Greetings from the frozen tundra! By now, many more have experienced the joys of fresh snow and the all too painful recovery process of cold, icy roads, and cabin fever. Stay safe, stay warm and enjoy your loved ones. Use the unexpected time off to run trains and have fun.
Topics discussed this issue:
- Delivery Status of LCCA product
- Convention and First Look at Convention Information
- 2014 Monon Convention Car
- Special Events - Updates
- LCCA Visits the Brickyard 400
- Introducing the LCCA Weekly Survey Program - "Tell LCCA"
- Update on Wabash On-site Auto Carrier and Lionel 1/43 NASCAR die-cast autos
- In Closing.
Product Delivery
With the exception of the Texas Special Add-on Cars, ALL OTHER LCCA PRODUCTS, CARS AND SETS HAVE SHIPPED! The last 750 of the 2013 LCCA Convention Cars shipped last week! I concur that the wait was long - but the results shout of a job well done. As we look at these absolutely wonderful items, we can remember and thank Lou Caponi for his design efforts and contributions to the LCCA. The club did insert both a color matched billboard and a billboard insert into the Texas Special and the Coal Set. A similar color-matched billboard and special insert sheet (personalized with your name) and an LCCA pin will be sent with the Monon Car. The Texas Special Add-on Cars are scheduled to ship by end of first week of March.
LCCA 2014 44th Annual Convention in Indianapolis, IN
In keeping with past traditions, the LCCA is offering FREE to the first 400 members who register for the Convention AND STAY AT THE HOST HOTEL, a Lionel bump-and-go trolley deco'ed as a fantasy South Shore Interurban. WOW!!! | ||
It is our goal to raise the convention bar every year and to have the LCCA 44th Annual Convention our best yet. And the LCCA has had some good ones. How do we do that? By building on the best from past conventions, incorporating improvements, adding new innovations, and offering a special post-convention invite to the Brickyard 400 - (see more below) and wonderful train excursions to our normal fare.
Tours again are a balance of train trips and train venues with a number of exciting new places to visit. There are tours of Indy, tours of Amtrak repair facilities, of WW2 plane restorations and much more including a layout visit. BUT BE FOREWARNED: WE HAVE A FEW TOURS WHERE WE CAN ONLY OFFER LIMITED SEATING. HEED THE MAX NUMBER OF TICKETS NOTICE - THESE TOURS CAN NOT BE EXPANDED.
Tours will be offered first-come, first-served.
Click here for a complete list of tours.
Convention Tours and Activities
This year the LCCA will offer four (4) FREE seminars - Rich Melvin will speak about the 765 Steamer, Ed Boyle will talk about MPC collecting, and of course two (2) Lionel seminars PLUS the Friday Lionel presentation. Seminars are listed on the registration form, and while no cost, please indicate if you will be attending. It will assist in assigning the correct room size. Reserved seminars will appear on your registration package.
The Lion Roars will be mailed with complete convention info. The links below offer detailed information and a registration form. You can register online (can make changes to reservation later through the Business Office) or by printing out a form and mailing it in. You are advised to reserve early - many items and tours are limited. All registrations and tours will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis.Link to List of Events. Link to Hotel Reservation, Link to Convention Registration Form or on home page go to the blue Convention News tab in the News Story Portion of the home page. All the convention links and information can be found on the Convention News home page link
The online registration opens on Wednesday Feb 19. Using your member number and password go to the members section, then to transactions and to convention registration. The Marriott Indianapolis East has provided us with a unique LCCA contact page - easy to use for LCCA convention registration - Hotel Link
|
Monon 2014 Convention Car The Monon Operating Boxcar continues to be well received by the membership. This car, deco'ed for the Indiana-based Monon Railroad, is a Lionel “Conventional Classic” issue and is offered with a Made in USA color-matched billboard and a personalized billboard insert and collectible LCCA pin. This car, together with the companion On-site Auto Carrier and the 45th Anniversary Auto Carrier will make a terrific commemorative reminder of our 44th year and our club's visit to Indy and all of Indiana. REMINDER - the last day to order the Monon Car is April 1 - much earlier this year. Lionel has committed to have this car delivered before the convention in July. Do not miss out. Link Here and Order Today! |
Special Events We have numerous unique Special Events planned for the remainder of February through April. If you are in the area of any of the following events, please make the plans to attend one of these family oriented fun filled events. Spaces are still available and you can still make your reservations for the upcoming special steam train excursion headed up by the Pere Marquette No 1225 Steam Locomotive engine on Saturday, March 15, 2014. The train will depart Owosso MI at 9 a.m. and arrive at Clare MI at 11:30 a.m. Riders will have a 3-hour layover in Clare to partake in the Clare Irish Festival. The train will then depart Clare at 2:30 p.m., running backwards to Alma, where it will be turned for a 6 p.m. arrival in Owosso. The last WGHOT train show of the season is scheduled for Feb 22/23 in Novi MI. Please stop by and visit with Al Kolis at the LCCA booth adjacent to Lionel’s display. He hopes to see and meet with you there. If you have never been to a WGHOT show, you should try to attend this one. It is a great way to introduce the club and Lionel trains to a new generation of people and reacquaint others to Lionel trains and the hobby. There are plenty of activities, rides and toy train layouts for the entire family to enjoy! It is now time to make your plans to attend Lionel’s second Annual Red Carpet Event on Saturday, March 22, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Lionel’s facility located in Concord NC. Lionel is inviting all LCCA members and LRRC members to this private event. LCCA members will be eligible to win great door prizes, tour of Lionel’s facility including their archives, operating layouts, clinics and hands on demonstrations as well as great deals on certain Lionel products. On Friday March 21 starting at 7:00 PM, the LCCA is planning a Dutch treat dinner at local restaurant. Stay tuned for additional information and details, but you will definitely want to mark this event on your calendar of must attend events. If you have friends who are not members of the LCCA, you may want to consider asking them to join and specify you as their sponsor. Both you as a sponsor and the new LCCA member will each receive a 100% Made In America Bill Board frame with personalized billboard inserts. This way, you friends can experience this great Lionel Red Carpet Special Event. Clink on Links for specifics or always visit latest info on our site - Link to Special Events. Contact Al Kolis 248-109-4137 or |
|
|
Brickyard 400 Post Convention Tour
One of the high points of Convention Week is not part of the convention, but rather an LCCA Special Event at the NASCAR running of the Brickyard 400. Offered are highly desirable tickets of the event including pit pass privileges, seating in the Air Conditioned Pagoda and much more. NOTE: THERE ARE ONLY 100 TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR THIS EVENT. This is a golden opportunity to experience a premier NASCAR race with other LCCA members. Members who register for the 2014 Convention will have a limited-time exclusive period to sign up. NOTE: IF THERE ARE TICKETS UNSOLD AFTER APRIL 1, THEY WILL BE OFFERED TO LCCA MEMBERS WHO DID NOT REGISTER FOR THE CONVENTION AT $265 EACH. If you attend the convention and can stay Sunday, this may be an event for you. See more at Brickyard Link
Introduction of the Weekly LCCA Poll Question
"And the LCCA Survey Says"
|
The LCCA has launched its weekly survey question - "Tell LCCA". We plan every week to post a new set of questions of interest to our members - rotating between club issues, hobby issues, personal preferences, product issues, so that we will have a balanced cross section of interesting questions. The survey results will be published after each poll (in the members only section) so you will be able to see and evaluate various aspects of the club and the hobby. This first survey tests out various question formats and gets our survey team a chance to evaluate the survey process. I personally request each member to take this first poll (and the second to be posted 3/3) to both test our system and provide useful info to the club. Taking 50 surveys a year will offer not only information to us all, but also start discussions, offer an opportunity to start an LCCA blog (any potential authors?), identify trends and lots of other benefits. Click here and be part of the first survey.
Update on the 2014 Wabash On-site Auto Carrier and four Lionel die-cast 1/43 scale cars
|
This year the convention on-site car will be offered to convention registrants WHETHER THEY ATTEND OR NOT. But to qualify for the on-site car, the member MUST complete a paid registered by July 14 (to allow for processing). Members who register after July 14 can only get this car by attending the convention. If you want the car and do not plan on attending, register early - but before you do, please read how the LCCA will administer this program. At this time, distribution of all four die-cast cars has not been finalized.
In Closing February has started off well for the LCCA. With the exception of the Texas Special Add-on Cars, all delayed product HAS BEEN SHIPPED. Thanks to all the members who purchased club product and waited so long for delivery. New programs put in place by Lionel promise to insure a more timely delivery of product. In fact, for the last two LCCA products produced, the Coal Train and the Monon Convention Car, the Coal Train has shipped to members and we have seen and approved the Monon Operating Boxcar - IT IS IN PRODUCTION. The LCCA Survey Poll is now active! This project took a long time to get organized and online, but is now ready for use. We are about to announce and release our digital membership program and planning for the 45th Anniversary LCCA Celebration year continues. Registration for the Indy Convention is open online. With great, exciting bookend tours around a weeklong event in a great city with multiple tours and seminars and LCCA activities, this convention promises to be one of our best ever. And of course Special Events continue to amaze - What about the Red Carpet Event at Lionel, the 1225 steam tour, or the Brickyard 400 tour - maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our club remains strong, innovative, and member-focused. LCCA provides more member value than most other hobby ventures and clubs. As a member, you have the opportunity to share in all the club has to offer. I personally remain optimistic about the LCCA, the train hobby, and Lionel. I challenge all of you to read the “President's Report” in the February issue of TLR, which is focused on my personal thoughts of the hobby. I would enjoy hearing from you about the contrast of the positive LCCA outlook to others who speak of declining numbers and doom for the hobby. Set your expectations high and live up to them. |
Thanks, Dennis DeVito LCCA President and Fellow Member |
Greetings from the frozen tundra! By now, many more have experienced the joys of fresh snow and the all too painful recovery process of cold, icy roads, and cabin fever. Stay safe, stay warm and enjoy your loved ones. Use the unexpected time off to run trains and have fun.
Topics discussed this issue:
- Delivery Status of LCCA product
- Convention and First Look at Convention Information
- 2014 Monon Convention Car
- Special Events - Updates
- LCCA Visits the Brickyard 400
- Introducing the LCCA Weekly Survey Program - "Tell LCCA"
- Update on Wabash On-site Auto Carrier and Lionel 1/43 NASCAR die-cast autos
- In Closing.
Product Delivery
With the exception of the Texas Special Add-on Cars, ALL OTHER LCCA PRODUCTS, CARS AND SETS HAVE SHIPPED! The last 750 of the 2013 LCCA Convention Cars shipped last week! I concur that the wait was long - but the results shout of a job well done. As we look at these absolutely wonderful items, we can remember and thank Lou Caponi for his design efforts and contributions to the LCCA. The club did insert both a color matched billboard and a billboard insert into the Texas Special and the Coal Set. A similar color-matched billboard and special insert sheet (personalized with your name) and an LCCA pin will be sent with the Monon Car. The Texas Special Add-on Cars are scheduled to ship by end of first week of March.
LCCA 2014 44th Annual Convention in Indianapolis, IN
In keeping with past traditions, the LCCA is offering FREE to the first 400 members who register for the Convention AND STAY AT THE HOST HOTEL, a Lionel bump-and-go trolley deco'ed as a fantasy South Shore Interurban. WOW!!! | ||
It is our goal to raise the convention bar every year and to have the LCCA 44th Annual Convention our best yet. And the LCCA has had some good ones. How do we do that? By building on the best from past conventions, incorporating improvements, adding new innovations, and offering a special post-convention invite to the Brickyard 400 - (see more below) and wonderful train excursions to our normal fare.
Tours again are a balance of train trips and train venues with a number of exciting new places to visit. There are tours of Indy, tours of Amtrak repair facilities, of WW2 plane restorations and much more including a layout visit. BUT BE FOREWARNED: WE HAVE A FEW TOURS WHERE WE CAN ONLY OFFER LIMITED SEATING. HEED THE MAX NUMBER OF TICKETS NOTICE - THESE TOURS CAN NOT BE EXPANDED.
Tours will be offered first-come, first-served.
Click here for a complete list of tours.
Convention Tours and Activities
This year the LCCA will offer four (4) FREE seminars - Rich Melvin will speak about the 765 Steamer, Ed Boyle will talk about MPC collecting, and of course two (2) Lionel seminars PLUS the Friday Lionel presentation. Seminars are listed on the registration form, and while no cost, please indicate if you will be attending. It will assist in assigning the correct room size. Reserved seminars will appear on your registration package.
The Lion Roars will be mailed with complete convention info. The links below offer detailed information and a registration form. You can register online (can make changes to reservation later through the Business Office) or by printing out a form and mailing it in. You are advised to reserve early - many items and tours are limited. All registrations and tours will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis.Link to List of Events. Link to Hotel Reservation, Link to Convention Registration Form or on home page go to the blue Convention News tab in the News Story Portion of the home page. All the convention links and information can be found on the Convention News home page link
The online registration opens on Wednesday Feb 19. Using your member number and password go to the members section, then to transactions and to convention registration. The Marriott Indianapolis East has provided us with a unique LCCA contact page - easy to use for LCCA convention registration - Hotel Link
|
Monon 2014 Convention Car The Monon Operating Boxcar continues to be well received by the membership. This car, deco'ed for the Indiana-based Monon Railroad, is a Lionel “Conventional Classic” issue and is offered with a Made in USA color-matched billboard and a personalized billboard insert and collectible LCCA pin. This car, together with the companion On-site Auto Carrier and the 45th Anniversary Auto Carrier will make a terrific commemorative reminder of our 44th year and our club's visit to Indy and all of Indiana. REMINDER - the last day to order the Monon Car is April 1 - much earlier this year. Lionel has committed to have this car delivered before the convention in July. Do not miss out. Link Here and Order Today! |
Special Events We have numerous unique Special Events planned for the remainder of February through April. If you are in the area of any of the following events, please make the plans to attend one of these family oriented fun filled events. Spaces are still available and you can still make your reservations for the upcoming special steam train excursion headed up by the Pere Marquette No 1225 Steam Locomotive engine on Saturday, March 15, 2014. The train will depart Owosso MI at 9 a.m. and arrive at Clare MI at 11:30 a.m. Riders will have a 3-hour layover in Clare to partake in the Clare Irish Festival. The train will then depart Clare at 2:30 p.m., running backwards to Alma, where it will be turned for a 6 p.m. arrival in Owosso. The last WGHOT train show of the season is scheduled for Feb 22/23 in Novi MI. Please stop by and visit with Al Kolis at the LCCA booth adjacent to Lionel’s display. He hopes to see and meet with you there. If you have never been to a WGHOT show, you should try to attend this one. It is a great way to introduce the club and Lionel trains to a new generation of people and reacquaint others to Lionel trains and the hobby. There are plenty of activities, rides and toy train layouts for the entire family to enjoy! It is now time to make your plans to attend Lionel’s second Annual Red Carpet Event on Saturday, March 22, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Lionel’s facility located in Concord NC. Lionel is inviting all LCCA members and LRRC members to this private event. LCCA members will be eligible to win great door prizes, tour of Lionel’s facility including their archives, operating layouts, clinics and hands on demonstrations as well as great deals on certain Lionel products. On Friday March 21 starting at 7:00 PM, the LCCA is planning a Dutch treat dinner at local restaurant. Stay tuned for additional information and details, but you will definitely want to mark this event on your calendar of must attend events. If you have friends who are not members of the LCCA, you may want to consider asking them to join and specify you as their sponsor. Both you as a sponsor and the new LCCA member will each receive a 100% Made In America Bill Board frame with personalized billboard inserts. This way, you friends can experience this great Lionel Red Carpet Special Event. Clink on Links for specifics or always visit latest info on our site - Link to Special Events. Contact Al Kolis 248-109-4137 or |
|
|
Brickyard 400 Post Convention Tour
One of the high points of Convention Week is not part of the convention, but rather an LCCA Special Event at the NASCAR running of the Brickyard 400. Offered are highly desirable tickets of the event including pit pass privileges, seating in the Air Conditioned Pagoda and much more. NOTE: THERE ARE ONLY 100 TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR THIS EVENT. This is a golden opportunity to experience a premier NASCAR race with other LCCA members. Members who register for the 2014 Convention will have a limited-time exclusive period to sign up. NOTE: IF THERE ARE TICKETS UNSOLD AFTER APRIL 1, THEY WILL BE OFFERED TO LCCA MEMBERS WHO DID NOT REGISTER FOR THE CONVENTION AT $265 EACH. If you attend the convention and can stay Sunday, this may be an event for you. See more at Brickyard Link
Introduction of the Weekly LCCA Poll Question
"And the LCCA Survey Says"
|
The LCCA has launched its weekly survey question - "Tell LCCA". We plan every week to post a new set of questions of interest to our members - rotating between club issues, hobby issues, personal preferences, product issues, so that we will have a balanced cross section of interesting questions. The survey results will be published after each poll (in the members only section) so you will be able to see and evaluate various aspects of the club and the hobby. This first survey tests out various question formats and gets our survey team a chance to evaluate the survey process. I personally request each member to take this first poll (and the second to be posted 3/3) to both test our system and provide useful info to the club. Taking 50 surveys a year will offer not only information to us all, but also start discussions, offer an opportunity to start an LCCA blog (any potential authors?), identify trends and lots of other benefits. Click here and be part of the first survey.
Update on the 2014 Wabash On-site Auto Carrier and four Lionel die-cast 1/43 scale cars
|
This year the convention on-site car will be offered to convention registrants WHETHER THEY ATTEND OR NOT. But to qualify for the on-site car, the member MUST complete a paid registered by July 14 (to allow for processing). Members who register after July 14 can only get this car by attending the convention. If you want the car and do not plan on attending, register early - but before you do, please read how the LCCA will administer this program. At this time, distribution of all four die-cast cars has not been finalized.
In Closing February has started off well for the LCCA. With the exception of the Texas Special Add-on Cars, all delayed product HAS BEEN SHIPPED. Thanks to all the members who purchased club product and waited so long for delivery. New programs put in place by Lionel promise to insure a more timely delivery of product. In fact, for the last two LCCA products produced, the Coal Train and the Monon Convention Car, the Coal Train has shipped to members and we have seen and approved the Monon Operating Boxcar - IT IS IN PRODUCTION. The LCCA Survey Poll is now active! This project took a long time to get organized and online, but is now ready for use. We are about to announce and release our digital membership program and planning for the 45th Anniversary LCCA Celebration year continues. Registration for the Indy Convention is open online. With great, exciting bookend tours around a weeklong event in a great city with multiple tours and seminars and LCCA activities, this convention promises to be one of our best ever. And of course Special Events continue to amaze - What about the Red Carpet Event at Lionel, the 1225 steam tour, or the Brickyard 400 tour - maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our club remains strong, innovative, and member-focused. LCCA provides more member value than most other hobby ventures and clubs. As a member, you have the opportunity to share in all the club has to offer. I personally remain optimistic about the LCCA, the train hobby, and Lionel. I challenge all of you to read the “President's Report” in the February issue of TLR, which is focused on my personal thoughts of the hobby. I would enjoy hearing from you about the contrast of the positive LCCA outlook to others who speak of declining numbers and doom for the hobby. Set your expectations high and live up to them. |
Thanks, Dennis DeVito LCCA President and Fellow Member |
