The best thing about the model train set was the wonderful scent of electricity.
The miniature carriages and locomotives were beautiful, fascinating, and mesmerizing in their attention to detail, such that I would spend hours admiring them. But it was the red transformer box with rounded corners and the black knob that offered a subtle resistance as I turned it to accelerate the train, that was the real prize.
I could hear the hum and feel the vibration of the current filling its coils, as the little red lamp flickered on when the knob would be slightly turned clockwise. I would hear the click, and feel the current, but it was not strong enough to move the train. That moment was exhilarating for me. Then, I would turn it ever so slightly more, and the engine would begin to move, almost unnoticeable.