Ambrose Bauer Lawsuits

I recently received an email from a reader inquiring about the status of the AmbroseBauer lawsuits against Krause Publications and author David Doyle.  I had completely forgotten about these lawsuits so I headed over to the AmbroseBauer site to find out some information.  It turns out the suits against both parties were settled near the end of 2007.  You can read the press releases about the settlements here and here.  If you're not familiar with the lawsuits check out my post from June of last year here.

New Signs From Miller Engineering

Miller Engineering has announced a few new signs. Among the new offerings is a Sunoco sign, a Union Pacific sign and a YMCA sign.  Check out the details here (no pictures posted yet).

TCA Spring 2008 York Meet Stats

The Eastern Division of the TCA posted some stats about their Spring '08 train meet held in York, PA.  Here is a run down of the stats taken from their site:

Total Registrations:   14,567
Members & Dealers:  9,355
Total Member Spouses & Children: 4,583
Guests (including Spoused & Children: 629
Dealers: 267
RV's: 174

For more details visit the TCA Eastern Division's website here.

 

Top Notch Layout

It's been awhile since I visited Norm Charbonneau's blog.  In my opinion, he is one of the premier O Gauge modelers of our time.  Back in March, Norm posted a few videos showcasing his customized Weaver H10 and
his newly purchased Lionel "Geeps" equipped with Lionel's new Legacy control system.  The sound of the horn on the Geeps is awesome and I love the rail squeal at slow speeds.  Check out the videos here and here.

Memorial Day

Walter Matuch of Ready Made Trains has a nice post about Memorial Day on the home page of his Ready Made Toys web site.  Check it out here.

Enjoy your Memorial Day but be sure to take a moment to think about all those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for their county.

Weaver Models October Factory Tour

Weaver Models has posted information about a Factory Tour that will take place on October 15, 2008, just before the Fall TCA York train meet.  The cost is $55 per person.  A special flat care with crates commemorating the tour will be offered to tour participants for $40.  Visit the Weaver Models web site for more details.

Also, Weaver has released a May-June sales flyer.  Check it out here (pdf).

Order Your 2008 Williams Catalog On-Line

The new 2008 Bachman-Williams catalog can be ordered on-line for a price of $5.  Too bad its not posted on-line.  Maybe once Bachman incorporates the Williams product line into the Bachman web site we will all be able to browse the catalog for free on-line.  Go here if you want to pay $5 for a dead tree copy of the catalog.

How To Install An Automatic Block System

Toy Train Revue On-Line has posted an article about how to install an automatic block system.  You can read it here.

Interesting Blog Post About Lionel And Model Trains

Check out this blog post on the TMG blog.

Interesting Article About Lionel

Investment Dealer's Digest ran an interesting article about Lionel.  You can read it here.  The article may only be posted for a limited time so be sure to read it before IDD places it on their subscribers only site.

OGaugeWatch Flickr Group - Lots Of Great Photos

There may be many of you that are unaware of the OGaugeWatch Flickr group.  Flickr is an on-line photo management application that makes sharing photos very easy.  About a year and a half ago I created the OGaugeWatch Flickr group so readers could share their favorite O Gauge photos with other readers.  Since its inception a number of great O Gauge photos have been uploaded to the group. 

It's always fun to share photos of our favorite hobby so don't be shy and upload photos of your layout or collection.  You can also keep track of newly added photos by checking the Flickr 'widget' in the left sidebar of the blog.  When new photos are added, the widget will display them.  Click on the widget to view the photos.

For more information about how to upload photos to Flickr (by the way, Flickr is free) you can read my original post about the OGaugeWatch Flickr group by clicking here.

Lionel Post War Catalogs Captured Digtially

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.

Click the link below to read on

Lots of New Videos on 'TCA NetVision'

Be sure to check out the Train Collectors Association's video web page.  There are a number of videos from their recent National Toy Train Museum Open House posted there including videos of Lionel's and MTH's new product presentations.  Click here to view the videos.

GUEST BLOGGER: Neil Blumberg - Lionel Nation DVD Review

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.

Catching Up

Hi everyone, it's funny how time flies when you're busy.  It's been 3 weeks of idle time for OGaugeWatch thanks to me being very busy with work, home improvement projects and such.  Here's a few links to stories about Lionel's exit from bankruptcy and other stories that have transpired since my last post.  Enjoy.

By the way, all the Lionel DVD winners have been contacted by email.

Dave

Lionel and Neil Young Roll Down the Tracks Together
Lionel CEO:  HQ has moved to NY but Mich. keeps major office
Lionel:  Long may you run
Model train maker Lionel emerges from bankruptcy
M.T.H. Electric Trains Officials To Speak
Last Whistle to Blow at Train City