Hi folks,
I grew up in Jenkintown and will be visiting during the holidays. I was hoping see some O gauge layouts while I'm there.
I think I remember there being a Lionel club in the Reading area; not sure if they are open to visitors. I also heard about a display layout near Richland, PA (Is this the same group?) Is there anything in the Bethlehem / Easton / Phillipsburg area? And what about Downtown Philly?
Love to hear your ideas and see some trains while I'm home! Thanks!!
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Reading Terminal has a holiday display? Where in Jenkintown Ted? I grew up in Elkins Park(Lynnewood Gardens). I used to hang out at Jenkintown Hobby and worked at Martins Aquarium.
Contact Harry Henning III at Henning's Trains in Lansdale. You could probably see the North Penn O Gaugers club layout. Visit the shop, too.
They recently displayed in the Philadelphia Art Museum.
I beleive the one in Richland you speak of is Abington Lines. It's HO. There are numerous HO clubs in the area but I only know of North Penn "O"Gaugers for O in the area. I beleive they have an open house posted on this forum in Sellersville
Here are a few links to others in the area.
http://www.royersfordmodular.org/greensheet.html
Mike we lived on Baeder Rd. (which is actually in Abington Twp, but Jenkintown P.O.) I went to the small school across the street from the Hobby Shop. In 8th grade I used to go there almost every day after school. I got to be friends with "Doc" McFadden, who is a docent at the RR Museum of Penna now. They had a nice selection of prototype RR pics and HO Brass. Just enough Lionel on the top shelf to inspire my imagination!
34 Christmases ago I asked Santa for a Little Joe electric to pull my Pennsy 9500 cars. There was a big snowstorm a few days before Christmas and my Dad used our only car with snow tires to get to work. But Santa came through! My Mom walked a mile uphill and bought the Little Joe from the display shelf at Jenkintown Hobby! A true story that almost certainly wouldn't happen today 
Jay, you might be thinking of Richboro (off of 232), not Richland (which is along the former Reading Harrisburg line near Lebanon, PA.)
One more question... Does Phil Klopp have a layout somehwere around Easton? is it ever open to the public? Thanks to all who responded, please keep the suggestions coming!! -Ted
The NJHi-Railers are having an open house on Dec 22. Santa will be there. if you cannot make that, we are there every Wednesday, shoot me an email
Is there anything in the Bethlehem / Easton / Phillipsburg area?
Plenty!
N.A.S.M.E. in stockertown just off of 33
http://nasme.tripod.com/openhouse.html
As posted above by DL&W Pete ... the BDSME
and the Leigh & Keystone Valley...
The Christmas Putz in The Lutheran Home at Topton is open Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Admission is free. The address is One South Home Avenue, Topton, PA 19562.
Topton is about halfway between Allentown and Reading at the top of the grade of the former Reading East Penn Branch (now Norfolk Southern). It's an active freight route. The station is now a bakery and deli.
Reading Railroad Heritage Museum, 500 S 3rd Street, Hamburg, PA 19526 (610-562-5513) just opened a Christmas "O" Gauge layout right off Route 61 south of the I-78 cloverleaf. The Reading Company Technical & Historical Society (www.readingrailroad.org) offers tours of Reading locomotive, cars and displays there.
About 5 miles west is Roadside America, last of the great Lionel postwar layouts.
DOWNTOWN PHILLY: Layout in Reading Terminal Market (as Mike mentioned; www.readingterminalmarket.org); ANOTHER in SEPTA Museum, 1234 Market Street; Go East of City Hall on Market Street and enjoy magnificent Christmas decorations in Macy's (formerly John Wanamaker); Follow Benjamin Franklin Parkway and visit The Train Factory (formerly Railroad Hall) in The Franklin Institute (www.fi.edu). Ride in the cab of Baldwin 3-cylinder compound 4-10-2 No. 60000.
Nicholas Smith Trains in Broomall (2343 West Chester Pike - 1 minute off I-476 Exit 9) is well worth a visit.
Board a train to New York City and take the F train to Brooklyn. Get off at Ditmas Avenue. Go downstairs to street level. Walk over to Bianco's Trainworld at 751 McDonald Avenue.
Also take a walking tour of NYC layouts and window displays.
Just remembered the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (www.lgsry.com) is running Santa Claus Specials Saturdays and Sundays through December 22. Trains of ex-Lackawanna MU coaches pulled by ex-UP SD50's depart the Jersey Central station in Jim Thorpe (formerly Mauch Chunk) at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Hand over $10 to park in the lot north of the station. Time runs out on parking meters and you'll likely get a ticket.
You can stop in at the North Penn O-Gaugers in Sellersville while you're here, we'd be glad to have you visit.
Also in Allentown you can visit
The Merchants Sqaure Mall Train Exhibit is pretty neat. Open Weekends all year.
link-http://modeltrainexhibit.com/
Plus Valley Rail Trains and hobbies is also located in Merchants Sqaure rigth below the disply on first floor
Merchants Sqaure Mall
1901 S 12th st
Allentown Pa 18103
Its right off I78/309 exit 57 Lehigh st less than one mile north..
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