Wish he'd just check in and say hello and doing fine.......
Great photos! I was lucky to have gotten to see it in person once. I haven't seen Tony at York in quite a long time. Sure hope he's well and still loves us! 
A great rewind. Yes, Tony's posts are missed. And as Dave said, he was active on the forum when MTH was really setting the bar in regard to scale steam and Tony didn't hesitate to remind us all of that.
His was a complete layout in every sense.
Hope he's doing well.
Thanks for remembering Tony Lash's layout, and especially for posting all the detail photos. The layout was so immense that it was easy to get lost in watching the long trains, while missing the many fine structural and scenic details.
We had the rare opportunity to go with the OGR group on their last tour of Tony's layout. Below is a photo of him signing my MTH Consolidated boxcar. It too is on the shelf for all to see. Wish we knew what town or area of Florida he is in.
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Thanks for the great images. A very nice gentleman and layout.
oh my gosh...you don't supposed he switched to HO when he moved???
Great pix Ben. But no amount of photos or videos can do Tony's layout justice. When you walked into his layout, you walked into his layout. Tony was a real gentleman and a gracious host and fun to talk with. He would even provide refreshments and snacks for tour visitors.
Tony and I had a running gag going where I had asked him to adopt me and he said "sure." Whenever he and I would pass by one another at York, I would yell "Hey Dad," and he would yell back "Hi Son." You should have seen the looks we got.
Great thread Ben.....many of those pictures I had not seen before. Tony was/is a great guy and all of us miss him and his layout. Thanks so much for posting those wonderful pictures!
Alan
I saw the following video about Tony's layout on YouTube and want to share it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iEweZKu1Ow
Pat Marinari posted:For my 55th birthday, my wife arranged (with help from Jim Barrett) a private visit to Tony's layout…….
Whoa! I had no idea Tony's layout was around that long ago! I was about 15 then! 
It was a marvelous layout and Tony is a fine gentleman.
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"Just pay 'da money!"
I always chuckled when I read that.
Tony now lives in Lakeland Florida.
Traindiesel posted:Pat Marinari posted:For my 55th birthday, my wife arranged (with help from Jim Barrett) a private visit to Tony's layout…….
Whoa! I had no idea Tony's layout was around that long ago! I was about 15 then!
It was a marvelous layout and Tony is a fine gentleman.
Look at the size of that ceiling vent, now that is a big room!
Here are a few more..... 
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Wow! What a layout! How could he ever put that much work into something and then dismantle it? Tony is a true Master to say the least. I have to wonder, does he have a layout here in Florida? I live here in the Sunshine State myself, I would make a drive to see a layout built by him.
Mr Union Pacific posted:Wow! What a layout! How could he ever put that much work into something and then dismantle it? ...
Agreed. But we've seen that happen here on the forum more than a few times recently. Life changes... people change... our priorities change... our interests change... it's all part of the journey we're traveling.
David
Mr Union Pacific posted:Wow! What a layout! How could he ever put that much work into something and then dismantle it?
The layout was housed in a large room at the business he owned. Tony sold the business and retired, thus the layout had to go.
Agreed. But we've seen that happen here on the forum more than a few times recently. Life changes... people change... our priorities change... our interests change... it's all part of the journey we're traveling.
David
Yes some of us here, are at a time in life when changing events such as retirement/relocation/downsizing, health, finances and other interests factor into our train hobby. Tony Lash had an exceptional layout, that was taken down when he retired and moved to Florida. To move and reassemble that layout 900 miles away would have been a job of epic proportions, maybe beyond the capability of a person in his senior years. I can only guess that Tony can now be found on his boat fishing and enjoying the Florida sunshine but I do not recall a sale of his collection so perhaps Tony's stuff is in storage somewhere.
I always enjoyed viewing Tony's layout on the videos that I saw it was truly awesome I can't believe after having such a large layout that you could just walk away from it after all those years even in retirement I bet the man has to have a small set up at home somewhere
I visited Tony's layout a couple of times with MTH's York Tour. I have about 150- images of his layout in two galleries located here: https://clarityphotos.smugmug....Trains/Ogage-Layouts Enjoy
Mr Union Pacific posted:Wow! What a layout! How could he ever put that much work into something and then dismantle it? Tony is a true Master to say the least.
Actually, according to the CTT article Tony contracted out most of the work. At the time Tony was running his business and didn't have the personal time to build the layout himself. I could be wrong but I remember the CTT article saying that he spent $60,000 on just the materials and labor for all the trees on the layout! I certainly wish I had his train budget!
I was lucky enough to be on one of the OGR Tours and got to see the layout one time. It was no doubt one of the best layouts I have ever seen. Tony was a gracious host and I thanked him for opening the layout to us. It was a Wednesday and the business was up and running when we went there. I had a great time on that Tour. Sure wish that someone would do Tours again someday.
Trainlover160 posted:I always enjoyed viewing Tony's layout on the videos that I saw it was truly awesome I can't believe after having such a large layout that you could just walk away from it after all those years even in retirement I bet the man has to have a small set up at home somewhere
I remember reading some article where his "small" layout was made out of something like 48 sheets of 4' x 8' plywood.
Thanks for all of the pictures guys!!! Just can't get enough of this layout. I still watch the video several times a year in amazement of what he created, both his business and layout. The part about him donating all of the train sets was fantastic. Great stuff!
I remember reading about Tony and seeing him at the York meets. As others have said he did have a certain aura about him at York. I regret never making the trek to see his layout during the York meets. I hope he is doing well.
So what happened to the layout? I understand dismantled but where are the bits? All in the trash, saved for later, sold to another modeler? This was clearly a significant investment and Mr. Lash seems to be a smart businessman so I doubt it was all destroyed.
Like Farmer Bill said, we toured the basement of about a half dozen rooms that were temperature controlled PACKED with trains. A room for each manufacturer and if I remember, a room for passenger sets and rolling stock.
One thing for sure, Tony loved Norfolk Southern!
Here is some more photos from Tony's incredible layout taken in 2005.
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Beautiful Layout.
Any you-tube video to look at ?
Thanks, John
I had the good luck of being able to visit Tony's layout a couple of times. I belong to the National Capital Trackers and on one occasion I set it up for myself and some of the Tracker members to visit the layout. One of the members videoed the entire layout and gave me a DVD which is about 30min long. It never gets old watching and I'm grateful to have it. I also had a chance to talk to Tony at York the last time I saw him there. He had just sold his business. He told me the layout was being dismantled and that he was going to put it in storage until he had a chance to build a warehouse to have it reassembled. He also said it would be larger than before. I would like to see that come true.
Great pictures
The first time I met Tony Lash was at York. Someone was negotiating with me for some of my models and as I was telling them I do not discount the prices, Tony stepped in and said he would take all my models at full price.
After that, I constructed the diesel service facility, power plant and refinery.
Tony gave me the opportunity to create some great structures and gave me all the creative license to build things however I saw them.
I owe him forever.
Alan Graziano
It would appear that the latest info is posted here above by Clinchfield Bill that the layout is in storage with intentions of rebuilding larger someday.
Does anyone have an ongoing relationship with Tony and can contact him about this? Seems that he has a terrific 'fan base' and some real friends here.
I would love to have seen it...
Video link posted earlier. Some of you may have missed it.
I've always wanted to see this layout. Saw the layout on videos, interviews with Tony in OGR or CTT, etc, etc...sorry I didn't get the chance as I'm not far from where it was and Tony's old business. I believe he was in Capitol Heights.
I remember seeing Tony at York several years ago. I recognized him from the magazine articles and I think several others recognized him. I walked up and introduced myself and said I was a fan of his layout and hope to see it one day. Despite never meeting me and not knowing me, Tony couldn't have been a nicer, warm guy and thanked me for the kind words. Real pleasure meeting him for just a minute or two. I hope he gets it set up again and/or builds just another masterpiece in the future.
BTW, I was, naturally, completely stunned by Tony's layout.
It was a model train experience with an impact as big as my first York meet or seeing Miniature Wunderland in person.
I never saw a photo of his train shelves like that before? Look at all the diesels!! 
He has a nice variety of equipment there.
Farmer_Bill posted:Flashback. Was able to visit this incredible layout a few times. He had a few trains in the basement too.
Tony was always good for a laugh on AOL. Kinda miss those days.
'.... a few trains in the basement." ROFLMAO! Hi Farmer, that's like saying I lost a few hairs from the top of my head. BTW, Tony had just not MTH engines/locomotors but samples from all manufacturers.
Tony was kind enough to have my wife and I visit some years beford the Philadelphia Area High Railers (we never had a formal name) Club went down for a visit back in 2003 (see Bill P's pictures). We took him a taste of Philly: Lee's Hoagies & Steaks (also Cheesesteaks and Pizzasteaks), Wise Potato Chips, Tastykakes and (not the original but close) Frank's soda. The video is a great rememberence. Somewhere I have the pictures from all my visits on one my iMac's HDs. Those of us who were able to visit his layout always came away with the inspiration to imitate at least one part of it.
And of all things, Tony had a piece of artwork by the Philadelphia area artist, Tom McKinney, hanging in the. Dining Room. Our mom had the original vision for the painting, albeit smaller, as we used to display Tom's work when he was a yet unreconized artist in one of our record shop's outside display windows in the late 1960s. Luckily for Tom, the demand for his work had steadily and dramatically increased by the time Tony bought the finished product at an art gallery in Phila.'s Chestnut Hill area.
Tony was a great host but is a greater mensch.
Bill
After seeing Tony at York I thought I would bring this thread back to the top for those that have never seen it
