The NYC Handoff

As has been written many times, steam trains are not allowed in NYC. I seem to recall this rule actually still being on the books. I think of this every time I ride the Metro North into NYC.

I also think the mail car is one of those really good ideas that still is completely viable. So much mail moves by truck across the country. I'd love to see trains used (again) for mail. It just seems like such a smart way to move parcels around the country. I just got to thinking this the other day when I was taking some shots of this Ives Mail car (sad, probably).

Marc

JAD Hiawatha On Display At Grand Central

I had a fun day in the Big Apple last weekend. New York is always a blast around the holidays. One of my stops is always Grand Central Station to see the holiday laser light show and to visit the Transit Museum Store. I was surprised and delighted at the window display at the store this year, which features a JAD Standard gauge Hiawatha and an AF Standard gauge Pocahontas set. I don't own either of them, so it was a pleasure to see them so prominently displayed. Inside the store there was a reprise of the large 0 gauge layout that I saw last year. This drew a big crowd.

Jim

A quick walk in NYC

I was walking down the street in NYC (near West 4th and Bleecker. It was getting late and I was just hanging around walking around after dinner. We started walking down Bleecker and I saw....

Prewar Lionel trains in a store window! Could it be?!?! I'd seen postwar Lionel trains in the Bloomingdales window one year and I thought I was going to pass out. Real prewar Lionel in a shop in NYC?

The place was called "Second Childhood". The address is 28 Bleecker Street. I remembered it; my sister had told me about it when she lived not far from there. She said the gentleman that owned it was great to speak to and he had "my kind" of toys.

So I took a few shots with my camera phone. Before you think I don't know how to use a camera please remeber that camera phones are generally worthless and are epecially worthless at night. Thus I have to apologize for the lousy quality in advance. By the way, if you opt for one of these camera phones, ask how easy it is to get the damn pictures off before you buy it.

I'm going to go into the store (when there aren't bars on the windows) and I'll take a better camera.

M