The relatively new Upstate New York TCA chapter held a meet at the Edgerton Community Center in Rochester NY yesterday. This is the 65th anniversary (more or less) of the Police Athletic League Lionel four season layout of 1950, which has been located at Edgerton all these years. The layout featured in the famous 1950s book on model railroading and several articles in the model railroad and lay press over the years. The place was packed as certificates were handed out to volunteers who have maintained the layout (the only municipally owned toy train layout, it is believed) off and on for the last 30-40 years since PAL turned the layout over to the city of Rochester. The mayor of Rochester, Lovely Warren, was there to hand out the certificates. A truly moving and remarkable event for toy trains, Lionel and the City of Rochester. Just so this isn't totally Lionel-centric, there are at least 2 MTH Z4000 transformers on the layouts, and a Mel's Drive-In.
The Edgerton layouts are open once a month for free to the public at Backus Street in Rochester. http://www.edgertonmodelrailroadclub.com/ In addition to the Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall layouts, you can see the NYC mockup passenger car in which they are housed, as well as the Empire State Express drumhead from an original NYC observation car.
