I have a video of Frank's Train collection - amazing. Can anyone tell me if it still exists?
Any chance of it being opened to the public?
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I have no idea what happened to them but I know about 20 pieces from my original collection went to Frank's collection. One YORK many years ago as I started to sell off my collection, I had four tables (me, wife, son & father) full of my nicest PW OB engines and stuff. Shortly after the show opened a crowd developed around the tables. One man who, at the end of the purchase, identified himself as a buyer for Frank, said he was interested in most of the diesel pieces but I had to clear the crowd away, which I politely did since he was getting first 'shot', the pick of the litter so to speak.
He gladly paid me asking price and I was proud to know where they were going.
Another YORK adventure I never thought I would have the chance to publically relate to others. Thank you
TCA 70-3150
Hugh, it might have been my friend Eliot. I will ask him later if it was him.
When I was growing up in the Los Angeles area 1964-1970, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sinatra first hand. My aunt worked as a Grocery Checker at the Food Giant in Beverly Hills and I spent alot of time out there doing fund raisers for my school.
I remember one story my Aunt told me. The Liquor Store Manager was talking to Frank and made a comment he wanted to borrow Frank's Car (do not remember what it was) and Frank tossed him the keys!
The manager then said he was just kidding!
The Fit Hit the Shan!
Frank said " If you want something from me and I offer it to you, mean it! Do not jerk me around to see my reactions!"
I had the great pleasure of actually talking trains with Sinatra back when I lived in Honolulu. Met him at Honolulu Trains & Hobby during one of his visits with the late Jim Sattler, owner of one of the premier Lionel collections on the planet. Jim, who was a prominent Honolulu attorney and businessman, often helped the Chairman of the Board add to his collection.
I guess that Honolulu train shop is gone? But when I was there, I wasn't looking for
trains, except for the L,K, & P real one (threatened with closure), and hope for
stumbling on a sugar cane road/remains on other islands, but the usual tourist sights.
As far as TM has told in part one of their Celebrity Train Layouts, Jim Pattison, who bought the Sinatra estate, kept everything as it was, including the Sinatra train room.
Sinatra bought almost any gauge or manufacturer, but he preferred Lionel, including all three eras. He loved passenger trains.
As far as I'm concerned, since the estate is personal property, I definitely wouldn't count on it being open to the public.
My friend Eliot was not only his manager but his train pal. They both hit every train store they could find.
I've known a few people who claim to have items from the Sinatra layout, I wonder how much of that stuff got into the hands of 'normal' collectors?
Originally Posted by colorado hirailer:
I wasn't looking for trains, except for the L,K, & P real one (threatened with closure),
Not theatened, the LK&P is calling it quits, and very soon.
Always interesting to read such differing accounts about a given topic. 
But I guess that's the nature of the Internet. 
FWIW, here's an article originally published in the Feb 1996 issue of Palm Springs Life. Admittedly, that's nearly 20 years ago. But I stumbled upon a link to it in a blog article posted just one year ago (July 2013). So if it's accurate, the layout and train collection reportedly still exist on the Palm Springs "Sinatra Compound" now owned by Jim Pattison.
Nice read. 
David
Originally Posted by colorado hirailer:
I guess that Honolulu train shop is gone?
Long gone. I guess they had to close up a few years after I moved back to the mainland and stopped spending most of my money there. 
It really was a darn fine train store, with emphasis on Lionel and LGB.
I will get in contact with Eliot to get the exact story and report back.
For some reason this popped up in my Google news feed this morning. Something more recent with a picture or two https://www.trains.com/ctt/how...as-o-gauge-railroad/
I had read somewhere some time back that when the house with the train building and collection was sold the new owner kept the train building/collection intact. That was several years ago.
Carl and Lou told us a story once about a pre-arranged visit to Madison Hardware from Mr. Sinatra. They closed the store to the general public, and allowed Mr. Sinatra and his crew to assemble a pile of all the things he wanted to buy. It took a couple of hours. Inexplicably, and without warning, Mr. Sinatra changed his mind and walked out without buying anything.
@Arthur P. Bloom posted:Carl and Lou told us a story once about a pre-arranged visit to Madison Hardware from Mr. Sinatra. They closed the store to the general public, and allowed Mr. Sinatra and his crew to assemble a pile of all the things he wanted to buy. It took a couple of hours. Inexplicably, and without warning, Mr. Sinatra changed his mind and walked out without buying anything.
Those Madison Hardware guys could rub you the wrong way at times.
@NYCGreg68 posted:For some reason this popped up in my Google news feed this morning. Something more recent with a picture or two https://www.trains.com/ctt/how...as-o-gauge-railroad/
Look close at the first picture. It’s reversed. The BN name and logo on the boxcar. The Budweiser name on the truck.
The card in the upper left was the backstage pass for the crew working one of his shows.
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Let's face it: Those two Madison brothers were generally a big PITA! Never liked dealing with them! :-(
It would be interesting to see what Sinatra would purchase if he had access to today's offerings - would he go for the scale Legacy/DCS items, lionchief, collect conventional items... ?
@Tinplate Art posted:Let's face it: Those two Madison brothers were generally a big PITA! Never liked dealing with them! :-(
"Yeah? Well some of you old pharts on the other side of the counter weren't exactly daisy-pickers, either!"
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I always tried to be courteous and polite, but their demeanor was generally "If you don't like our attitude, you can leave!" :-(
And....maybe that is why Frank left.
Try being in retail in New York City (motto "Fugedaboudit!") for 60 years in an industry that attracts, shall we say, the occasional asocial type, and the more than occasional tire-kicker, are you'll get a little prickly, too.
I found them to be patient with little kids, and kind and generous to big people, in my dealings with them over 30 years or so. "They did not suffer fools gladly" as the saying goes and could detect BS from a block away.
@Arthur P. Bloom posted:Try being in retail in New York City (motto "Fugedaboudit!") for 60 years in an industry that attracts, shall we say, the occasional asocial type, and the more than occasional tire-kicker, are you'll get a little prickly, too.
I found them to be patient with little kids, and kind and generous to big people, in my dealings with them over 30 years or so. "They did not suffer fools gladly" as the saying goes and could detect BS from a block away.
Never had a chance to meet them. Actually, I avoided NYC for most of my life.
But from such reports of those who directly encountered Carl and Lou, they seem to me like...kindred kurmudgeons!
My only experience with Madison Hardware was a phone call many moons ago from Michigan in search of a replacement whistle for Dad's 1835E tender. (The original had petrified pestified..zinc pest). I don't know whether I was talking with Carl or Lou. But he said something like 'Yeah, I think I've got one that'll work for you. Hold the phone.' I could hear voices, shouts, phones ringing, boxes being shuffled,...all sorts of noises in the background. After a few minutes he came back on the phone...'Found it. You can have it for $$ plus postage'. Sold. Received. Perfect. Smiles all around.
Hey, after 20+ years of a second career behind the LHS counter (counter intelligence, we called it) I can safely say there were more than a handful of customers who were memorable...challenging...for all the wrong reasons!!
RIP, Carl and Lou.
Remember the Mike Douglas Show in the 1960's? My Mom loved to watch it in the afternoons. I am pretty sure it was Sinatra, maybe someone here knows for sure, but Mike and Frank were sitting out on his patio doing an interview near the pool and he had Lionel track that ran out to that area to deliver drinks. I remember my mom calling to me when that segment came on. If it wasn't Sinatra, it was another well know celebrity of the day back then.
CALNNC….I had to look or better, google this possibility of a money video. Sadly, I read, if true, that Mike Douglas never interviewed his on again and off again friend Frank Sinatra. In the mid 1970s I recall that Mike Douglas lived in the Philadelphia area. (Gladwyne). I want to find what you remember. My bet it was Sinatra and maybe not Mr. Douglas. Please let me / us if you recall more.
