Toy train operating and collecting

We are quickly approaching November and the start of the Holiday Season. Many of us are making plans for the few vacation days we have left in 2008. So, I decided to post the 5th Annual New York City Holiday Toy Train Tour.

MACY'S

   
Macy's Tree of Lights on Herald Square

Macy's Herald Square covers the entire city block between Broadway and 7th Avenue, and from 34th Street to 35th Street.  This year the great Lionel Layout will be back in Santa Land.  You will have to wait on line to see Santa, but the layout is worth the wait. Santa Land is scheduled to open as usual the day after Thanksgiving.

Some photos of the trains in Santa Land

   

   

   

 Next we walk east on 34th Street to 5th Avenue.  You will know you're there because the Empire State Building is on the southwest corner of this intersection.  The observation deck is open if you are interested in getting an unbelievable view of the Big Apple.

   

Head north on 5th Avenue to 42nd Street and then head east for two blocks to Grand Central Terminal.

GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL

   

   

Lionel will be returning to the New York City Transit Museum Annex on the main level of GCT with their layout depicting a fanciful trip from the Christmas Tree on the living room floor, through New York City, and all the way to the North Pole via the Polar Express.  If you haven't seen this layout in person, you won't want to miss it.  This years layout has been updated with many new features. It opens November 17th.

   

   

   

After leaving Grand central we head north on Vanderbilt Avenue to 46th Street and arrive at the New York Central Building, the former headquarters of the railroad. The building faces north and looks down on stately Park Avenue.

NEW YORK CENTRAL BUILDING

   

We head north on Park Avenue past the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians hosted decades of New Years Eve telecasts.  We walk to 52nd Street and head east to Lexington Ave. On the northeast corner of Lexington Ave and 52nd Street is the Citicorp Building.

In the atrium you will find the Citicorp Station Layout created by Tony Award winning Stage Designer Clarke Dunham.  There's a good chance you'll be able to talk to Clarke or his wife Barbara, who are often part of the operating crew.

CITICORP STATION

   

   

   

After leaving the Citicorp Building we head west on 52nd Street, making our way back to 5th Avenue.  At this point you can make your way north along the east side of 5th Avenue, taking in the beautifully decorated store windows.  At 59th Street, on the north east corner is the great FAO Schwarz Toy Store which features Lionel Trains and a handsome Lionel Train Layout.

FAO SCHWARZ

   

After leaving FAO Schwarz, cross over to the west side of 5th Avenue. Pass the southeast corner of Central Park, where you can take a horse and buggy ride if you like. Or, you can just head south past the Plaza Hotel and soak in the Holiday Spirit as you head down to Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Saks 5th Avenue's Musical Snow Flakes and Rockefeller Center at 50th Street.

5th AVENUE

   

   

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

At Rockefeller Center the famous Christmas Tree stand high above the skating rink in the plaza below.  Bring your skates for the public skating sessions.

   

   

   

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

In the vicinity of Rockefeller Center are the NBC Studios (30 Rock), the NBC Today Show studio, and Radio City Music Hall. With some additional planning, you can take in the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular."

   

We head down either 5th or 6th Avenue to 34th Street and to Herald Square where we started. Both will put you in the Holiday Spirit.

   

For those coming into the city by public transportation, the tour is a big loop and can be started at any point along the way. Herald Square is close to Pennsylvania Station, the PATH Train Terminal, Amtrak, New Jersey transit Trains and the Long Island Railroad. Grand Central is the terminus for Metro North Trains.

   

NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDENS

This ends the walking tour, but for anyone interested, The New York Botanical Gardens has a great G Gauge Train Exhibit.  It's about a 20 minute train ride on the Harlem Division out of Grand Central Terminal to the Botanical Gardens stop.

   

   

The firewall at work was blocking these pics, but I can see them here at home!!!

AWESOME!!!

Having grown up in the Midwest - NYC scares the H3LL out of me.  It's a trip I've always wanted to make via AMTRAK from Minneapolis.  This photo essay hits all the sights I've wanted to see ... except where Madison Hardware was located.

I grew up working in a kosher bagel bakery here in Minneapolis.  My boss, a Russian-Jewish gentleman, was from the Bronx.  Tough guy, but the best boss a punk teenager could have ever asked for.  Kept me on the straight-n-narrow and pushed me to go to college.  Next to my own father and my trains - he was my best friend.

These pics may just be the push I need to setup our next family vacation!  When are most of the trains setup for display? Oct - Dec???

I'm taking the family to go see the Radio City Rockettes when they come to Minneapolis in November.  I'm sure it'll be a good show, but probably not as good as what one might see at the Radio City Music Hall.  I'm sure it'll still be a great show to see!!!

 Thanks NYC!! I'm going up just after Christmas and was going to see the GCT display, Macys is on the list now.  My son was 8 last time we went there.  Should be fun.  We'll be taking NJ Transist to Penn Station and go from there.

And if you want to drop some serious coin on some trains, while at FAO, send the wife across the street to Tiffany and Co.  Thanks for the tour.  It has been some time since I have been in the Big Apple for the holidays.

Dennis

Fabulous photo essay to kick off the Train Season!

Thanks for sharing, NYC fan.

Great photos and yes there is nothing like a Christmas Season walking tour of New York City. A couple other places to see model trains include; At Macy's, they also have a layout (like the one at FAO) in their 8th floor Toy Department, near the famous Santa Land, and they sell a number of Lionel sets and some rolling stock. Giving credit where credit is due, Macy's also puts Lionel sets for sale at locations throughout the manmouth store like The Cellar and the Mens's Departments. If your trek to NYC takes you to the historic Hoboken Terminal (once the home terminal of the Lackawanna, and later the Erie-Lackawanna), there is a operating layout in the Waiting Room, that you activate by making a donation to the charity listed on the layout itself. From NYC this jewl of a station is a quick PATH train ride away. Enjoy ! Ken

anjdevil2:

 Thanks NYC!! I'm going up just after Christmas and was going to see the GCT display, Macys is on the list now.  My son was 8 last time we went there.  Should be fun.  We'll be taking NJ Transist to Penn Station and go from there.

I'm afraid Macy's closes Santa Land at 5pm on Christmas Eve.  You'll need to get there before Santa heads back to the N. Pole. 

 Skip,

What a fantastic photo essay, we need more than 5 stars for this one.  BTW, I am pretty sure our own Roy, has a significant role in the Layout at Macys.    

Would be a great tour if I ever could get up there and do it.

The subject of Macy's and NYC at Christmas brings back memories of living in Avenel NJ in an small apartment and training it into the City for Christmas shopping and dinner.

Jack

"This photo essay hits all the sights I've wanted to see ... except where Madison Hardware was located."

Brad,

From the earliest holiday times in New York City that I can remember, Madison Hardware was always a must stop. The Christmas before they closed their doors for good, I was able to buy 2 brand new 6464 box cars and some new Super O track. For the rest of the day I carried the package, which was customarily wrapped in brown butcher type paper, tied with  string and had one of those cardboard and wire handles that the string wrapped around . I didn't know that that would be the last time I would be stopping there during the holidays.

The building and store front are pretty nondescript as they appear today.  You'd never know what it had once been. But if you wanted to, you could head south from Herald Square on Broadway 11 short blocks to 23rd Street, turn left and a couple of blocks up on the left you'll find 105 E. 23rd Street. While down that way check out 15 E. 26th Street, the old Lionel Showroom was once there. I spent many hours there as a child watching the trains on the Super O layout. 

Having been born and raised in Manhattan and having been a Bronxite for over forty years now, I always look forward to venturing downtown for these exhibits. 

I can only echo the invitation to out-of-towners to try to come and enjoy.

Thanks for your fantastic photos and the 'tour'.

 

The family and I saw the Radio City Rockettes here in Minneapolis over the weekend!  What a great way to kick off the holidays and what a fabulous Christmas show!

Part of the show had a segment on the history of the Rockettes and New York City.  My 10 year old daughter LOVED IT!!!

On our way over to Macy's to see the "Day in the life of an elf" holiday display ... she asked if we could go to New York City.  I guess I'd better start planning for next year.

Is there an NYC Visitors Guide for Dummys?

We'll miss ol' Saint Nick, we probably won't be up until the 27th of December.  My son, who will be 30 in January, is more than likely not interested and my daughter is 16.  Of course, I'd love to see him (and, yes, I can still hear the bells re:Polar Express).  After T-day, I'll firm up the plans to go.  I'll have to drive up Rt.17 to pick up the daughter's boyfriend, then train into the city.  30 Rock in on the agenda as is Ground Zero, to pay respects to the 343.

I'll have pictures, guaranteed!