Collecting a complete set of Lionel trains - 500 pieces in the collection.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Collecting a complete set of Lionel trains - 500 pieces in the collection.

On track with memories:
Jim Scott has a collection of more than 500 pieces of Lionel trains at his home in Greensboro. (Credit: H. Scott Hoffmann - News & Record)

Jim Scott has a collection of more than 500 pieces of Lionel trains at his home in Greensboro. (Credit: H. Scott Hoffmann - News & Record)

For almost 55 years, Scott has been collecting Lionel metal trains. Today, he’s accumulated more than 500 pieces. And he’s not finished yet.

“I am trying to find what I need to complete sets,” says Scott, 64, of Greensboro. “A collector is always looking for the next piece. Right now, I am looking for a toolbox. I already have the little metal tools, so this would help me complete a set .”

Founded in 1900, Lionel was most beloved for its metal toy trains, which were produced from 1901 to 1969. Today the rare trains are prized by collectors and widely admired by such enthusiasts as Scott.
“They are a chance to capture and save some of my past,” he says. “It is an attachment thing for me. I am able to pass down a little bit of history to my grandchildren.”