On my last visit to the TCA's National Train Museum I stopped in the museum's library and browsed through a book containing a compilation of post war Lionel catalogs. As I was thumbing through the pages, I was trying to imagine the excitement of being a young boy rifling through the pages back when these catalogs were hot off the press. I guess it was sort of like I used to feel as a boy in the early 70's tearing through the toy section of the Sear's Wishbook when it arrived in the mail.
If you have memories of enjoying the Lionel post war catalogs as a child and are kicking yourself because you didn't keep them you'll be happy to learn that a digital archive of all Lionel catalogs from 1945 to 1969 is now available from HSL. I received the following press release from HSL containing all the details.
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The OGaugeWatch/TM Books & Video Lionel Nation DVD giveaway is over so if you didn't win be sure to pick up your copy. The following guest blogger post from Neil Blumberg is a review of the Lionel Nation DVD.
Tom McComas
was kind enough to send a review copy of their latest toy train video
to me, the first part of a new series entitled "Lionel Nation."
It's a DVD that runs about 65 minutes including the credits (which are
worth watching) but not including some very entertaining and
informative outtakes from their other videos. Tom McComas and
his colleagues, most recently including Joe Stachler, have played a
seminal role in reviving and nurturing the toy train hobby these last
three decades or so. In the 1970s and 1980s initially by publishing
unique and definitive collector's guides, and in recent years
issuing videotapes, and now DVDs of ever growing beauty and
sophistication.
Continue reading "GUEST BLOGGER: Neil Blumberg - Lionel Nation DVD Review" »
TM Books and Video, the maker of the I Love Toy Trains series of videos and many other toy and big train videos, has supplied me with 5 copies of their latest model train video, Lionel Nation (check out a preview here). I will be giving away 1 copy of Lionel Nation a week over the next 5 weeks. To be eligible to win all you need to do
is subscribe to OGaugeWatch.com email updates. Subscribe by clicking here. Here are the simple giveaway rules:
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Traditionally, the Train Collectors Association holds an Open House at its National Toy Train Museum in Paradise, PA the Wednesday before the start of the Spring and Fall TCA York, PA Train Meet. The schedule for the Spring '08 Open House on April 16th has been announced.
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I came across Buffalo Creek Grapics in a small town newspaper article on the web. The article was about a custom O Gauge boxcar that was being produced by them in small numbers depicting a local area company's logo. Realizing I've never heard of Buffalo Creek Graphics, I emailed them and asked if they would put a piece together describing the company and the products they create. Collectors of rare limited production items should find their story and products interesting.
A Short History of Buffalo Creek Graphics
Since
its inception in 1993, Buffalo Creek Graphics has grown to a prominent
position in the O-scale hobby as a major source for unique custom
decorated freight equipment. Owner, Thos. Gascoigne, has extensive
experience in graphic arts and publishing, but has held a lifelong
fascination with railroads. He is a long-time member of many rail
historical societies, as well as TCA, and TTOS. He was also co-founder
of the Lionel Collectors Association of Canada, one of the earliest Lionel® collector organizations in North America.
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The following guest post was submitted by Carmine Piecora.
I guess Lionel trains have been in my consciousness since the age of four when my parents gave me a Lionel train set for Christmas in 1958. I can't really remember that Christmas morning too well, but I've had that same cherished New Haven F3 train set in my possession ever since.
There were so many classic Lionel engines, especially the F3 diesel engine, produced in the postwar era. The F3 was produced in many memorable road names, most notably the Santa Fe War Bonnet, is etched into the mind of anyone who holds nostalgic thoughts about the 50's. When I picture this locomotive in my mind it conjures up memories of things like '57 Chevys, Elvis, black and white TV and Rock and Roll. It is yet another 1950's icon that has become legend in the mind of baby boomers.
Continue reading "GUEST BLOGGER Carmine Piecora - My Favorite F3" »
In what should be one of their last court appearances, lawyers for MTH, Lionel and Sanda Kan (Lionel’s principal manufacturer of trains) appeared in a New York Bankruptcy Court on March 27th.
At the end of the hearing, Judge Burton Lifland approved Lionel’s confirmation plan for reorganization. The court also approved Lionel’s settlement with MTH.
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Continue reading "Court Approves Lionel's Bankruptcy Plan and Settlement with MTH by Erol Gurcan" »
The following appeared in the February '08 edition of The Lion Roars, the magazine of the Lionel Collectors Club of America and was reprinted here with permission from the authors.
Viewpoint I
by Erol Gurcan
During the last two years, my reviews in TLR have concentrated on less expensive locomotives and train sets. In my view, the two major commercial O-gauge magazines often ignore this segment of the market; they choose instead to concentrate on more expensive trains, as some car magazines focus on exotic, expensive, and powerful automobiles. However, not everyone can afford a $1,000-or more O-scale locomotive and/or has a large layout equipped with O72 minimum radius curves necessary to run it.
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Continue reading "Lionel Big Boy Review By Erol Gurcan & Eliot Scher" »
