Besides my American Flyer and living a block from the SP's Newhall Yard in San Jose the thing that got me into trains was a magazine article I had about the closing of the East Broad Top in 1956. Of course, it later reopened for passengers but from that time forward, I had always wanted to see it. It wasn't until 1976 that I ever went East of Denver and not until 2006 that I actually saw the EBT running.
First trip of the 2006 season heading North out of Orbisonia with 2-8-2 #15