"What's a Christmas without Trains?" Exhibit in Anderson, Indiana Do you remember when we rode trains? Do you remember when we received them at Christmas? There were the toy catalogs at hardware stores and Sears, Penny's and Montgomery Ward's featuring Lionel, Marx and American Flyer? Whether you do or do not remember them...!! Visit the exhibit in the basement at the Madison County History Center at 11 west 11th Street (11th and Meridian) in downtown Anderson on... Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday Mon. WED. Fri - 11AM to 5PM and Sat. Dec. 8th, 15th & 22nd from 10AM to 2PM from November 30th and the month of December for our rail history in model layouts, photos, and memorabilia. View videos featuring rail subjects and ENJOY the history of our railroads. Class Tours are available at other times as well. Please call 765-683-0052 for details! Special: there will be a small operational On30 layout for the kids to operate! HO train set to be given as a Door Prize on December 21st. Need not be present to win.! Doll houses are a part of the exhibit and they are housed in a separate room leading into the train exhibit. The exhibit features layouts in O scale traction, S Gauge, On30, HO scale, N scale, O gauge Lionel/Marx, and a HO Ringling Bros and Barnum Bailey 1946 Section 1 and 2 circus display. Come out and enjoy and look for the cross bucks at the door! Madison County History Center 11 West 11th Street (in the basement) Anderson, Indiana 765-683-0052 2012 Flier http://madisonrails.railfan.net/exhibit1.jpg
Christmas Without TRAINS??-----NOT In This Life Time Going to the basement at SEARS to see the Lionel layout. Walking to Forth Street to see the layout in the store windows. Climbing up all those stairs to Fischer's Hobby Shop on the second floor off Forth Street. Look at all those metal (brass) engines! Going out back in the alley to Jack Kennedy's barn. Jack was a retired PRR Engineer. Jack would be out there with several of his retired PRR buddies, they would be telling stories about their years on the PRR (D*** the B&O, NYC), smoking cigars, and passing a bottle around. This would go on all day until Mrs. Kennedy had enough and ran everybody off. Jack & crew were a bunch of gruff old SOB's, but every one had a soft spot for neighborhood kid who liked trains. Lots of times I would go home with $10--$20 in my pocket, "Merry Christmas Kid. Now don't tell your Mother!! (Dad knew already)" Going to the Union Station in Louisville, watching all the Trains going and coming. "Come 'mere kid. You wanna see what da inside of the engine looks like?" Trains, full size and model railroading. Put down the video games and take a look at a REAL HOBBY!
We made an annual trip to the "Big City" to shop, enjoy a day and see all those department store displays. Now it is just clone, drone malls with zero charm or appeal. Oh well.
Yeah I remember things like that. Macy's in the city had a large active display for us kids. New York City was a nice place to grow up this time of year . And the memories of the magic of Rockafeller Center. :happy:
