Who here remembers, when Captain Kangaroo was on TV and occasionally would have a large Lionel train layout on his show. He would operate all the new Lionel accessories for that year, I was in grade school at the time. We lived about about four blocks from the school. I would run to school and get there just before the bell.
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Remember the Captain, but don't remember ever seeing the Lionel layout.
Henry, It was shown in the fifthies.
I was born in 1958-- and I very well remember that large Lionel layout on Captain Kangaroo. It made me want a train set so badly. I don't know how many times a year it was on-- but not many, and it seemed like an eternity between showings. As you mentioned-- it had every Lionel gizmo a young chap could dream about, and it had several layers, and tunnels and wig wag crossing signals....! I never got a Lionel set-- but did a nice Marx set that I wore out....
I remember his Schwinn bicycle ads...
Having born in '47, I remember the Cap and the L trains. Jimmy Sutter....weren't you already a senior curizen by then? My one room grade school house was 6 blocks away and we always cheerfully ran and skipped to the old wooden room...with fireplace roaring away. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all !!
Anyone remember a Lionel train bringing out a drink for Jacky Gleason? Don
Yep. He had a commercial where the Lionel train had a flatcar with a bowl of Rice Krispies on it. The train would pull the bowl under a water tower and milk would pour out the spout and onto the cereal. Then the Captain would put his ear up to the bowl and listen to the "Snap- Crackle-Pop" !
@jim sutter posted:Who here remembers, when Captain Kangaroo was on TV and occasionally would have a large Lionel train layout on his show. He would operate all the new Lionel accessories for that year, I was in grade school at the time. We lived about about four blocks from the school. I would run to school and get there just before the bell.
Most certainly. There was an article about the Captain and his trains many years ago in CTT. I'll see if I can find it. I wrote the guest editorial for that one.
Lou N
I remember those Capt. Kangaroo episodes. his helper, Mr. Greenjeans was always there to help with the trains. I wish I could see a track plan for that layout.
Jeff
September 2001 CTT. I couldn't find the issue with my guest editorial in it.
The layouts were factory display layouts. One exception is in the article listed.
Lou N
@scale rail posted:Anyone remember a Lionel train bringing out a drink for Jacky Gleason? Don
Jackie said: "Booze goes swell with Lionel" or something like that
I certainly remember the CK episodes with Lionel trains. Those episodes really would wet my appetite for Lionel trains every time I'd see them for sure. If my memory serves me correctly those episodes would open with the trains running and of course the Captain at the throttle .... a ZW of course. I was always so bummed because I could only watch 10 minutes of the show before my Mom would force me out the door to school. I think the episode would run twice per year; one during the regular season and secondly the same show during summer re-runs.
Lou N. - I'd love to read your guest editorial in CTT. Unfortunately I don't have any train mags lying around that go back that far.
There used to be a weekday kids show broadcast from Baltimore on one of the local network affiliates ( I think WJZ TV ) called the Early Riser with Stu Kerr as the host. This show was on just before Captain K. He would sometimes ( once a year ) have a set of trains on that show. I don't recall if they were Lionel or American Flyer.
Searching the internet I found that the April 8, 1958 episode of Captain Kangaroo, Season 4, episode 189, featured the Captain and his toy trains. BUT, I can't find the actual video. It was deleted from YouTube as the person who posted it no longer has a you tube account. Easy to find is the episode where he was reading "The Little Engine That Could"
Can anyone here find it?
Did you know that Capt. Kangaroo was Clarabell on the Howdy Doody show?
I recall sending away to CK for a clear plastic lens that stuck to your TV screen. They would put something up on the screen so you could copy/drawn it on the lens. Then they would play a cartoon and what you drew appeared to be part of the cartoon. Not exactly PlayStation quality, but we thought it was pretty neat.
If anyone finds the trains that would be a cool video for sure.
The "Capt", attended the same college I graduated from. Many years ago, they granted him an official honorary diploma.
Jeff
@GVDobler posted:I recall sending away to CK for a clear plastic lens that stuck to your TV screen. They would put something up on the screen so you could copy/drawn it on the lens. Then they would play a cartoon and what you drew appeared to be part of the cartoon. Not exactly PlayStation quality, but we thought it was pretty neat.
If anyone finds the trains that would be a cool video for sure.
I don't think that was Captain Kangaroo, I think it was on the Winky Dink show. A piece of static cling plastic placed on your TV screen.
BUT, it could have been on both
Here you go, from Winky Dink:
My friend's father worked for WCBS television, and his father would take him and his brothers to the studio and got to go on the set of the Captain Kangaroo Show.
Stuart
I remember Captain Kangaroo and Mister Greenjeans in the 1950's on a Chicago television station probably Channel 2, it was on at 8:00AM daily, Monday through Friday, I started grade school in 1955 and had to watch the time the nuns did not take kindly for arriving late for watching this show, the Catholic Grade School was in running distance from my parents house. As for the Lionel trains I remember them being shown in late November and December.
Was not there a train layout that was in a large table with smooth sides? it may have been HO. I vaguely remember it. It seemed to be sunken down and there was a lid on top to cover it up. It was shown maybe at the end of the show each episode or in a commercial during the show. Like I said I vaguely remember it.
I do remember the cornflakes on the flat car though.
I remember the episodes as well. I have searched for the videos of the episodes and have been unable to find them.
@trumpettrain posted:I certainly remember the CK episodes with Lionel trains. Those episodes really would wet my appetite for Lionel trains every time I'd see them for sure. If my memory serves me correctly those episodes would open with the trains running and of course the Captain at the throttle .... a ZW of course. I was always so bummed because I could only watch 10 minutes of the show before my Mom would force me out the door to school. I think the episode would run twice per year; one during the regular season and secondly the same show during summer re-runs.
Lou N. - I'd love to read your guest editorial in CTT. Unfortunately I don't have any train mags lying around that go back that far.
There used to be a weekday kids show broadcast from Baltimore on one of the local network affiliates ( I think WJZ TV ) called the Early Riser with Stu Kerr as the host. This show was on just before Captain K. He would sometimes ( once a year ) have a set of trains on that show. I don't recall if they were Lionel or American Flyer.
I found the guest commentary. It was from July 2000. It was about CK and it also promoted Roger Carp's new Display Layout Book (I had contributed a number of blueprints to this book).
Patrick, check your inbox.
Lou N
I always thought it was HO...
Mark in Oregon
When I was 4-5, my dad was the president of the Great South Bay Yacht Racing Association, an alliance of 20-some yacht clubs on the south shore of Long Island. As such, we hosted meetings with the commodores in our living room. Bob Keeshan was the then current commodore of the Long Island Yacht Club. So I got to meet "The Captain" as a Commodore!
Jon 
@scale rail posted:Anyone remember a Lionel train bringing out a drink for Jacky Gleason? Don
I remember Gleason as Reggie Van Gleason III bring out a shot on a gondola. I have tried to find video of that without success so far. "Booze is swell with Lionel!"
Hi Jim, YES I remember Bob Keeshan aka Captain Kangaroo. Along with his collection of "friends". Mr. Green Jeans, Bunny Rabbit and Grandfather Clock. When he first started out, The Captain required padding to fill out the costume. Not so much when he was towards the end of the run. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Wishing you and yours a healthy New Year.
@Lionelski posted:I don't think that was Captain Kangaroo, I think it was on the Winky Dink show. A piece of static cling plastic placed on your TV screen.
BUT, it could have been on both
It most definitely was the Winky Dink show and it was hosted by one Jack Barry who later was a noted game show host. I was born in 1947 and I had my plastic cover which fit over our little TV screen and participated in Winky Dik's adventures every Saturday morning. I also watched good old Captain Kangaroo as well but for the life of me I can't recall the Lionel Trains. Great memories from a a simpler childhood time.
The Captain had Tom Terrific and Manfred his wonder dog and lets not forger Mr. Moose.
Jim D
My Mom was positive that we'd receive radiation burns from doing Winky Dinks on the TV screen...
Jon
In addition to seeing Lionel Trains on CK's program, I also 'vaguely' remember there was another show in the mid to late-50s featuring a guy (I can't recall his stage name) who appeared on a kids' half-hour program that was broadcast on WBEN TV's Buffalo station at around 5:00 or 5:30 pm weekdays which featured Lionel trains in the run-up month(s) to Christmas. That was the Lionel 'hook' for me. Funny thing - I seem to recall that Bosco (a chocolate mix that you added to your glass of milk) was one of the sponsors of the show. Yep, that was many years ago when life was a lot simpler.
@KOOLjock1 posted:My Mom was positive that we'd receive radiation burns from doing Winky Dinks on the TV screen...
Jon
Yes, I remember we had to sit a certain distance from the TV because of the dangerous radiation. Of course the TV was small to start with and the image wasn't so hot, so not the optimal experience. Come to think of it, kind of like looking at a movie on your phone. 
@Gilly@N&W posted:I remember his Schwinn bicycle ads...
And we rode Schwinn bicycles exclusively. Yes they were heavy, but they were built like tanks back then.
@Jim D posted:The Captain had Tom Terrific and Manfred his wonder dog and lets not forger Mr. Moose.
Jim D
And don't forget Mr. Green Jeans and that ruthless Maggio Carrot Thief, Bunny Rabbit. Man I'm dating myself.
@GVDobler posted:I recall sending away to CK for a clear plastic lens that stuck to your TV screen. They would put something up on the screen so you could copy/drawn it on the lens. Then they would play a cartoon and what you drew appeared to be part of the cartoon. Not exactly PlayStation quality, but we thought it was pretty neat.
If anyone finds the trains that would be a cool video for sure.
That sounds a lot like a show called Winky Dink.
Brad
I too remember Captain Kangaroo and always looked forward to seeing the Lionel trains. Just don't remember the years I was watching. Seems to me that the trains ran thru book cases too. Am I correct? I also believe one of the things I saw on the show was the #264 fork lift accessory. Good times.
Fun thread for Geezer Nation !
In our TV market, Captain Kangaroo was paired with Romper Room. Miss Connie? Romper, stomper, bomper, boo...
@AGHRMatt posted:And we rode Schwinn bicycles exclusively. Yes they were heavy, but they were built like tanks back then.
Yep, we were lucky kids. Lionel trains and Schwinn bicycles. Durable, reliable, both took a ton of punishment and still lasted a long, long time. I'll never forget my Schwinn heavyweight with the rear coaster brake. Nothing like going full throttle and then slamming on that coaster brake and skidding to the side. The 12 and 13 year old girls loved it. Almost as good as running Lionel's at full speed into a Lincoln Logs barricade on the track. Ah, return with us us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear! Ooops that was the Lone Ranger.
@jim sutter posted:Henry, It was shown in the fifthies.
It's possible that I was watching reruns but I vividly remember those shows from the 1960s also. I was born in 1960 so I know I wasn't watching in the 50s.
My lifelong addiction blossomed while watching a brief clip where the Captain showed the detailed operation of a 364 Log Loader. Holy smokes, did that ever set the hook!
I read somewhere that very few of the original CK episodes were saved. That's a shame.
Steven J. Serenska
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