One of my favorite things to tell new parents is to get their newborn an electric train for the child’s first Christmas because that was what my Dad got me for my first Christmas.  Or so I thought.  Thinking that this would be a fun subject to write about on my Christmas blog, I went and dug up my baby album to find the picture of me and my electric train on my first Christmas.

Much to my surprise and disappointment, the photograph I saw clearly in my mind for all of these years did not exist.  However, I did find THIS Christmas photograph of me and my electric train.

Me and my electric train, Christmas 1952. I was always such a looker.

This photograph was taken on my second Christmas.  The basic starter Lionel Train set.  My Dad eventually built the coolest portable layout for the train.  I remember when we moved out to Arizona when I was 4 years old the anxiety I had because the train set and layout had not made it with the rest of our belongings.  It was the last thing to arrive from Ohio.  We always set up the layout at Christmas, and if I was lucky, I got a new car or accessory  on Christmas.

I still have the train.  It is boxed away.  The portable layout long gone having been done away with when I was at college, (along with half my comic book collection).  Even though the set is old, it isn’t worth much.  Too many high speed wrecks, and from what I understand, the premium prices are paid if the cars are in their original orange and blue boxes that you see in the back of photograph.  But the sets value to me in fond memories is priceless.

Christmas and Lionel Trains. Like peas and carrots.

I  must say I was a bit disappointed that my 1st Christmas present at the age of 11 months was not the electric train.  It was such a great story that I have told for years.  But as I looked through my baby album for the first time in 30 some odd years, I was delighted to find a picture of me at the tender age of 11 months with my 1st Christmas present.  I didn’t even remember the picture, but it explains so much about yours truly.

There I am.  Banging my first drum.

And I still bang the drums today.

Always to old to die, never to old to rock and roll.

It’s 12:20 on Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas, everyone.