Holiday time in nyc

if you want to come out to Long Island you can visit the Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers open house. We are about 30 miles from the city.

There is the Botanical Gardens Train display. 11/16 to 1/12

http://www.nybg.org/exhibition...train-show/index.php

The Lionel Grand Central Terminal Holiday Layout will be on display from Nov 16 through February at the Transit Museum's Annex in Grand Central Terminal. More information on the museum's website.

Scotie

Take an F train to Ditmas Avenue in Brooklyn. The subway becomes an elevated ("el") leaving Manhattan. Get off at Ditmas Avenue, go downstairs to street level, and visit [the late Peter] Bianco's Trainworld at 751 McDonald Avenue - now a Forum sponsor!

Thanks

Agree with Scotie - check out TrainWorx official Lionel layout in Grand Central Terminal. Sneak peek photo from the main hallway outside the Transit Museum Store.

Christmas in New York City is not what it once was. There is no Christmas Spirit Downtown below about 30t Street, so concentrate on Midtown. Macy's and Rockefeller Center are the hot spots. Expect a long line of people waiting to see the trains in Macy's.

Rockefeller Center has the famous tree, but since Nelson Rockefeller's passing, the Christmas decor and pageantry at Rockefeller Center has diminished. Also at Rockefeller Center is a LEGO Store that is really enjoyable. There is a layout in Grand Central Station near Track 32 on the Lower Level.

Also consider taking a ride on the MTA's No. 7 Line from Grand Central, 42nd Street to Flushing on Long Island. This line is a subway in Manhattan, goes under the East River and becomes an El on Long Island. This is the line that serviced the World's Fairs.

As for hobby shops and train layouts, Long Island is the place to go. Many of the following are convenient to reach by the Long Island Rail Road out of Penn Station. Explore these with Google:

Trainworld in Brooklyn;

Trainland in Lynbrook;

Nassau Hobby in Freeport;

Willis Hobbies in Mineola;

Xtreme Hobby Shop in Deer Park;

Railroad Museum of Long Island in Riverhead;

Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers Layout in Levittown;

Wrong Island Railroad in Lake Ronkonoma;

MTA Transit Museum (subway & EL trains) in Brooklyn.

Also consider contacting some of the O-gauge railroad clubs. Use Google to get their contact info:

Central Operating Lines in Bohemia;

Train Masters of Babylon;

West Island Model Railroad Club;

Long Island Toy Train Locomotive Engineers (Little) in Southold;

METCA (Metropolitan Division, TCA) in Howard Beach.

In the Bronx, see the G-gauge layout in the Botanical Gardens.

You might have to drive to get to the Long Island club layouts. They are far from the railroad stations. Car rental in NYC is pricey so reserve early.

Definitely see the Grand Central Layout. I saw it 5-6 years ago and have been studying the pictures on the recent upgrades, just can't get enough of it. I absolutely love that layout. The Clark Dunham citi corp layout was also great, not sure if they still do that one.

Skip should chime in here pretty soon with his annual 'NYC Christmas Tour' - always an excellent piece for us too far away to visit the city!