My first Hornet

Browniepetersen

The year was 1957. It was Christmas and Santa brought me a new Schwinn Hornet. Such a wonderful year. I remember riding that Hornet on every street in my small rural community.... Much like I do today with my cars.......

hudsontech

A friend of mine makes road trips and is on one at the moment. He mentioned in his report on his web site that he had visited the Marx toy museum in West Virginia. He wrote about the Christmas he got a Marx train set and it started me thinking back about 70 years to the train set I got one Christmas.
I wanted a Lionel train so badly - but you have to remember this was 1943 and where are you going to find a train set in the middle of WW II??? But, when I came downstairs that Christmas morning there was my train set - 8 pieces of straight track, 8 pieces of curved to make an oval, Locomotive, tender, box car, flat bed, gondola and caboose and a heavy transformer to run it. Did the fact that it was used make a difference - no way man. I think kids were more understanding back then than they are today. That train took me all over the world - we also had to use our imaginations more so back then.
The following year I sort of hinted an erector set would be nice - and Dad found one. Again used but in pretty good condition and everything was there. He found one of the Deluxe sets that had enough stuff in it to build a bridge and a house!!! Went nice with my wonderful electric train set.
Ah, the days of Christmas past.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

oldhudsons

I too had a beautiful Schwinn. I think it was black, "top of the line" with the spring front fork. It was my "Sunday go to meetin'" bike as had a stripped down one for riding to school & delivering newspapers (took a LOT of paper deliveries to pay for that Schwinn - had to go to South Bend to buy it).
Boyhood friends had Lionels but I considered them unauthentic as had 3rd rail, so I eventually had a big American Flyer train set with 3 engines, sidings, all that stuff.
Sold the train set via newspaper ad to couple who wanted it for a Xmas present as I'd "outgrown" it. Don't know what happened to the Schwinn but know they are collector's items today.

hudsontech

Pete, lucky you and Brownie on your bikes - my first bike was a hand-me-down girls bike from my sister!!! Having two older sisters hand-me-downs were a bi^&ch!!! LOL An old time mechanic who had a shop at the end of the street where we lived took pity on me and welded a cross bar on the bike. Did a beautiful job of it too.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

oldhudsons

Alex - I was the oldest, YEA, but dad wasn't going to spring for a sexy bike, had to save up my money, which took a LONG time. Just checked out eBay. Think what I had was probably a '50 Black Phantom - there is an original '52 Black Phantom, guy asking $1700 for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ducor Kid

Alex, You reminded me of the Christmas I got my Marx train train set. It was an oval with a siding in the center mounted to sheet of plywood.
I played with it for hours going nowhere fast.
Yes we used our imaginations to go everywhere!

Larry

faustmb

I got my first train set in the mid 80s, a well used mid 50s American Flyer 293 with assorted freight cars. It ran great, had a bright headlight, good smoke unit, and real choo choo I still have it, and set it up around our tree every year. This year I added an AF Sante Fe diesel set

MikeWA

Alex, I got a Marx O-scale (three rail track) when I was 5, so would have been the Christmas of '53. It was a figure 8. Engine that pulled, another that was just along for the ride, gondola, boxcar and caboose. Still have it, in storage somewhere. Also have a pic of me in my bathrobe, gazing at it in wonderment on Christmas morning. Its somewhere, too. I just gotta get organized!

brumac

My first train set was a present at Christmas 1941 from my mom's brother who was a B-17 pilot based at Westover Field near Springfield, MA. That was his last Christmas and I still have the set. Bruce

Walt-LA

Brownie,

You can still get a new Hornet! And endorsed by Smokey Yunick yet. WaltLA

Browniepetersen

Are these on sale at Wall Mart? or perhaps at my local Schwinn bike shop? I would have to have the word "Town" changed back to Texas or it would not feel right? Could not find any on eBay. I did notice that I could get a bike like my first bike for $1200. About the same price for my current Hornet tires.

ski4life65

http://www.bikeattack.com/manhattan-cruisers-hornet/

Glowplug

When I was a kid the bikes I owned were pieces patched together. During my early teens, I found a 1940's Columbia Super B frame with a skip tooth crank behind the local creamery. After asking around I determined this would be the basis of my "new" bike. Even though this battered frame was cast off by someone else it was my "pride and joy". I coupled the frame with the other junk I was able to scrounge and made a complete bike. After I moved away from my childhood home, that bike hung in the rafters of our family barn for years. Unfortunately, someone came along and thought they should have it and made off with it.

Several years ago I "treated myself" to an original non restored Skip Tooth 1941 Columbia Super B. The bike is completely original save the tires and tubes and the sheepskin cover over the hard leather seat. I try to get it out and ride it several days a week. When not in use it hangs in the garage over my Hudsons.