Congrats eliminator!! :)
I too had HO trains and always wanted a LEGO train. At that time was the monorail. I now have all of them since Emerald Night and enjoy them almost every night. For me one of the best is the Maersk train, so put it also on your list.
As you're in shopping spree keep in mind LEGO is giving double VIP points on purchases this month and that translates to a 10% discount.
All Toys R Us (at least Vaughan Mills, Lawrance and Kitchener) are having a 20% discount on Lego City theme until the 25th, so final prices are similar to the ones in the states. I just grab today the 3677 for 139.