I would urge folks living in the New York metropolitan area to take the time to visit Manhattan this Christmas season and see the extraordinary layout in the Citigroup Center's atrium at 153 East 53rd Street, near Lexington Ave. Undoubtedly, Citigroup Station is the most visually complex, animation intense, semi-scale layout (it presents O, S and HO scale trains simultaneously) open to the public anywhere in the eastern United States. In particular, the extraordinary degree of animation presented, beyond the six dozen operating trains, is certain to fascinate other members of a hobbyist's family otherwise unimpressed by our own home layouts (for instance, ever see a convincing animation of a small child making a Snow Angel on a layout?). The layout has been illustrated in the past few months in the pages of MR, as well.
When I visited with my teenaged grandchildren yesterday, crowds at Citigroup Center were relatively small and one could spend an extended period of time fully taking in all the layout had to offer. Of particular interest to most hobbyists is that nearly all of the most recently issued, high-end, HO trains (Zephyr, Aerotrain, big BLI mallets, etc.) are seen in operation on the layout, along with some classic O examples and even a Reading 4-6-4T commuter tank locomotive - undoubtedly of brass and the only O-scale example of this interesting locomotive I have ever seen.
After a run of something like two decades, this year marks the final presentation of this extraordinary layout and with perhaps more austere times ahead, its like will probably not be seen again under the sponsorship of any large business concerns in the future (the revised layout reportedly cost Citigroup some $750,000 to have built).
CNJ831
I second the motion. This layout is a must see while you are out and about in Manhattan during the Christmas Season. The layout was created by Clark Dunham Studios and is truly a work of art.
John R.
Unfortunately, I saw in the paper today that Citigroup was not doing the layout anymore to save money (annual cost was supposedly $240K). This seems quite unfortunate.
whitman500 Unfortunately, I saw in the paper today that Citigroup was not doing the layout anymore to save money (annual cost was supposedly $240K). This seems quite unfortunate.
That's petty cash. They could have saved $400,000,000 by simply not buying the naming rights to the new Mets ballpark.
And even that $400 million is pocket change compared to the billions they lost on mortgage derivatives.
Andre
I went last year, and what a site to see. All these years and I have only gone once, too lazy to figure out where it was on my own though I am in the city all the time. So I went with friends, probably won't this year, but now that I know it's the last year I will definitely make the trek there.
As a former Dunham Studios sub contractor, and having worked on this layout a few times, I will miss it. It's doesn't do much good being stored and packed away up in Pottersville, NY.
It's really something to watch the look of amazement on the viewers' faces both young and old, it reminds me of the days of the Macy's display, which is one of the major inspirations in my model railroading life as it was for thousands of others and the Citibank/group Station layout has served the same purpose.
And for you rivet counters, the use of multiple scales on this layout is very creative and not really obvious. The craftsmanship and talent that went into this (and many other DS layouts) has to be seen to really be appreciated.
Merry Christmas to Clark & Barbara! Jay Moynihan.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
What's being cancelled is not only a marvelous model railroad set-up, from what I hear, but a great deal of Holiday spirit. That's too bad. Perhaps if one of the Citicorp CEO's would part with their private jets, the proceeds could be used to insure next year's layout return. But that's hoping for TOO much.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Train layout or no, New York City at Christmas time is something everyone should see at least once in their life.
Milepost 266.2 Train layout or no, New York City at Christmas time is something everyone should see at least once in their life.
That's true. Manhattan is something to see at this time of year. That is if you don't mind bucking the crowds gawking at the motorized and otherwise displays in all of the stores. Or if you don't mind public transportation because you've got to be crazy to drive into Manhattan from the other 4 boros at any time but especially now. Parking, if you can find it, is horendously expensive and you can easily burn up a tank of gas going two blocks in the kind of traffic that one finds there.
I try to avoid Manhattan as much as possible but there are times I go there. THis past Tuesday was one of those times. I got to see this exhibit even though I never went before. But it isn't the first time CitiGroup stopped doing something like this beause they did it in the early 1980s. They gave out cardboard trains that once punched out and put together. They didn't do that when this exhibit first opened in 1987. I still have a couple of sets of those unassembled cardboard trains stored somewhere.
Oh, well. Ther is nothing any of us can do about it so why complain? Yeah, I know we get to blow off steam this way.
Ad what better place than a place where steam is appreciated.
Irv
Spent the day in NYC today and got to see the Citigroup layout. It's really an impressive work and made trudging through the slush, traffic and mobs of people a little more bearable. Of course, at this time of the year the hustle and bustle is kind of a neat thing to be a part of.
By all means, if you can, don't miss this display - for all the reasons mentioned above.
We're heading into NYC in a few minutes. Sadly the last time to see this display is also my first time. My boys will love it.
EDIT to add: Yup, everybody loved it. Macy*s and F.A.O.Schwartz both only had Lionel sales displays. There were so many bicycle cabs I wondered if I was in the far east. PATH trains were very dirty and dimly lit.