Neil Young on Letterman Tonight

Well-stated and very simply to the point.  I always find it ironic that those who want their opinions respected here feel the need to expect or demand it... when in fact respect is often something to be EARNED in a community.  It doesn't come by beating one's chest and demanding it.  And if you care to differ, that's fine.  Just come back to this thread in a few days or a couple of weeks and see how your comments read... But just be ready to be honest with yourself when you do that.    Just sayin'...

David

If you watch the segment, the points made were:

David Letterman and Neil Young both enjoy Lionel Trains.

Lionel was in financial trouble.

Neil Young bought a Lionel Train set in 1976 and it was "very expensive."

Neil Young developed a control system for Lionel Trains to assist his disabled son.

The positive exposure was for anyone who didn't already know - Lionel Trains still exist are are being currently produced.

The less than positives presented - Lionel was in financial trouble and their products are "very expensive."

Somewhere in the middle is Lionel Trains are now operated by an electronic control system instead of transformer handles - as NY kind of "air" demonstrated.

Well, in any event, it was a nice plug for Lionel and model trains, generally. Thanks for posting the link!

Marty, My Father-In-Law was there as a guest with his giant pumpkin he drove down in the bed of his pickup from upstate.  Were you nearby for that?

Chris, thanks for posting the link!  I get up at 4:30 every morning and Letterman comes on way past my bedtime.

I just watched the Neil Young interview and will add my enthusiastic thumbs up along with the other folks who found it to be a positive, entertaining segment. 

Curt

I thought the segment was good.  He did words people were comfortable with.  Not the expensive train was from the MPC era, if it was not made earlier.

Adult version of the yearly Lionel demo on Captian Kangeroo!

I thought the segment was terrific and showing the clip of the trains at the end added to it.  link to clip below

http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_...letterman-neil-young

Very interesting segment and I was surprised and happy the discussion

went to trains!

What I wouldn't give to have Letterman's urban-theme backdrop for my

own train room!!!!!

     Hoppy

Harry,I am presently reading Neil Young's new book and this project is discussed heavily .

It apparently is a method of recording music and playing music without losing all the detail that MP3 and iTune leave behind.

It presents a stound akin to vinyl or a good analog master.

Brad

Off the point but I am a huge fan of vinyl, just love the sound of records. Also have a wind up Victrola. Love to play Bing Crosby Christmasa songs on it during the holidays. Also have some 1950 era trains.

Point is I love all the things I have experienced when young. I also can't get enough of new technology. Legacy engines, mp3, command control, LED TV. My home houses a collection of things that remind me of all the stages of my life and my parents and my grand parents. From my fathers war medals to my DCS system to my grand fathers Browning shotgun.

Its all great...thanks to people like Neil Young for making the future of old time things, like Lionel trains, fit into today's world...and people like Letterman for providing people a platform to show their ideas to the world. 

Chris, thanks for the link as I nodded off waiting for Neil's part on the show.

"That's what she said"

Allan hit the nail on the head:  It's certainly all right to have differing opinions, but Ms. Manners would be shocked, shocked to discover the language used by some on this forum.

I followed the link to the show and eventually got to the 4 minute and 11 second clip.  It would not let me watch anything of the whole program except the 7 or 8 commercials so I have no idea what Neil or Dave said about Lionel.  Even when I popped in at 30 minutes, when It would let me earlier this afternoon, all the commercials started over.  Oh well, it's available on youtube without all the network BS but still don't hear anything about Lionel. It's the same 4:11 clip as well. 

Please tell me how you got to review the Lionel portion and where it actually lives.  A direct link would be nice.

And, yes, I have noted the undercurrent of anger toward various whatever surfacing on the forum of late.  I thought I was just being sensitive, but not alone, eh?  Election year down to the wire stress?  Where's Bugs Bunny when we really need him?

Richard Snipes

4501 Safari 

Ditto.        

Thanks for your level head on this forum Allan.

Just what the hobby needs...a late night talk show pervert and a burned out druggie promoting Lionel..real nice

And with that note we are just about done here.

FWIW I'll take both them over grumpy old guys with closed minds. Both them have done more for the hobby with this one interview and talking about their love of the hobby than you will do in a lifetime with an attitude like you are showing

(trying to be nice, trying to be nice)

Sir, NY is anything but a burned out druggie. Please get your facts straight before you libel the man.

Richard, go to the link I posted first, it is the entire show, then drag it forward to about the 30 minute mark

http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_...-late-show-9-27-2012

Posters like you are why NY no longer posts on this forum, for all we know, Dave Letterman might be a member here as well. You are just a troll in my book and I think it is about time people like you are cut from this forum. 

Kevin

Well said!  I hope ny and Dave Letterman if here will continue to participate regardless of the comments.

ny was a great asset when Legacy was in it's infancy here.  Unfortunately we see very little of him here now.

That one short TV segment contributed more "moment in time" positive awareness about our hobby -- MUCH, MUCH more than the close-minded attitudes represented in this thread.  Do any of you guys who "expressed your opinions" actually think you're any better at promoting the hobby with these attitudes in tow?  Get real, guys. But most of you probably have large enough egos that you don't care one bit what anyone else thinks anyway.    But it's embarrassing, nonetheless.

David

Neil Young has done a lot for the hobby so hobbyists have a natural tendency to place him on a pedestal. Like all of us, he's only human. We all have our flaws and become influenced or embrace the corner of the world in which we live:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/magazine/neil-young-comes-clean.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

When I watched the clip I said to myself "That fellas got some hard living behind him" and you can interpret that in any number of ways.

He's demonstrated himself to be a good father to a handicapped son and an offshoot of that has benefited this hobby. Whether you agree with him or not, he has a passion for his beliefs about politics, the environment (and some natural products of the environment), and how he navigates his way through life. There's a lot to be said for sticking to your beliefs and in this regard, he's been pretty consistent.

He probably hasn't caused any real harm to anyone - other than a pretty long string of fractured band formations and subsequent break ups - and he has his own way of seeing and doing things. There are probably some better people in the world and definitely many worse. 

NY's nephew used to post here to, but I think got kind of tired of the place

Assuming Letterman is a pervert and NY is a burned out druggie: Why would CBS carry the show? Why would advertisers support it? Why would there be an audience at the studio AND at home? Why would there be any interest at all? The answer must be they are all supporting a pervert and a burned out druggie.

Time fot this troll to be kicked out of here!

John

Just remember guys everybody has an opinion. You can agree or disagree with what any poster says. Every person has a right to post their opinion. I don't agree with what he said but I fought for this country to give him that right. 

There does seem to be too many guys here who think you have to follow a certain way of thinking and god forbid if you stray. Lets be more tolerant here of other people's opinions wheather you agree or not. 

I clicked on the link provided, here... with Dave and Neil; and, from what I saw... it wasn't any big deal, just a very brief conversation re: model trains.

If you're already involved in the hobby, or leaning that way, then you might have some interest, but I seriously doubt many people, not already involved with O, saw the light.

Seems like there's a bit of insecurity here, and a need to be validated, by a celebrity...

My take: Primarily, Neil was pitching his book and that other music/sound thing.

Rick

Huh?

Seems like there's a bit of insecurity here, and a need to be validated, by a celebrity...

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

--Eleanor Roosevelt

I remembered to watch the show since I recorded it and I thought it was a nice discussion. While many here already know everything about everything I do not and I thoroughly enjoyed the interview. I did not know how he got into the Lionel trains sio it was interesting to me.

Marty,

Advertisers and the companies they promote are well aware, that there's a portion of the population that needs to feel good about themselves.

Celebrity spokespersons are there for a reason. The premise being - nobody gives a rats *** about Joe/Jane average going on about how cool, keen, terrific, wonderful..., something is;

but, when a celebrity does it/says it... that somehow cloaks those susceptible, the somewhat needy, into feeling somehow/someway better about themselves, because of those shared things/experiences...

Rick

Why do people feel the need to judge NY or DL? It's not ours to do. 

I suppose it's because such individuals are terribly insecure with their own selves; have never developed proper interpersonal communication skills; have little regard for the feelings and opinions of others; are in desperate need of attention; and find the Internet to be an effective shield for masking their true personas and shortcomings.

BTW, how does Sarah Palin get into the mix?

Letterman thought it would be cool to call Palins daughters some derogatory names during one of his anti conservative rants.

Glass houses and stones.

Wow.

Cris,

Thank you for the link.  I attempted to view the Neil Young segment again after updating Flash.  Giving up and letting the 16 commercials run that were going to run before I could view anything regardless seemed to be the key.  I pinged in at the end of the Fallon piece and got to enjoy the background information discussion of Lionel between Neil and Dave.  Very nice and puts a personal face to all the information I've read over the years.  I am sure there is an in depth record of Neil's involvement with creating TMCC and Dick Kughn's support at Lionel.  A magical story for the annual coming of that magical season for toy trains. 

While we like to think trains are for kids, we big kids sometimes have to realize our own inner child will not be around as long as these toys.  I especially liked Neil mentioning the smell of the old trains.  I bet there were a lot of "old kids" who got that immediately.  Ah, ozone and smoke pellets melting...any time...smells like fun.  Suddenly it's 19XX again, if only in memory, and that is really quite OK.

Thanks for the link and sticking with the evolution of a most revealing discussion on this forum. 

I was reminded tonight that all we have is what is now.  It's pretty special and not to be trifled.

Richard Snipes

4501 Safari

There are significant differences re: peoples perspectives.

All my comments on this thread, refer to the "Old Faithful" types... the gushers. The ones who amp the slightest thing... O gauge related.

Rick

Where was NY last night? trying to do some good in this world it looks like to me!

Still kicking some butt out there at his age, hats off to the man.

Some great pictures of last nights concert and the Late show on link below!

http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/

Cheers!

Saturday, Sept 29, 2012 NEW YORK (AFP) - The Black Keys, Foo Fighters and Neil Young rocked New York's Central Park on Saturday with a free concert highlighting efforts to combat extreme poverty around the world.

An estimated 60,000 people flocked to the Manhattan park's Great Lawn for the event organised by the Global Poverty Project. Unlike past benefit concerts, the main aim was to raise attention, not money.

Tickets were free, but to qualify, online concertgoers had to accumulate points by watching videos on globalcitizen.org about various elements of extreme poverty, ranging from malaria to mothers dying in childbirth.

Points also added up when those applying passed on information via social networks like Twitter.

The thread was about Lionel and Neil Young and David Letterman's interest in O scale and seemed to diverge into critiques of Dave himself. Since the loss of Tom Snyder, our hobby has slipped under the televsion radar and any exposure is better than no exposure at all, regardless of the subjective opinions about the hosts talent. I enjoyed the clip and thanks for posting it. I really miss Tom's shows devoted to the hobby would enjoy pictures of Dave's layout inasmuch as it would add to the list of celebrity hobbyists who promote our interests. Nay saying on a off topic perspective is not exactly encouraging for Dave to do so. The point seems to have been missed by some..pointedly.

Maybe in the future, DL and NY could do a live Live Lionel demo, or more pics of either guy's layouts!

Now who is it who is also a big Lionel fan who had said trains in CHICAGO HOPE and was in the show CRIMINAL MINDS?