If you have been in the hobby for a long time, and particularly if you were in on the ground floor when interest in collecting toy trains mushroomed in the 1970s, you likely know that Jim Tuohy and Tom McComas were among the pioneers in popularizing the collecting segment, and particularly the segment devoted to collecting Lionel Trains.
Here's a brief excerpt from the TM Books & Video website that tells a bit about the collaborative effort the two men had:
"Very little had been written about toy trains and information was passed primarily by word-of-mouth. McComas, after meeting a number of new collectors who, like himself, were having a hard time researching Lionel trains, decided there was a market for a book. "I would have bought the book if it were available," says McComas. So much for focus groups.
Tom contacted Jim Tuohy, a good friend and one of the best writers in Chicago.
"What do you know about toy trains?" asked Tom.
"Nothing," replied Jim.
"Neither do I. Let's write a book."
Incredibly, they convinced a bank to loan them $20,000. It was the summer of 1974. McComas and Tuohy started a basic reporting job, interviewing knowledgeable collectors from all around the country. McComas made a mailing announcing the book. He also took it to a national train show in Seattle. "I stacked the books on a table and it was like selling cold beer in Brooklyn on a hot summer night. Guys were grabbing the books and throwing money at me. I think I sold 300 books in less than two hours. It was amazing."
Great Toy Train Layouts of America
All 10,000 books sold in less than six months. McComas paid the bank back and found himself in the publishing business. Over the next five years, McComas and Tuohy wrote six hardcover books on the history of Lionel and how to collect Lionel trains. Since the McComas-Tuohy books, many more have been written on collecting trains, but those first TM books, reprinted three times, are still considered the definitive work on Lionel.
The books helped fuel the rapid growth of the train-collecting hobby. In the 80s and 90s, those kids from the 50s were reaching their peak-earning years and could now afford to buy all those trains they wished for as kids. The hobby grew to over 100,000 and the six-volume McComas-Tuohy set was a “must read” for collectors.
McComas and Tuohy next collaborated on Great Toy Train Layouts of America. Published in 1987, this hardcover book featured color pictures and stories about elaborate layouts around the country, including Frank Sinatra's. Sinatra was a toy train enthusiast and had been a TM customer for years.
One morning the phone rang in TM's office. McComas answered. "The voice said he was calling for Frank Sinatra," recalls McComas. "Sinatra was in town for a concert and wanted some information about a Lionel train. The caller said Sinatra would get on the line. Tuohy is a great Sinatra fan, so I put the guy on hold, and told Jim the phone was for him. Now Tuohy is a very charming guy but not early in the morning. 'Who is it?' grunted Tuohy. 'Frank Sinatra,' I said and handed him the phone. ‘Yeah, sure,’ said Tuohy. He grabbed the phone. ‘Tuohy,’ he snarled. When Tuohy heard Sinatra's unmistakable voice, you never saw anyone go from grumpy to charming so fast.”
In the late eighties, the emergence of special interest video prompted McComas to return to his filmmaking roots. The Great Layout book eventually became a six-part video series. Part 1 was chosen by People Magazine as one of the ten best videos of 1989. This was the first of many awards TM would win."
I received word today that Jim Tuohy has passed away, and just wanted to share the notification with Forum members who remember the important contribution he made in helping to grow our hobby back when the fire was really being ignited.
HERE is the Chicago Sun-Times article published today.
), and certainly remember the name in the credits, even if I never met James Tuohy in person.
