Lionel NYC experience

They have a full bus of 50 people participating. Film at 11.

Where was this event advertised or announced?

The Lionel Store and most likely the Lionel Railroaders Club newsletter

And on Facebook... and in e-mails from Lionel...

Jon

I'm kind of a digital age guy. Because of the tremendous effort it takes to keep business and the technology in phase on the job - I won't have any part on a personal level of Facebook or Twitter. I gave Lionel plenty of parts business over the internet - they have my email address, yet they never send me an email. Pity Lionel missed more than I did...

I believe if you sign up for Lionel notifications by email on their website, this event was one of the notifications.  Doesn't require subscribing to the Facebook page or Twitter updates, unless I'm mistaken. Just plain 'ol retro email .

I don't have any idea what you are talking about here. What bus ride where???

This is what Lionel was advertising:

OK, it was 3 days ago. Anyone have a report? Maybe it bombed out.

I heard about it through a posting here on the forum a few weeks ago, but was unable to make it into NYC that day.    Sounds like it should have been a great day for attendees.

David

So how was this trip??? Did anyone go??? 

I'm thinking the bus may still be stuck in traffic   Personally, I wouldn't want to be in any vehicle, other than a train, in midtown Manhattan during the Holiday season. You can sometimes actually walk faster than you can drive!

DID THEY EVER RETURN?

Still no report? Photos? What happened?

I would have gone myself, but didn't see anything in the announcement about food and beverages.  9 a.m. to 6 p.m. is a long stretch and I gotta have a bit of grub and, given the season of the year and the cold weather, a shot of booze or two.     

Allan,

I'll take you on my walking tour…..We sure do eat and drink!

Skip 

I suppose it's possible -- although unlikely -- that no forum members participated.  You just never know.  I would have expected to hear something by now.

When my wife and I would stay at a B&B for the York weekends, just about everyone staying at the Inn was a toy train enthusiast... But I was the only one registered on the forum.  That's when I realized this place represents a mere fraction of this segement of the hobby -- even amongst O-gaugers.

David

Very true David. In looking at the previous posts, no one said they were actually going. Only Rich, Trainman52, promised film at 11.

While in New York two weeks ago, I covered some of the highlights on foot. The first stop was Macy's.  My daughter is an executive there, so I was able to enter Santa Land via a non-public entrance.  The lines for the public to enter prior to opening were very lengthy.  The Lionel exhibit is very well done.  The theme is Christmas and the entire exhibit is enclosed from the floor to well over ten feet up with Plexiglass.  The focal point is a gorgeous Christmas Tree with four circles of Fast track cantilevered off of the tree from bottom to top.  Obviously, the radii of the track decreases as it moves upward.  Two trains run all of the time around the tree while two are at rest.  Everything is on a timer.  The ground level of the exhibit, and that is what it is, an exhibit, has multiple trains running, in circuitous routes through an imaginary New York City landscape.  The lighting and overall effect is extremely attractive.  The footprint of the platform is free form in shape, I would guess about three feet wide at one end, and eight to ten feet at the other and perhaps twenty feet long. I am guessing from memory. The bottom of the exhibit is about two feet off of the floor.  The trains are predominately Christmas oriented models.   There are also some static items sitting on dead tracks. I use the word exhibit to describe the display, because NO WHERE IN MACY'S ARE YOU ABLE TO PURCHASE A LIONEL TRAIN.  I just don't understand the marketing strategy.  It would seem that after children see such an exciting display, they would surely want to have a Lionel train.  If so, they won't get it at Macy's. It just seems to make sense to "strike while the iron is hot." Now to G.C.T.  The Lionel exhibit is in the N.Y. Transit Authority Museum Annex.  The theme is New York City and  the Centennial of G.C.T.  The layout, smaller than the one at Macy's (approx six by twenty and more rectangular in shape) is a very nice representation of New York City.  The cast model of the terminal, available several years ago, and the Empire State Building are focal points.  The terminal model is on an elevated platform within the layout and the Metro North tracks beneath it are visible.  Several are powered and several are static.  Most pieces are lettered for the New York Central.  An FT "A" unit with several O-27 passenger cars operates on one half of the layout while on an upper level at the other end, a subway encircles a portion of the layout.  It stops at an elevated platform on each run and periodically shuts down periodically for several minutes.  Beneath it, on the lower level, a second train operates.  The layout is designed, so while overall distances traveled are relatively short, through the use of view blocks, ie. mountains and buildings, the illusion of distance is successfully created.  Unlike the Macy's layout, this one is more traditional in height from the floor.  Though not large, there was much to study, so I spent a good deal of time at Grand Central.  Fortunately, it was not crowded.  In addition to the layout, there was a Commodore Vanderbilt Hudson (18045) on display as well as one other piece, as I recall, a New Haven EP5.  Unlike Macy's, train sets were available, as well as some accessories, track and several transformers.  I distinctly remember there were at least three subway sets in stock as well as a number of Polar Express Sets (O gauge).  I was told at Macy's that Lionel personnel spent a great deal of time at the store ensuring that all operated as designed.  I assume the same was the case at Grand Central.  For those of you who have attended York, I think you would notice very similar design elements in the two layouts, as well as at the Lionel booth at York.  It looks as though all may have come out of the same shop.  One final point:  designers took liberties with accessories and scenery items such as houses, as manufactured. They painted over plastic bases and roadbeds to more effectively integrate them into the layout. 

Goodie,

Pretty much all Lionel Display Layouts made in the last 6-7 years have been designed and built by TW Design. They are definitely the builders of the Santa Land display and the NY Transit Museum Store display, as well as the Lionel displays that have been at York and on TV. Roger Farkash and his staff do a great job building realistic, yet fanciful layouts, that have become the perfect signature setting for Lionel Trains. They also built the Grand Central models you referred to from a couple of years ago. Roger is a great guy. Next time at York, stop in the Orange Hall and say hello.

I'm up for Allan's tour!

Brad