pennsylvania FLyer" is around $180 or so, and has smoke and reverse. No, it's not a Big Boy, but it's big and black and heavy, goes fast and makes smoke. If you could get it decorated in Union Pacific I bet it would fit the bill without disappointing -- and the RailKing Big Boy would surely disappoint when it jumped the tight table-top curves and bent its rods to heck...what do the local tinplate braves think?

Sorry...image:

Cordially yours: Gerard P.

How mechanically inclined are you? Several years ago I made a couple articulateds out of old Lionel parts. I did one as a Union Pacific Challenger 4-6-6-4 - the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy's little brother - which I think is fairly representative of the prototype. I did mine from a pair of junked

1666-2026-2037-etc. 2-6-2 or 2-6-4 locos from a Lionel dealer's junk box for under $50. As recently a last October at the big York, PA show, I saw old 6-wheel motor assemblies for $15 to 25, and 1666 type boiler castings for $10 to 15, so that even having to add "new" reproduction steam chests, a reversing unit, side rods, etc. the total cost would be around $100. I drafted a never published step-by-step article on how to do it, and can send it to you if you're interested (delete the "nospam" from my address to reply off-group). Geezer

I picture a five-year-old laying waste to that (probably inadvertently) within a few days or weeks.

As good as the intentions on all sides may be -- it's still a kindergartener we're dealing with, who -- although try as hard as he might -- is prone to forget that a model is fragile at some point or another.

Four-and-a-half year olds are still learning to tell the differnce between pennies and dimes -- that's a hell of a concept you'd like to drop on his shoulders.