Sad Lionel photographs. As anyone seen these?

[LS1Heli]

Apparently the statement "all good things must come to an end" is true. Check out the sad pictures at this website. The one that really got to me was the one with the "L" on the floor.

I read that one of them burned to the ground in April 2006...kinda fishy for something that is abandoned if you ask me.

Cut and past the link:  

http://www.ihorse.com/factory.htm

I love to know how much the rock/stone sold for. 5 guys to remove it.

John

[Kooljock1]

Abandoned buildings are the ones that usually burn. Homeless folks having accidents, free-basing drug addicts, and nare do well teenagers to name a few are often the cause. Occupied buildings are, by their very nature less likely to burn so completely as they have fire supression and detectors in place.

I was surprised that JLC had an office in Hillside. I thought he was in New York. But it makes sense that he would, in that he spent a LOT of time walking the floors of the plant in New Jersey.

Jon

[chuck]

He retained office space in the Hillside factory for the once a week meetings at the plant to look over/discuss production and product development issues.  This was covered obliquely in Ron Hollanders book in the section regarding Smoke Pellet development.

[dwiemer]

Thanks for that.  Sad to see these photos.  It would be real cool if they had photos of the plants when they were still operating. 

Dennis

[LS1Heli]

I agree. I wish there were photos when the place looked great.

Buildings like that can't be in the greatest of areas either. 

[chuck]

Hillside facility is pretty large.  Last time we drove through the area (maybe two years ago) part of the factory was being used to make foam rubber pillows/mattress pads?

[envfocus]

Here's the photo in Ron Hollander's "All Aboard" book.  It's taken in front of the Irvington factory in June 1923 where the first of the "sad" photographs were taken.  Although I had to reduce the resolution, Mr. Cowen is in third row from the bottom, just to the right of the keystone.

[LS1Heli]

Thats more like it.

[LS1Heli]

Does anyone know who owns the various locations and why are they in such poor shape??