Any Toy Train Displays in NYC this Thanksgiving?

I've been to the actual transportation museum and am not aware of any Holiday Displays set up but then again, it has been several years.

The MTA Store always has set up a very well done Lionel layout in the store at Grand Central.

The Botanical Garden display in the Bronx is not to be missed. Expect heavy crowds. Last time I went, it was a mess. I believe they now have a "reservation system" that hopefully eases the flow.

Anyone know if Macy's still sets up a layout in their Santa area?

If you can get over to Paterson NJ somehow I can arrange a private showing for your group of our layout  Paterson is about 20 - 30 minutes from Midtown   Here is our website

WWW.njhirailers.com

Sorry but I don't get" part of the lionel sell off was the Transit Museums Exhibit at GCT" what does that mean? Will there be a layout this year? I always thought it brought in a lot of people!

Note Santa Land at Macy's has a layout. You need to get there early if you want to avoid the long lines. Santa Land is only open from black Friday to Christmas Eve. 

Other than Santa Land, GCT Transit museum shop, and Gulliver's Gate, thosecare the only consistent displays. Every thing else is hit or miss.... Such as he Lego store in Rockafellaer Center

Also note the Greenberg Edison train show will be Thanksgiving weekend. If you have a day to kill, a bus or a Uber ride to Edison maybe your ticket.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Sorry but I don't get" part of the lionel sell off was the Transit Museums Exhibit at GCT" what does that mean? Will there be a layout this year? I always thought it brought in a lot of people!

Yeah, I'd have to agree that's not good IF true (I imagine by "sell off" the OP means the archive sale).

None of us obviously could have any insight into the financials, but that display was a great thing in terms of exposing the general public to the fact that Lionel trains still exist in the world. 

I guess if it didn't generate a lot of actual sales of Lionel trains within the store, it might not have been considered a winner by the management, but IF it really is gone or about to be, that's not cool.

(I was going to check the dates in the Notch 6  original post on the topic to see if the auction/sale had already taken place, but then I remembered that thread got the normal hand wringing and nastiness, so the thread is unfortunately long since toast.)

Sorry to divert from the topic of the thread with the above.  If this Layout is still happening this year, it is a great display!  Ialso agree with the Botanical Garden comments above, it is a great thing to see as well.  The large bridges of NYC made out of branches are phenomenal.  (The rest of the buildings and the trains themselves are pretty nice too! )

-Dave

bluelinec4 posted:

If you can get over to Paterson NJ somehow I can arrange a private showing for your group of our layout  Paterson is about 20 - 30 minutes from Midtown   Here is our website

WWW.njhirailers.com

That's a great offer from one of the stand-up ambassadors of the hobby.  Definitely take Ben up on the offer if you have the time!

-Greg

The Botanical Garden train display is not to be missed. You will need to purchase tickets for a specific time before you go.

And you can take the train from Grand Central to the Botanical Garden stop and make a day of it.

Hello friends,

Thanks for for all of your informative replies.  I had forgotten about the Botanical Garden display that I had read about in the past.  It looks amazing!  As does the NJ Hi-Railers Layout.  What a treat a private tour would be for anyone, especially a toy train nut like me! (Even if my main, but still modest, collecting interest is American Flyer.) 

It looks like the Gardens might be doable if I can get my "tour group" to agree and carve out the time.  I forget anything I learn about taking the subway between each trip to NYC, but it looks like it's a pretty straight shot to NYBG from GCT.

Getting to Patterson to see the NJHR club would be more difficult for us to do on this Mid-Town focused visit, but, if I can take a raincheck,  don't be surprised to hear from me in the future, Ben.

And although we fly out of Newark on the 25th, I don't know that we would have the time to take in the Greenberg Show before we have to get to the airport.  Again, perhaps something for another trip.

My reason for posting this question was to be sure that I did not miss seeing a display near where we will be just because I didn't know about.  I may have to take a walk over to the Red Caboose on 45th just to get a brief model and toy train fix among the stacks and cases like I have on other trips to Manhattan.  I hope he isn't closed that week. I consider that place a historic hobby shop museum.  Growing up on the West Coast, I missed ever seeing Madison Hardware and the Hall of Science or the Lionel Showroom.

Not to hijack my own topic, but I am dismayed that it seems that a no one in The City is doing an old school, typical public display for the holidays anymore.   While we can wax nostalgic about the old days of department store windows and dedicated toy and train stores, it seems that until recently, NYC always had a bank, a museum or other retail or public entity that would put up a fun and wildly popular display for the holidays.

I am thankful for all of the clubs, individual hobbyists and show operators and sponsors who have taken up the mantle of keeping our great hobby before the public.  A friend and I have set up a display in December in the Oregon State Capitol for over 30 years.  The only year we missed was after 9/11 when the decorating committee decided not to decorate that season.  Hundreds of the people who went through the Capitol Building that season wrote in the guestbook some form of, "Where is the train?!"  

I will close with some pix of our Capitol Holidays Layout.  Come see it if you find yourself in Salem, Oregon this December before Christmas.

Thanks again.

Cheers!

Alan

There's very good NJT bus service to Patterson--the 190. You would need someone from the club to meet you at the bus terminal though. Might be more doable for them and you than someone driving out from Manhattan.

NJ Hirailers! You won't be disappointed or hungry.........

Hay PRRHORSESHOECURVE,

That Edison show that you mention will have our group of "O" gaugers: The Raritan Valley Hi-Railers in the show. We're unveiling some new modular scenes to change-up the looks of the layout on that weekend. A 40' x 50' layout will be displayed for the general public, so come on down & "chew the fat" with us. Love to hear other peoples thoughts & suggestions about the layout, or hear what you have!

     Steam Forever

        John - coordinator for the Raritan Valley Hi-Railers, catch us on facebook & see the layout in action, and a  sneak peak at what's coming, leave a comment.

        N.J. Hi-Railers member

If you can, there are a few nice layouts to visit on Long Island:

Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers is in Levittown.

TMB Model Train Club is in Farmingdale

Central Operating Lines is in Bohemia.

The Lionel Visitors Center is in Riverhead, part of a Railroad museum.

All worth the trip.

Larry

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Sorry but I don't get" part of the lionel sell off was the Transit Museums Exhibit at GCT" what does that mean? Will there be a layout this year? I always thought it brought in a lot of people!

I've never really understood why it's called a "museum."  It's basically a store, with everything priced at least at MSRP, with a nice layout in the middle as the attraction.  Almost like going to the Museum of Natural History and seeing price tags on all the sea creatures artifacts on the walls in the great hall where the giant whale is suspended.  

I try to take my family every year to the GCT "museum" but can't say as I've ever bought anything, given the non-competitive pricing and no desire to carry it around Manhattan for the rest of the day.  

Grand Central holds the Transit Museum Annex - the Transit Museum proper is in Brooklyn.  

The Annex has a revolving series of exhibits on the left side, while the right side is the shop.

Lionel sponsored the "Holiday Train Exhibit" from November until Feb.  but the new Lionel no longer owns that display.

BMT-Express posted:

Grand Central holds the Transit Museum Annex - the Transit Museum proper is in Brooklyn.  

The Annex has a revolving series of exhibits on the left side, while the right side is the shop.

Lionel sponsored the "Holiday Train Exhibit" from November until Feb.  but the new Lionel no longer owns that display.

I know TW was involved in refreshing it a couple three years back. 

Again, calling it a "museum" is a misnomer or confusing at a minimum.  And, the only reason I bring this aspect up is because a museum generally operates from grants, not sales.  If the GCT Christmas display is susceptible to closure due to sales, that seems grubby.