THE NEW YORK CITY HOLIDAY TOY TRAIN WALKING TOUR

Nice post, Skip. Is the Dunham layout still set up at Citibank?

Back in the eighties, when I was living and working in NYC, I decided to get a "train" for my Dad who had rekindled his interest. I happened to be working down on Lex and about 26th Street.

I passed a small hardware store that advertised Lionel Trains and went in and was mesmerized- floor to ceiling Lionel trains in this little store. Of course little did I know at the time that this was the legendary Madison Hardware. it was like stepping back into the 50's.

Now my Dad has passed away, and this year I'll set up the trans he got for Christmas as a boy in 1930 around the tree.

quote:

Originally posted by bluelinec4:
Hi John
That is the one Must be holiday rates It used to be New Yorks best kept secret of a hotel I guess too many people found out about it because that is double what a room normally costs

Actually it might not be so bad @300... looks like a nice place with parking.
You say you can take the ferry? How far is it to a train?

Thanks again, John

John
The ferry is right out the door of the hotel. The ferry lets you off at the 38 st ferry terminal across the street from the Javits convention center. There are free buses from the ferry terminal to most areas of Manhattan. One goes down 52 street to the east side Passes right next to Rock Center . When you figure the free parking it probably works out. There are thre restaurants right by the hotel also

Will
Dunhams Citi Station lost sponsorship in 2010 It has been set up in Pottersville NY Here is the link
www.RailroadsonParade.Com

Last night I walked into FAO Shwarz on the way home to see the Lionel layout. It is the one they had upstairs for several years with a refurbish job. It only runs when a nearly hidden button is pressed.

Something I found interesting is that the layout was all 3 rail but the store had no 3 rail O scale for sale. Only the battery G scale Polar Express sets.

Well, the Mrs. took me on the walking tour yesterday, and I was kind of pissed off that the weather had ruined the Christmas music, I just hate it when the weather doesn't cooperate with the music.

We strolled through Grand Central , of course that was some sort of Holiday festival going in in Vanderbilt Hall. When you walk through take a good look on the wall there a couple of plaques commerating, New York Central employess going back 50-60 years. It was kind of odd seeing a New York Central reference.

The Lionel Layout in the MTA store was the same as last year. I have to say the store does have a good selection of reference material for sale. I'm sure amazon has it for less.

One thing we did do is walk through the Kiosks in Bryant park behind in the public library. One kiosk of note , faces 6th avenue, just about where the LIonel pop sote was and they were selling prints of old New York for 35 each.

Time span was pre-1960 some going back to the turn of the century. One print of Note was taken at 161st and River ave at train height, with the Lo V's and the old Stadium in view. Its a worth a stop if you want to look at the old days.

rat

Try W Hotel in Hoboken, NJ...a few blocks from the PATH Trains...and enjoy the Manhattan Skyline lit up at night...just across the Hudson. Not cheap, but it offers luxury for less than Manhattan rates. And Hoboken is a NEAT city to walk!!!

Thanks Ron, I'm looking at their website but don't see anything about parking.
Is it included? Can you park past checkout? Thx, John

quote:

Is the Dunham layout still set up at Citibank?

Must agree that there is no place like NYC during the Christmas holiday season.
There are scenic displays, lights everytwhere, the Rockfeller Center Christmas tree and places to dine on gourmet food just about everywhere you go. As Skip has pointed out there are still a few small (but nice) layouts remaining but even fewer model train dealers. IIRC just Macys and FAO Schwartz sell trains.
As for the Dunham "Citicorp Station" layout; it has not been there for the last couple of years. Most likely the result of budget cuts by Citicorp.
The Dunham layout now is part of the Railroads on Parade exhibit in Pottersville, NY. Surprisingly the exhibit is closed for the train and Christmas season.

I believe they charged $25 for 24 hours...with a 10-hour grace period past checkout. It is underground...very secure...no problems...and they get your car unlimited times during your stay. Hotel is very clean...and right on the Hudson...complete with passing cruise ships. Pay a few dollars more, and stay on the upper floors to enjoy the Skyline. Rooms(NO BEDBUGS) and service are MODERN and CLEAN... impeccable...LOOK FOR ONLINE SPECIALS!!! I am not rich, but I have stayed there twice. PATH is down the Street, and once on the train, MIDTOWN is a 20-minute ride. Plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the W...Beats staying in Manhattan, and looking out at sides of buildings or JERSEY ...ENJOY!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Silver Lake:
Last night I walked into FAO Shwarz on the way home to see the Lionel layout. It is the one they had upstairs for several years with a refurbish job. It only runs when a nearly hidden button is pressed.
...

I'm proud to say I crafted that refurbishment.
Frank
layoutrefinements.com

quote:

The Dunham layout now is part of the Railroads on Parade exhibit in Pottersville, NY. Surprisingly the exhibit is closed for the train and Christmas season.

Must be an echo in here

FYI Hoboken is nice but a bear to park The Sheraton has free parking and plenty of it and i a light rail ride or walk from Hoboken if you want to visit Light Rail costs 1.35

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoying the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There are a lot of great places to celebrate, and of course there's no place like home. But, there's no place like New York during the Holidays.

quote:

Originally posted by bluelinec4:
John
The ferry is right out the door of the hotel. The ferry lets you off at the 38 st ferry terminal across the street from the Javits convention center. There are free buses from the ferry terminal to most areas of Manhattan. One goes down 52 street to the east side Passes right next to Rock Center . When you figure the free parking it probably works out. There are thre restaurants right by the hotel also

Will
Dunhams Citi Station lost sponsorship in 2010 It has been set up in Pottersville NY Here is the link
www.RailroadsonParade.Com

Well, I know how it got its name...remember AMERICA's RAILROADS ON PARADE???...in Williamsburg, Va. around 10 years ago or more!!!! That was built by Dunham also.

The phrase "Railroads on Parade" was used initially as the title of a live show reviewing the birth and development of the railroad at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by NYC Fan:
I may be prejudiced, but the New Jersey Hi Railers alone are worth the trip to the area. The New York City walking tour would be like an added bonus!

Skip,

Please call me at 248 709-4137. I will be in town for the LCCA train show at the NJ Hi-Railers on Saturday and Sunday, (12/3 &12/4), then I will be in the city on Monday and Tuesday. I am looking for some sites to visit.

Al Kolis

quote:

The Dunham layout now is part of the Railroads on Parade exhibit in Pottersville, NY.

Pottersville!!? Oh no! You mean its not Bedford Falls anymore?!!

Ha ha ha.....I thought the same thing but I didn't know if anyone else would get it!

We're going tomorrow, for two nights. I bid $89 on Priceline for a 3-star hotel in Chelsea and got the Sheraton Four Points on West 25th, an easy walk from Penn Station (we're arriving on Amtrak). I think rates are always lower in late December than toward the beginning of the month, as long as you avoid Christmas and New Year's. Most out-of-towners who visit NYC for holiday shopping will have finished by now.

Did the Walking Tour yesterday with the kids! The city is full of Christmas Spirit. Soak it all in and Enjoy!

Skip;

What? No new pictures. Sheesh!

Sorry Chuck!


Macy's Santaland


Macy's Santaland


Macy's Santaland


Empire State Building


Rockefeller Center


Bryant Park


5th Ave


Grand Central


Grand Central


Herald Square & Macy's

Skip...great pictures with your family!! What type of camera are you using? Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Jim

Thanks Jim! And, Merry Christmas to you and yours.

The camera is a Sony DSLR a100. There have been many improvements to this line of Sony cameras since the a100.

Great photos, Skip! It's good you can get the family to make time every year for this. Work schedule conflicts and thinner wallets prevented my group from making our visit to the City in 2011. Didn't stop us from celebrating at home, though. As long as we are together

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

The Dunham layout now is part of the Railroads on Parade exhibit in Pottersville, NY.

Pottersville!!? Oh no! You mean its not Bedford Falls anymore?!!

Hey Pallie...read this

Bedford Falls from "It's a Wonderful Life"

The town of Bedford Falls in the 1946 classic "It's a Wonderful Life" may have been fictional and created on soundstages for filming in Encino, California, but the folks in Seneca Falls, New York, claim their tiny mill town was director Frank Capra's inspiration for the cinematic community. (He is believed to have visited the town in 1945.)

Visitors are encouraged to celebrate the film's ties each December by taking part in a movie-themed walking tour and judging the similarities for themselves.

Stand on the steel Bridge Street Bridge, similar to the one that Jimmy Stewart's character, George Bailey, leapt from in the movie to "save" his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody, or stroll down the streetlamp-lined main street.

If you feel like making a weekend in New York's Finger Lakes region, opt to stay in one of the 48 rooms in the newly opened Hotel Clarence, named after Bailey's guardian angel.

rat

Thanks Tim! We have had years when we literally went into the city on Christmas Eve morning, because we couldn't coordinate all the schedules. It's that little extra shot of Christmas Spirit, found in New York City, that makes it worth the trip. But we're relatively close, only a short train ride.

quote:

As long as we are together

That is what it's all about Tim! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

quote:

Hey Pallie...read this

Bedford Falls from "It's a Wonderful Life"

Road Trip?

For those arriving in the city via Amtrak, NJ Transit and the LIRR, be sure to check out the Christmas tree in the rotunda of Penn Station. It has Large Scale, O and HO trains underneath. The O gauge consist is the WBB P40 and Amfleet cars. HO is represented by the Bachmann HHP-8 and Amfleet equipment. The HO models are particularly sharp. Bachmann is sponsoring the display.

Bob

hmmm ...sounds like there is some slippage...in the walking tour guidebook

rat

ps...Hey pallie what time does the layout walking tour in Suffern begin?

Skip,
Thanks for posting and sharing your photos. Sorry we missed you on the last Put walk.

Happy Holidays,
Tom

Skip,
Many thanks for your annual NYC tour.
Ginny and I are going tomorrow and we'll cover the hotspots.

Happy Holidays to the Canolis . . Err I mean the Natolis.

Eliot

Any updates to the walking tour for 2012??

And when will most of the displays be open?

On thanks giving day or the day after 23rd? Black Friday

 

Going to try to get to town and do the tour this year some time.

As a person who makes the nyc retail windows I can assure you we are deep in the thick of it. Now is the busy season for me.