Richard Kughn's Train Layouts & Collections Video Review

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I know this has been reviewed previously, but I finally caved in and stopped waiting for the DVD version and bought the VHS tape. This is a terrific video, very much in the TM documentary mode, covering the career and collection of arguably one of the most influental individuals in the hobby since JL Cowen himself. Only Mike Wolf has had a comparable influence on the course of the industry since 1969 in my view.

The CARAIL standard guage layout (now owned by the Henry Ford Museum) is toured in loving detail, along with commentary by Kughn, as well as several other CARAIL layouts and Kughn's home layout (the only one still in his possession). Kughn is not a riveting speaker, but the visuals are spectacular, and his insights and views, love them or leave them, are key insights into the evolution of the three rail industry during 1986-95 when he was the sole proprietor of Lionel, the only real game in town.

The design philosophy of his layouts, obviously influenced by the fact that he has resources beyond all but the luckiest of hobbiests, is interesting to hear. But it's mainly about the layouts and the trains. Even if you don't particularly like Richard Kughn and what he did with Lionel, this video would be worth purchasing and then watching with the sound off [:D].

For those interested in the history of the hobby, it is important to recognize how very modest Kughn has been about his accomplishments. This is a forceful and accomplished guy, but not one who is going to toot his own horn. He lets his collection and work speak for themselves.
When he took over Lionel their sales were languishing, quality wasn't there at all (the Mexico caper) yet by the time he sold to Wellspring, sales had at least doubled by most estimates. To those who think innovation in the hobby began with TMCC and DCS, it is worth recalling that the semi-successful "video in a locomotive," RailScope was developed on Kughn's watch, as was TMCC in conjunction with Neil Young and his band of merry men. So this is a documentary about the man who took in hand Lionel when it was producing fairly poor quality, not very innovative stuff and made it into a technology leader again. He also was the key person who brought back to volume production, also semi-successfully and temporarily, Lionel's standard gauge prewar models, and doubled the market size overall, just as Mike Wolf did in the subsequent era.

This video is both historically interesting, as a vision into the life of one of its most important leaders, and a wonderful document of what a collector and operator can do when resources are not a constraining issue. It is also timely as *** Kughn was the first real "toy train" guy to lead Lionel since Cowen, and many have wondered whether Lionel can be as successful without that sort of interest at the top. Hopefully Jerry Calabrese is secretly a toy trainhead and will delight in sharing his interest in three rail trains with us [:)] .

Thanks to Tom McComas and Joe Stachler and their crew for another visually beautiful and insightful video, and to *** Kughn for sharing his layouts, life and vision with us.

[Anonymous]

Great review. Thanks. I don't know much about Lionel in the 80's and 90's as these were my "off years" from the hobby, but I certainly know of Richard Kughs's collection. Thanks for the writeup.