STL Flyer club has to find new home for the holidays

“Lionel has that stupid third rail,” said Berk, 74, a retired civil engineer for MetroLink. Wow...I guess he doesn't dig Lionel!    Very cool layout...hope they find a good home.

They ought to drag that layout over to the TCA Convention in Saint Louis, set it up, ask for donations and ideas.  It's too bad Macy's couldn't allow one last display while the TCA was in town.

That layout represents one of the last, if not the last of the great department store layouts.  Although built in the 80's, it had all the features of department store layouts of the past and was one of the few Flyer only layouts.

I don't think another window with a display area the size of that old corner Famous-Barr window exists in Saint Louis.  What eventually became Macy's was the last of the great downtown Saint Louis department stores.  Those stores were built when Saint Louis was bouncing between 4th and 6th largest city in the country and were some of the finest in the country.

I can remember going downtown in the early and mid 50's each Christmas to see the Famous-Barr display when I was a small child. As Ralphie said "this was the highlight of the Christmas Season". The cold wind blowing around the downtown buildings, diesel bus fumes and electric street cars sparking away all added to the memories. Ah, can't forget the corner pretzel vendors with hot pretzels for $.25 for a bag of 5. What a great time to grow up. 

The best part was going to the toy department before or after viewing the display to see the huge section of Lionel and AF trains and smaller display layouts up close and personal. Trains were a huge part of childhood in those days and this was a childhood heaven............long gone but not forgotten.  

Butch

Hey all... I am a member of the St. Louis American Flyer club known as the AFSGSLA.

The Macy's layout is at present completely disassembled and in storage at their store.

At 400 square feet it's hard to find a location to display it and it is due for some major maintenance.

Macy's had asked the club to design a new smaller layout for a different store window (and we did) however the store closing ends that project also.

There has been some discussion of relocating the Macy's layout to the Museum of Transportation in the St. Louis suburbs but no definite plans have been made as yet.

As info our club will display our 11 X 26 modular S gauge layout and our portable S gauge double helix layout for the  TCA convention in St. Louis on June 27,28 and 29 2013.

Regards to all,

Mark

There has been some discussion of relocating the Macy's layout to the Museum of Transportation in the St. Louis suburbs but no definite plans have been made as yet.

That would be very good!

As info our club will display our 11 X 26 modular S gauge layout and our portable S gauge double helix layout for the  TCA convention in St. Louis on June 27,28 and 29 2013.

That's great to hear!

Looks like this story is going to have a happy ending...

St. Louis Business Journal story, June 13, 2013

redrockbill

That looks soo cool! Does Anyone have a Track plan and more photos?

Hello, the AFSGSLA club coordinator is named Moe Berk.

His email afsgsla@sbcglobal.net and he may be able to furnish you additional info and/or links to where such info might be found.

Mark

The refurbishing of Union Station looks very promising. The St. Louis Business Journal reported a return of excursion rail service too.  

Interesting thread!  Great that it might have a happy ending.

Butch said:

quote:

What a great time to grow up.

Agree!  Being born/raised in the 50's in the America that existed then was great.

HOWEVER....

You'd better not say that too loud, Butch.  If the poo-poo crowd hears you, they'll come in and tell us how wrong we are to think that, and how terrible America was during that time.