LCCA Has a Weekend Full of Special Events (December 6-8)
The Lionel collectors Club of America is proud to be involved with 5 Special Events to be held this upcoming weekend, December 6-8. First, LCCA member, Angela Trotta Thomas (RM 13961) will be promoting Lionel trains and her original Lionel Art during an art gallery exhibition in Charleston, SC on Friday, December 6, 2013. On Saturday, the LCCA will be in Long Island NY, Watervliet MI and San Francisco’s International Airport in CA for three great and different special events. Then on Sunday Dec 8, the LCCA will be back at the NJ Hi-Railers Club in Paterson NJ for another fun and Lionel train-filled festive event. (see below for more details about these Special Events)
LCCA President Dennis DeVito has established a goal of meeting with 2300 LCCA members and family members at Special Events before our 44th Annual Convention which will be held next year in Indianapolis IN July 21-26, 2014. Spread the word, Come to these Special Events and be eligible to win some LCCA door prizes.
Please visit the “Events News” tab on our website www.lionelcollectors.org for details about upcoming LCCA Special Events. Spread the word, invite your family and friends for these fun and festive, Lionel train-filled Special Events. We hope to see you there! You will have FUN!
Best Regards,
Al Kolis
President Elect & Special Events Manager
Lionel Collectors Club of America
248 709-4137
Dec 6-30 - Charleston, SC -Meet Lionel Licensed Artist Angela Trotta Thomas
LCCA member, Angela Trotta Thomas (RM 13961) will be promoting Lionel trains and her original Lionel Art during an art gallery exhibition in Charleston, SC on Friday, December 6, 2013. Angela will be showing new paintings of Lionel Trains at her opening art exhibition at Coco Vivo Gallery, 25 Broad Street, Charleston, SC. Come and meet with Angela from 5:00 - 8:00 PM. Bring your Angela Trotta Thomas boxcars and catalogs and she will be happy to sign them for you!
The show, "Lionel Toy Train Memories" will open Dec 6th at the First Friday Gallery and be open to the public through the end of the year. Angela will exhibit a collection of original oils depicting nostalgic toy train art. An exciting COCO VIVO Christmas window scene will feature the Angela Trotta Thomas Signature Express toy train set traveling through a holiday snowy village. Angela’s powerful images are a mixture of Lionel trains, childhood, and the holiday season. This year’s Lionel operating toy train layout in the front window will be even bigger than last year’s display. This layout will feature an Angela Trotta Thomas train consisting of her Lionel engine and boxcars. This layout will help introduce Lionel trains to the people of Charleston, SC during the holiday season. If you are in the area during the holiday season, stop on by and see and experience the magic of Lionel trains on this operating train display.
Join this Jingle & Mingle holiday event and relive the memories of Christmases past. Angela will be handing out and signing the latest Lionel Christmas catalog. Angela’s latest artworks draw on memories of Lionel trains and a simpler time. She is creating still life paintings that combine Lionel trains with period objects that evocatively freeze time. Many paintings will depict Lionel trains of the era, and children playing with their favorite trains.
For more detailed information, please contact Angela at attart@aol.com
Tis the season to enjoy Lionel Trains!
United Airline’s Fantasy Flight Special Event December 7 –San Francisco CA.
Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) Members John Rinaldi, Mike Desing, Russ Hora along with others in the Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club (GGLRC) are proud to be participating in the upcoming United Airlines Fantasy Flight Event at San Francisco’s International airport. On December 7, LCCA member John Rinaldi and the Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club will be at a United Airlines departure gate in San Francisco International Airport, where a 747 awaits a take-off for the North Pole. They will take the terminally ill children along with their families on an hour long flight and return to a terminal decorated as the North Pole. Prior to departure, the families will be entertained and experience the magic of Lionel trains running on the GGLRC toy train layout.
This year, The Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club is bringing their club’s large, highly detailed, portable Lionel toy train layout for all of the children and their families to enjoy. Lionel LLC has donated Lionel train hats and several new Lionel train sets to be given away to select children and their families. The LCCA has also donated LCCA Special Events Pins for the children to wear. The GGLRC will have the pleasure of entertaining these kids and their families while they wait for the plane to depart. The kids will be stuffed with candies, holiday cookies and plenty of drinks from the GGLRC’s special Christmas gondolas.
This is a great event to help spread some holiday cheer with the children suffering with severe illnesses along with their families. We hope the families will enjoy some of the holiday spirit as well as enjoy the sight, smells and sounds of Lionel trains running on the GGLRC’s layout.
For more information about this event, or would like to donate your time, money or gifts, please contact John Rinaldi at 650 279-8615. Please help spread the magic of Lionel Trains during this holiday season!
United Airlines is also sponsoring similar events in Chicago, Washington Dulles Airport and Pittsburg PA. If you want to get involved with these worthwhile endeavors in these other cities, please contact the United Airline Fantasy Flight program at http://unitedfantasyflight.com/
Thank you to John Rinaldi, the Golden Gate Railroad Club, United Airlines and Lionel for their efforts and contributions to support this very worthwhile cause.
Best regards,
Al Kolis
President Elect & Special Events Manager
Lionel Collectors Club of America
248 709-4137
About the Fantasy of Flight Program.
The Fantasy Flight program began in 1992 at Washington DC’s--Dulles Airport, with the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, for terminally ill children. The children wished to tour the airport and to fly on a plane. Therefore, employees of the Dulles Airport conjured up a plan and decided that Christmas would be a wonderful time to grant them their wish. The Fantasy Flight program instantly grew from one airport location to forty-six domestic/ international locations. LAX made Fantasy Flight a dream come true in 1993, making this year our 17th years given the children the opportunity to enter the airport gates and fly an aircraft. Over three-thousand young children attend this event at various airport locations. The children are referred from many different social service organizations. Participant includes the Department of Family and Children Protective Services, and the South Bay Vocational Center and various social service establishments for youths.
For over twenty years, airline employees have volunteered their time and efforts to plan for this event and to physically redesign a beautiful “North Pole Christmas Planning Committee Village”. The children will be able to enter airport gate areas and take an actual flight as passengers aboard a United Airlines plane around the Pacific Ocean and southern California. After the fly, the children arrive at the “North Pole Village” and immerse themselves with holiday entertainment, and interactive festivities from special guest artists and entertainers. To treasure the memory of a fun-filled day, the children receive holiday toys and their own personalized photograph, taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Fantasy Flight Planning Committee believes in giving young children an open-minded and wonderful opportunity. We are proud to escort and sponsor these young passengers for this wonderful event. Due to the contributions from friendly business partners and kind supporters, Fantasy Flight will always strive to be a success throughout the years.
LCCA at NLOE Open House LCCA Special Event December 7, 2013 Long Island NY
The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) is proud to be part of the Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers (NLOE) December 7, 2013 Open House event. The LCCA invites all members, families and friends to join us for an FREE open house event. Come to this event and enjoy Lionel trains running on the largest operating O-Gauge layout on Long Island. The show will be open to the public from 1:00-4:00 PM on Saturday December 7 at the NLOE club located in Levittown Long Island.
Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers
Long Island’s Largest Operating O-Gauge Layout
2953 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown NY 11756
The NLOE’s 80 X 35’ layout will be operating for the entire open house. Spread the word, bring the entire family to enjoy this family friendly event. Come and experience the magic of Lionel Trains alongside other LCCA members. For further information and directions you can go to www.nloe.org.
December 7 LCCA Toy Train Auction and Holiday Party in Watervliet MI
On Saturday December 7th, 2013, The Lionel Collectors Club of America will be at Bob's Hobby Shop, 115 N Main Street in Watervliet, Michigan 49098 for a toy train auction and holiday season celebration. Mark your calendar for this holiday season event. Spread the word and invite your friends and family members to attend. Kids of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The auction will start at 10:00 Eastern Time and they are held in the basement of the store. There is a door to the basement that can be accessed from the parking lot along the east side of the building, that will be open at 8:30AM. The main doors to the store will open at 9:00AM.
This auction is conducted by Belcher McPherson out of Marshall Michigan. They usually set up at 8:30 AM to take registrations. All auction purchases are paid through this auction house. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted. They do charge a "Buyers Premium" for Credit Cards and Checks. You can place absentee bids through their toll free 888-300-6005 phone number.
For more detailed information and pictures of auction items go to the "Auction Pics" section of www.bobshobbyshop.com. We anticipate having almost 400 lots to bid on this December.
Each lot is auctioned off individually, one at a time, in the order they are listed on the page. There will be 105 chairs for the buyers to sit in, the auctioneer is on a podium in the front and each lot is walked down the center aisle as it is being auctioned off. Seating will be first come, first seated. Standing Room will also be available.
Inspection of the lots starts at 8:30AM and can continue throughout the auction. We do not allow any inspection of the items prior to 8:30AM the day of, other than on the website.
There will be food for sale at the auction starting out with Coffee and Donut's, then Hot Dogs, Chili, and Sloppy Joe's as well as Soft Drinks and Water. We may also add some items such as Candy Bars and Chips.
Bob's Hobby shop will have some discount sales on select store items going on in the shop upstairs. The store will be decorated for Christmas. Bob's big Lionel Train Layout on the Second Floor has a cut out in front where Santa Clause will sit and greet children of All Ages and hand out Candy Canes.
Dave Williams of Unreal Details LLC will be conduction on-site demonstrations of his products. Dave has had articles published in Model Railroader, Realistic Scenery and Ztrack. Jim Kaiser, President of MAAS International will also be making a presentation about his track cleaning product as part of this event.
Stay tuned to this website for additional information as we get closer to this event. If you have any questions, please contact LCCA's Mike Battaglia at 269-428-2487 or via e-mail at steamengine234@comcast.net or Bob Phillips at 269-433-7452 bobfishman@juno.com.
December 8, LCCA Joins NJ Hi-railers in Paterson, NJ
The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) is proud to invite you to attend an open house Holiday Season event at the New Jersey Hi-Railers Club in Paterson NJ on Sunday December 8 from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. General admission for the public is $7/ adults, $2 kids (5-12), under 5 Free. LCCA Members (with membership card) will be admitted for $2/adult and all LCCA family members under the age of 18 will be admitted FREE.
The public is welcome and encouraged to come and enjoy the NJ Hi-Railers’ massive and highly detailed toy train layout. Come and see the layout used in the filming of the season ending episode of the HBO popular Cable TV series “The Sopranos”. The NJ Hi-Railers Club is also the home of the Standard Gauge Lionel Layout which was previously owned and operated by the late night TV show personality and avid Lionel train enthusiast, Tom Snyder. After Tom Snyder passed away, his livelong companion Pam Burke donated this layout to the club.
NJ Hi-Railers Club
185 6th Avenue
Paterson NJ 07524
PH 800-225-5360
Jim DiMeo - NJHirailers
Bring the kids, your entire family and friends to enjoy the NJ Hi-Railers Club’s 185’long, highly detailed operating toy train layout. Food will be available for purchase. All are welcome to participate in this festive holiday season event. Spread the word and invite your friends. We hope to see you there!
