At this time of year I think back to Marshall Fields Lionel display layouts that I saw in the early 1960s. From my perspective and memory as a young kid, those layouts were very impressive. I have been unsuccessful in finding information and any photos of those layouts.
The biggest Lionel dealer near my old southeast side neighborhood was Gross Radio & Electric located at 68th and Stony Island. I have tried to find information and a photo of that store but have been unsuccessful in that effort as well. The closest I have come is an interview with Mandy Patinkin on the Tom Snyder show in which he mentioned Gross. I would greatly appreciate anything any of you may have to share about either Marshall Fields or Gross Radio. Thanks!
Bob Lalich
Cant help you, but I look forward to any stories or pictues anybody might have. I have issues locating any information on Lionel window displays where I live in Kokomo, IN. There was a jewelry store in downtown that had a set of Santa Fe Lionel F3's pulling several Leigh Valley hopper cars filled with jewels in thier window during the holidays. I am in the process of purchasing that train from the LHS it was sold to. Its almost in mint condition with all the boxes. Mike
Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome
I was born too late to see the classic store displays (one at the MF&Co. store on State St. must have been awesome!) but I do remember the last time I was in a dealer like you mentioned. Would have been sometime in the early 1980s and my dad took us to a place now long-gone called Townhouse TV and Appliances (http://www.retrothing.com/2006/12/lionel_train_se.html). Dad bought my brother a Monon #8155 U36B and its #8156 dummy unit which I still use today - apparently $65 for the pair. I got some parts for what we already had - which included a NOS 394 beacon top, so I was able to see it actually work as it was intended for the first time when we got home. He'd kept the dimpled lamp for years in case we ever found a top that worked. I still use that lamp (which may well be the original one) today.
IT consultant by day, 3rd generation Lionel guy (raising a 3YO 4th generation Lionel Lil' Man) by night in the suburbs of the greatest city in the world - Chicago. Home of the ever-changing Illinois Concretus Ry.
I work right down the street from Fields (nee Macy's). This might be worth a bit of digging in the State St. archives. In the past few years, Macy's has occasionally featured the battery-operated G scale Lionel sets outside Santa-land. And once I found what looked like a branded Xmas box car.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
Townhouse TV was an excellent Lionel dealer! I bought a number of items there and they always had a good supply of parts for postwar trains and accessories.
I'm not from the Chicago area, I grew up in Northern New Jersey, Bergen County to be exact, and in the late 50's to mid-60's it seemed every store in every center of town had trains in the windows at Christmas time, especially the hardware stores, to say nothing of the toy stores. Then, they all went away.
Then in the late 80's a friend of mine opened a hobby shop as a sideline, just before Christmas. I went to his grand opening and lo and behold he had a train in the window, an HO steam set. "Wow," I said to myself, "Big John remembers!" It was a plastic modeler shop, not a train store, but John HAD to have a train out front for Christmas for tradition's sake.
It was the first storefront train I'd seen in 20 years!
cnw1995I work right down the street from Fields (nee Macy's). This might be worth a bit of digging in the State St. archives.
That would be interesting cnw1995. Do you have access?
The closest thing I have seen to the good old store window displays is the scene at the beginning of the movie "A Christmas Story". I would rather have the trains than that BB gun. Mom never let me have a BB gun either, trains were much more safe. Mike
IIRC, the store used in the movie was Higbees located in Cleveland. And yes, the trains were excellent!
emdmike The closest thing I have seen to the good old store window displays is the scene at the beginning of the movie "A Christmas Story". I would rather have the trains than that BB gun. Mom never let me have a BB gun either, trains were much more safe. Mike
That was actually my first exposure to electric trains as well, kamerade! I have the Red Ryder BB gun as well, but the trains were always my favorites .
Yes, there's all sorts of interesting things in the main public library which is just across the street. I'll try to find the time to visit...
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