Oct 2002 - Lionel Collectors Club of America

The Lion Roars October, 2002

PUBLISHED BY THE LIONEL® COLLECTORS CLUB OF AMERICA • BIMONTHLY FEBRUARY, APRIL, JUNE, AUGUST, OCTOBER, DECEMBER

Volume 32, No. 2 October, 2002

Altoona here we come!


®

The OfficialLCCA Website

is getting biggerand better.

Check it out at...www.lionelcollectors.org


The Lion Roars (USPS 0011-994) and (ISSN No. 1079-0993) is published bi-monthly by the Lionel® Collectors Club of America, 1622 Fourth St., Peru, IL61354-3527. Subscription rate of $15.00 per year is paid through membershipdues. Periodical postage paid at Peru, IL 61354-9998 and additional mailingoffices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Lion Roars, 1622 FourthSt. Peru, IL 61354-3527. The LCCA is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation.Lionel® is a registered trademark and is used with thepermission of Lionel L.L.C. Copies of Lionel®

copyrighted materials have been used in thispublication with the permission of Lionel L.L.C.

The LCCA is not affiliated with Lionel® or Lionel L.L.C. Opinions andcomments made in by-lined columns in this publication do not necessarilyreflect the official policies of the Officers, Board of Directors and AppointedOfficials nor do they indicate a Club endorsement of any products mentioned.

LCCA Website ......................................................................... IFC

President’s Report .......................................................................... 2

Remembering Pittsburgh .............................................................. 3

Extending Your Convention Vacation ......................................... 10

Commemoriatives Of Our 32nd Family Reunion At Pittsburgh... 12

Upcoming LCCA Train Meets .................................................. 13

Las Vegas 2003 ............................................................................. 14

Lional “SSS” Service Station Sets ............................................. 15

The Mane Line ........................................................................... 18

Real Or Whimsey ......................................................................... 23

Lionel News & Views................................................................... 28

What’s In it For Me? ................................................................... 31

A Lionel Puzzlement and answer to last month’s puzzle ............ 32

Treasurer’s Report ................................................................... IBC

LCCA Application for Membership ........................................ GIBC

LCCA BUSINESS OFFICE P.O. Box 479

LaSalle, IL 61301-0479

Lionel® Collectors Club of America

Contacting the LCCA Business Office:Contact the Business Office at the address below or bye-mail <[email protected]> or by fax: 815-223-0791.

The Lion Roars Contents

DirectorsWilliam F. Button-IT Editor2410 W. Miller CircleWestland, MI [email protected]

Louis J. Caponi610 Andrews RoadSpringfield, PA [email protected]

Barry B. Findley3414 Old Cantrell RoadLittle Rock, AR [email protected]

Harry H. Overtoom3409 Fleetwood DriveLexington, KY [email protected]

Ed Richter2008 Paprika DriveOrlando, FL [email protected]

Editors & AppointeesBarry FindleyConstitutional Comm. Chairman3414 Old Cantrell RoadLittle Rock, AR [email protected]

Hulen Warren, Librarian202 Cedar RoadBogalusa, LA [email protected]

William F. ButtonEditor, Interchange Track2410 West Miller CircleWestland, MI [email protected]

William J. Schmeelk, Editor, TLR15 Birchwood LaneHillsdale, NJ [email protected]

Dennis L. Clad, Cont. Editor, TLR7707 Patterson AvenueRichmond, VA 23229-6609804-288-CLAD

Susan Ellingson, ConventionRegistration Chair4100 Victoria StreetMinnetonka, MN [email protected]

Craig Tribuzi, Website Editor7504 Zurich DrivePlano, TX [email protected]

ON THE COVER:Happy faces aboard the Amtrak

LCCA “Broadway Limited”.

Copyright © 2002 the Lionel® Collectors Club of America. All rights re-served. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy-ing and recording for any purpose without the express written permissionof the Lionel® Collectors Club of America.

LCCA Web Site: www.lionelcollectors.orgPeople to Contact:President - Always available and as a last resort.President Elect - Schedule a meet.Immediate Past President - Complaint against another member.Secretary - Any administrative action not handled by LCCA Business Office.Treasurer - Club finances only.Librarian - Back issues of The Lion Roars.Editor, TLR - “Make good” copy of The Lion Roars.

They will take care of: applications for membership, replace membership cards,reinstatements, change of address, phone number changes, death notice, commemo-rative orders, convention registration and club mementos.

1

OfficersJohn A. Fisher, President1730 James RoadSt. Paul, MN [email protected]

Eric P. Fogg, President Elect13360 Ashleaf DriveDes Moines, IA [email protected]

John Ourso, Secretary2400 N. Conestoga AvenurTucson, AZ [email protected]

Richard Johnson, Treasurer-Archivist8750 E. Kemper RoadCincinnati, OH [email protected]

Albert F. Otten, Imd. Past Pres.54 Overlook DriveLittle Rock, AR [email protected]


The President’sReport

by John Fisher RM 6541

Lionelcollectors.orgAnd the hits just keeping on a coming!

If you haven’t been to the best toy train website latelyyou have been missing out on some fun. Please accept this asyour personal invitation to put this high on your list of favoriteplaces. Check it out and you will find an ever-expandingmembers only section that is now password protected. Don’thave your password yet?—it takes just a minute and we willemail you a password that will bring you into this excitingworld of toy train fun. Our website editor (and contributingauthor), Craig Tribuzi continues to add more useful pull downoptions and you may wish to just do a little exploring anddiscovering. We now have a fully updated and current rosterof members. This new online version features a number ofunique search capabilities which would not be practical witha printed edition. You can search by name, state, and zip code,then zero in on members in a specific area——it is just great!Another unique feature of this online roster is that due to itsdynamic nature, it will never be out of date.

All of this is just the beginning. Larry Black and GregElder have successfully completed beta testing on our fullydynamic electronic version of the most successful buy-sell-swap publication anywhere, LCCA’s acclaimed InterchangeTrack. Your new E Track will permit you to submit ads,respond to ads, or change and/or delete information on a true24/7 basis. Think about a totally current, updated toy trainmarketplace every time you log on. No more waiting for anevery-other-month publication date and deadlines. You willbe able to list items for sale whenever you choose and oncesold, they can be immediately removed. This is what we mean

by adding value to your LCCA membership. This is just thebeginning of a number of useful features coming your way.

LCCA VolunteersYour club benefits in many ways from the volunteerism

of its members and at our recent annual convention we tooktime to say “Thank You” to the members of The Lion Roarseditorial team. These individuals give freely of their time,knowledge and expertise to enlighten the rest of us, all thewhile making it interesting and fun. One member of that team,Dennis Clad, has just completed an incredible seven year runwith The Mane Line. Thanks Dennis, and please continue tokeep these fun articles coming (and no, I do not know whereto buy the Lionel “Farmall” set—Dennis was right—they arescarce). Editor Bill Schmeelk is always ready to welcomenew authors with interesting ideas. If you have somethingfun to share with the rest of us, please contact him.

Membership Contest.Thanks to all of you who have accepted our invitation to

share your thoughts and ideas regarding ways we can continueto enhance membership benefits. Our little contest with threenifty prizes has some time left so please email, call, or writeto me with your thoughts and ideas. We are committed torelentlessly seeking new ways to delight and surprise you withadded value. A couple of great suggestions just arrived todayfrom member Paul Hooretz. Winners will be announced inour December issue.

Las Vegas, July 22-27, 2003Plans are well underway for our next annual convention

at the fabulous Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in the world’snumber one meeting destination city. Our next issue will haveall the details, and best of all, on line registration will bepossible for the first time ever. We promise more great family-oriented fun with professionally conducted tours, a dynamiteGet Acquainted Party (think Series 2 Collector Cards!),incredible convention and on site cars, along with more greatLCCA convention surprises. We will continue to provide thebest convention value anywhere.

WANTEDTrain articles with photos of a layout in progress

from beginning to end; although we all knowa layout is never “finished.”

Bill Schmeelk, Editor, [email protected]


RememberingPittsburgh!

3

I had been lookingforward to attendingthis, my 28th

consecutive LCCAannual convention foralmost 9 months andfinally the time hadarrived to head forPittsburgh. I say 28th

but I actually haveattended 29 includingthe one in Huntsville in1973 where I joinedthe club and got myvery first LCCAconvention car. The trip from central Kentucky led me oversome of the most beautiful territory in the Midwest throughOhio and West Virginia. As I cruised through Wheeling, WV,I remembered the Wheeling convention in 1979. It was thenthat the LCCA issued one of the most unique convention carsto that point – the Airco Boxcar. It seems that each and everyconvention has some remembrances left in the back of mymemory bank. Well, on to Pittsburgh!

My wife and a traveling companion, Dick Johnson, madethe trip in record time. Dick and I were bound and determinednot to miss our exit this time having visited the site earlier inthe year in March together. Miss it we did! It seems thePennsylvania State Highway department saw fit to erect newroad exit signs just weeks before. No matter, we discovered itand actually found our way thru the city streets quickly andon to Station Square. I had visited Station Square years before,after it had been redone into a Mecca for the visitor and localalike. A friend from Kentucky had been transferred toPittsburgh and invited us to come see him and attend a trainshow. Nothing would do but he had to take me to this once

Pittsburgh and LakeErie facility now keptfrom the wreckingball altogether.

I really didn’tremember StationSquare that wellthough from before.But I believe it hadreally changed quite abit. The SheratonHotel was absolutelybeautiful! What alocation for a train

convention! Literally, the mainline ran behind the hotel but afew feet and was a train watcher’s paradise night and day. Thelobby was decked out in railroad pictures and the huge lobbyatrium was alive with excitement already. We had arrived onSunday night but I could sense the throngs of LCCA’ers wereon their way. Had to get ready! The Amtrak trip was due toleave bright and early Tuesday morning. That evening wewalked the shops and kind of checked out the lay of the land.Lots of restaurants! Even a new Hard Rock Cafe scheduled tohave its grand opening the coming week. But I had my sightson the Grand Concourse Restaurant in the old PL&E passengerstation. That is a story for later in the week.

Monday was taken up with setting up for the many LCCAfriends that would be arriving. Unpacking the computers,setting up the check-in area, un-boxing the special items all indue course. Oh yes, the sales table with all the LCCA goodiesfor sale! Picked up my convention packet all expertly done bythe team with all the tickets for the tours I would be takingand oh yes the BANQUET! Being one of the first 400 pre-registering, I got one of the very special registration gifts of aLionel trains gondola decorated for the convention. Beautiful!

by Larry Black RM 240

RememberingPittsburgh!


Sure glad Ir e g i s t e r e dearly. Iwandered overto the LCCAsales table andfell in love withthe on-site carfor this year –a special DickMaddox Retirement boxcar with a portrait of ole Joshua LionelCowen on one side and Dick Maddox on the other. The AngelaTrotta Thomas graphics were just perfect and would make thiscar a real treasure and only 250 to be had – 50 each day. Gotto have one and when it was announced that Dick and Angelawould be signing the cars on Saturday, I knew where I had tobe that Saturday. Soon it would be time to get to bed – 4:30AM would come pretty soon to be up, dressed, andhave breakfast before leaving on the buses to theAmtrak station just minutes away.

Tuesday morning came all too early but this wasgoing to be a trip of a lifetime. I was going to actuallyride around horseshoe curve on a train! The breakfastbuffet set-up by the Sheraton was just right, plentiful,and at $9.99 – the right price. It was now 6 AM andthe buses were ready to quickly transport us to theAmtrak station. As we pulled up to the station, itsgrandeur radiated. Before boarding the train, we gota chance to see the gorgeous station with its hugerotunda. I could only envision what it must have beenlike 60+ years before when steam still ruled thePennsy and the Keystone state. My reminiscing

ended when I heard the call for the train to Altoonawith an “All Aboard”.

Now it was our turn to get aboard the sleek silverAmtrak equipment headed by a beautiful Genesislocomotive. Altoona here we come! We had hopedto get out of the station before 7 AM and the Conrailfreight heading east. Didn’t make it and that wouldbe a problem just down the line. As we headed outof town for the most famous piece of railroadtrackage in the US, the pace was slow and we got tosee the backside of Pittsburgh. With a minor delaycaused by a disabled Conrail freight train ahead ofus, we arrived a little late into Altoona. In spite ofthe delay we made all of our scheduled stops. Seeingthe magnificent Horseshoe curve was the jewel ofthe trip. At one time 4 tracks traversed the curve andit was said that a train passed every 15 minutes. Areal engineering marvel it was! Before it wasconstructed, crossing the Allegheny Mountains wasmade possible only by Incline railway. And I wouldbe actually riding the curve today twice – going andcoming.

Arrival in Altoona was late but a nice lunch wasawaiting us at our 1st tour stop. The group split into3 segments with each one heading to a separate 1st

stop. Ours headed to the curve and visitor center.We would get to see it from a separate vantage point. As wepulled up and grabbed our lunch a short shower rained downto cool us all. But that could not stop this bunch of ruggedtrain fans. Off we went to this historic site. A small museumat the bottom of the hill housed a theatre, which played a shortmovie on the curve, and other exhibits tracing the history of


the curve. Of course the gift shop was a must stop. But mostof us wanted to get to the top of the hill and see some trains!You could walk or take a small incline car. We chose the inclineup and the walk back down. Once at the top, you could onlyimagine what it must have been like in the hey day of steam.We saw a few diesel freights come by and were they impressive.displayed on the site was a retired Pennsy Geep that replaceda steam K4 that I had remembered the last time I had visitedsome 30 years before. Supposedly the K4 was being restoredat another site.

Our next stop was the Allegheny Portage Incline Railway.Now a national historical site, they have preserved the fewremains of this piece of history for scaling the Allegheny

Mountains. In the reconstructed engine house on one of thestops, we were able to observe the method of hoisting the loadsup the mountain from one stop to the other. Some of theroadbed and rail was still in place.

Our last stop was at the Altoona Railroaders MemorialMuseum where the glorious history of this railroad town andits people are captured. I have been to some fine railroadmuseums but none to match the quality of this one. Four floors

greeted us and we had, it seemed only such a short time to seeit all. The focus was on the people who built and maintainedthis piece of Pennsy mainline and the equipment that was used.Due to the high maintenance and support required for the curveand the trains that traversed her, Altoona became a largerailroad center. Many steam engines were actually designedand built there as well as a large maintenance center. But inaddition they built freight cars. Within the museum was also avery nice operating HO Layout depicting the Altoona area. Ogauge dioramas depicted other scenes from Altoona’s history.This is a must see for any Pennsy fan or rail fan in general. Weheard while we were leaving that the museum’s future was inquestion due to lower attendance than needed to support its

operating costs. What a shame! Having completedour tours of the three sites, we had supper atMcDonalds close to the Altoona Railroad Museumand then headed back to the train for the ride home.Thankfully, the ride back was uneventful and quick.Arriving back at the Sheraton at about 11 PM was asure welcome site and off to bed.

The next day was a free one for my wife andme from the other tours. That evening along withsome old and new friends, we headed to the GrandConcourse Restaurant just down the street for supper.What a place it was to have supper! It was supposedlythe best place in Pittsburgh for seafood. I can’t speak

for the other places but it got my 1st place vote! Sitting in themain concourse room was an awesome experience full ofambience and elegance. One could only envision what thisold PL&E station was like in its prime. I am sure the hustle ofthe Pittsburgh travelers thru this station was a site to behold.We saw a small glimpse of it as we went to the bathroom andwere able to linger in a hallway adorned with photos fromthose years gone by just a little over a half century ago. The

evening was wonderful – good food with goodfriends. Before calling it a night we decided to takeone of the nearby inclines to the top of the hilloverlooking Station Square and the city. It was agreat view!

Bob Carter reports on the Wednesdaytours: On Wednesday we hopped aboard a tour busand checked out the Trolley Museum, just outsideof Pittsburgh. Not only did we get to see and get onthe trolleys, but ride them also. Hello, New Orleansin the 1900’s. I could almost smell the Benigets andcoffee in Jackson Square. You should have seen thesmile on Al Otten’s face. I swear he looked just likea kid again. OK, an OLD kid, but a kid just the


same. I think we all had that infectious look of regression andreliving those “good old days”. After reluctantly leaving thetrolley museum we headed back intoPittsburgh, with its accompanying trafficcongestion, to visit the Senator John HeinzRegional History Center. The city trafficthrew our schedule off, so the time to visitthe History Museum was cut short, but thetime we had was quite memorable. Thebuilding that houses the museum was an oldicehouse. I, for one, am glad to see citiesbeginning to reuse those old and well builtstructures and what better way than for amuseum. The exhibits covered 250 yearsof the history of the Pittsburgh region.There were interactive exhibits and artifacts that demonstratedeverything from home and family life to transportation,industrial development, and political organizations. There waseven a kitchen that I swear came out of our old house inHouston in 1948. Boy, the memories just flowed.

Larry Black continues: On Thursday we had theCarnegie Science Center on our schedule. Boarding a boatjust adjacent to the hotel, we took a short trip across the river

and docked where we walked up a small hill to the museum.This was going to be an all “Lionel Day” at the museum.

Several Lionel seminars were planned along with touring themuseum including a fine and very large Lionel operatinglayout, lunch, and an OmniMax movie. The first Lionelseminar was a review of new Lionel items being introduced.Many of these items would be on display starting Friday inthe public display area. Hearing the Lionel team talk aboutthe “new” things being introduced was very exciting. I wasparticularly excited about some of the new animation itemslike the sign painter. A 2nd seminar on TrainMaster wasparticularly interesting to me because I have not yet movedup to this new technology. They sure made it look easy! NowI’m ready. Lunch was a huge spread and no one went awayhungry. It was outside with large hamburgers grilled right therealong with all the fixings. One of the highlights of the museumis the Requiem Submarine that can be toured. Docked alongside the river at the museum, a guided tour is a must! One canget a great appreciation for the hardships of submarine lifeafter such a tour. During the afternoon we took in the largeLionel layout at the museum. It is designed for continuousoperation of several trains with many more as static pieces.


What catches your attention though is the amount of animationand detail on the layout. I walked around it at least 7 timesand never saw it all. Lights on a timer are set to simulate thetime of day. Lights in buildings come on and off as well. Thereis a large city, steel mill area, countryside, amusement park,airport, ball field, industrial area, etc, etc. Even seasons aredepicted across the layout. There is even a real river with waterand boats navigating it on a continuous basis. It is gigantic!The animation is extremely detailed including a dog raisingits hind leg to a photographer’s flash. It was everywhere! Youcan’t see Pittsburgh without visiting this museum. Well, thelast call was sounded and we must head back to the hotel. As

we arrived back we were directed to a waiting truck to receivea surprise gift for each regular member on the tour from thefriends at Lionel – a souvenir Requiem submarine flatcar madeexclusively for that day. Only enough of these unique carswere produced to give one to each member attendee on thistour. It was beautiful. Nearby some entrepreneurs were alreadyoffering $100 each for any takers. Not mine! That night somewere already on eBay.

That evening was the traditional welcoming party – a topevent at the LCCAconventions now. BillSchmeelk, in his ever-warped way, againdevised a crowdpleasing-ice breaker.As we entered theroom, we were givena small envelope.What was this inside?It turned out to beLCCA trading cardsbut I had all the sameone. A set consisted of12 different Lionelpostwar catalogcovers on one side anda face of the LionelLion on the other. Itdid not take long tofigure out that only bytrading with otherswho had differentcards could I acquirea complete set. Whocared about the foodthat was spread fromone end to the other? Iwas going to get myset first. After about 15minutes of feverish

trading I had my set. Then I had to complete my wife’s. Another10 minutes. What a great way to meet people. Everyone lovedit! Bob carter reports that it looked like a bunch of kids tryingto get their favorite baseball players Fleer Bubble Gum card.We all had a lot of fun and our THANKS go to Bill Schmeelkfor his ingenious creativity.

Now I could eat. Boy was there food! Not hamburgerseither. Everyone got stuffed. Not only was the food excellent,


it was also plentiful. BobCarter’s highlight was thefreezers full of Klondike bars.More trading went on for thoseless anxious than I. There waslive band music that eventuallybeckoned many to dance. Evenmy wife and I succumbed tothe urge. During the eveningthere was also a tribute to DickMaddox in recognition of his

retirement as well as greetings from the mayor of Pittsburgh.Before leaving though we had to have our free caricature drawnby a local artist over in the corner of the room. The line waslong but we decided it would be worth it. It was loads of funto see each couple get characterized.

Friday included thetraditional Lionel seminar,annual business meeting, andpublic display area viewingbefore trading began thatevening. Of course, Lionel waswell represented in the displayarea and distributed their newcatalogs, one to a customerafter the Lionel seminar. Ofcourse, there were lots of

questions and answers at the seminar. I was most impressed atthe Lionel seminar with Lionel’s new leader Bill Bracy. I foundhim forthright, talkative, and genuinely interested in what wecollectors were thinking. He carried a notepad and attemptedto capture every thought and comment during any one-on-ones.I learned by the end of the week that Bill is also an avid Lionelmodel train fan as well with a layout under construction in hisnew home.

The public display area had one of the most awesomelayouts I have seen in quite a while. The Pittsburgh area Hi-Railers brought a large modular layout (about 80 feet long by18 feet wide) with 3 track oval operation. In the middle was alarge turntable with nearly $30K worth of large steam settingready for dispatch. Poised on the turntable was a Big Boy. Alarge 8-track yard for assembling trains stood between theturntable and the mainline. While I was there I observed adouble headed new Lionel 2-10-2 tandem pulling a very largeconsist of freight cars effortlessly. Typical 50 car freight trainswere not uncommon or 25 car passenger car trains in UP brightyellow during the running that afternoon. Pennsy steam anddiesel power was everywhere. The layout had lots of detail

and was very well done. A huge Hell Gate bridge adorned oneside of the layout standing probably 6 feet high and 20 feetlong. Each member’s module was really unique. These guyshad fun too. Thanks fellows for sharing it with us.

The trading hall action started that evening. By noweveryone was ready to buy trains. 3-2-1 … let’s go. The roomwas really crowded with lots of trains and Lionel blue andorange was everywhere with some purple too. I saw feverishactivity at Lou Caponi’s tables as well as many others. Tonightfor me was just looking. Didn’t have any specifics that I waslooking for and besides I needed to man the table showing theLCCA website. During the evening I got to meet lots of

members, discuss theclub’s website, andupcoming plans for anon-line InterchangeTrack. As a result we gotsome good ideas andfeedback.

Saturday morningand more trading.During a small lull mywife and I wentshopping in the room.She had spotted a

Club founder Jim Gates CM 1,having his Maddox carautographed.


“girls” boxcar the night before that she knew our newgranddaughter “had” to have. So she bought her 1st train itemeven if it wasn’t a Lionel. Later that morning I went to get inline to have my Maddox boxcar signed by both Dick andAngela. I decided to have the box signed by good friend LennyDean and a new friend Bill Bracy. If Joshua would have beenthere and Dick Kughn, I would have had them signed it aswell. By the way I just noticed that several of these were sellingon eBay for over $200. With my new treasure in hand, I headedoff to put it away for safekeeping. That afternoon a large publiccrowd came in and all I saw was bright $mile$ from mostvendors. Lou’s table had been stripped almost bare. A greatmeet! It was now time to call it quits and get ready for thebanquet.

The LCCA banquets have grown over the years to be areal draw and this one was no exception. Adding to themystique was the fact that it was held aboard a riverboat. Earlierin the week I had signed up for a table close to the front. My

only criteria was that I wanted to be at a table with no one Iknew. I have found this is to be a great way to meet new friendsand fellow collectors that I would not otherwise get to know. Inow have three new LCCA families to add to my collection offriends. The ride up and down the rivers of Pittsburgh offereda unique view of this home to the Steelers as we ate. I hadsalmon and it was delicious. I made a couple of trips to thesilent auction but had no success there. After dinner there werethe usual few short speeches. A special tribute was made to

Dick Maddox commemorating his retirement and thankinghim for his special friendship with our club. Angela TrottaThomas, the sweetheart of the LCCA, presented to Mr.Maddox, the original artwork used on the special Maddox-Cowen Box car.

The club also made a special presentation to Lionel’s newpresident, Bill Bracy. John Fisher, on behalf of our clubpresented him with a very special F3 AA set. The locos featuredspecially created shells in the Santa Fe war bonnet scheme.The roadname on the sides was Lionel Lines. In place of theusual GM logos was a special inscription that stated – Leasedto Bill Bracy. Mr. Bracy later spoke a few words and we allfelt just a little closer to this new leader of the Lionel tradition.

We soon docked and it was time to claim our door andraffle prizes back at the hotel. Everyone always gets something.As I entered the room it was stacked high with orange andblue door prizes - mostcompliments of Lionel. Iclaimed mine and assistedwith the handout. It was nowabout 10 PM and the lastdoor prize had been claimed.I was one tired puppy!Seemed hard to believe thatanother convention had comeand gone. In the morning mywife and I would head homewith a number of newtreasures – couple of trains, some new found friends, re-acquaintances with a number of old friends, loads of memories,and a new enthusiasm for getting my layout going.

As I put the fond memories of Pittsburgh to bed, it willnot be long before time to think about Las Vegas and my 30th

convention. Can’t wait to see what will be in store and to makemy plans to be there. Hope I will see many of you there. I’vebeen to Las Vegas many times on business but never on “train”business. It’s about time! Maybe there will be a train ride intoCalifornia, a few of those famous garden railways to see, theGrand Canyon, and on and on.

Photographs by Ed Richtner and Bob Carter


By Bob Carter RM 6620Editor’s note: Bob Carter’s vacation began by attending

our annual convention in Pittsburgh, but it didn’t end there.Bob found a way to continue his enjoyment of train relatedactivities and has writtena three-part articledetailing them. A specialthanks to Bob for sharingwith our members someof the interesting, trainrelated activities thatextended his vacation.I’m sure many of ourmembers will find itinteresting and perhapswill plan a trip to someof the interesting placesBob and his wife visitedon their way home fromPittsburgh.

I thoroughlyenjoyed the Pittsburghconvention and I was alittle reluctant to leave,what with all the trainactivity they have there.Checking my trustyRand McNally though,and plotting our returntrip to Marietta, GA, Inoticed a few places thatmight make aworthwhile visit.

The first was TheCass Scenic RailroadState Park. I dare say thatanyone interested intrains has heard of Cassand their Heisler, Climaxand Shay locomotives.Living in Texas, andbeing a long way fromWest Virginia, has prevented us from taking advantage of thisline, but since we will be traveling sooo close, I thought, whynot? We made arrangements in Staunton, VA, home of theStatler Brothers by the way, to spend the night and set outacross the mountains to Cass, WV. Let me tell you, Texas is

flatter than flat when it comes to West Virginia. The ride acrossthe mountains was almost as exciting as the train ride we hadwhen we got to Cass.

The Cass ScenicRailroad was built in1901, and was used tohaul lumber to the millin Cass. What you areriding on and behind arethe cars and locos thatwere used in Cass andthe lumber industry forover 50 years. Thepassenger cars you ridein were old lumber flatcars that wererefurbished intopassenger cars.

The engines are stillcoal powered and handshoveled and for a railfan, it was like a tripback in time. Before wegot on, we were able tosee it come in, with thegears turning thewheels, the thick blacksmoke bellowing out ofthe stack and themournful wail of thewhistle echoing off themountains. The enginestopped to take on waterbefore arriving at thestation to let off itspassengers and take onsome more. I spoke tothe engineer and firemanbriefly while they oiledand greased prior toleaving, and learned thatthe fireman feeds the

firebox with six shovelfuls of coal every 15 seconds. This isnot a job for a weak back!

As we left the station, we passed, on the left, whatappeared to be a graveyard of old and rusting equipment. Someold log cars, parts of engines and a logging crane took up most

EXTENDING YOURCONVENTION VACATION

P A R T O N E


The Lion Roars October, 2002The Lion Roars October, 200211

of the trackage, while onthe right side wereremnants of the old sawmill and the current shopwhere the locomotivesand cars are maintainedand serviced. You passthrough a forest of trees,up a grade to the firstswitchback. Theswitchman, a state parkemployee, hops off thelead car after it passes theswitch and throws it forthe next climb up themountain. We go throughtwo switchbacks,eventually climbing agrade of 11 percent.Remember, they tell us asteep grade for modelrailroading andconventional railroads is2 percent. Well, this 11percent grade wasnothing for this littleengine, and the weight itwas pushing and pullingwas nothing compared towhat it used to handlewith fully loaded logcars. The trip was slowand deliberate. If any ofyou have one of theLionel or MTH Shays,run it protypically tofully enjoy the gearedwheel action.

We decided to takethe two hour round tripto Whittaker Stationinstead of the four and ahalf hour round trip toBald Knob. When wearrived at WhittakerStation, everyone got offand took the self-guidedtour of a reconstructedlogging camp. Therewere guides thatanswered our questionsand explained what wewere seeing. After whatseemed like a too short

period of time, weclimbed back aboard forthe return trip to Cass. Ifyou take the full fourand one-half hour trip toBald Knob, you wouldleave Whittaker, travelon up the mountain, takeon more water at OatsRun and continue up themountain until youfinally reach Bald Knob.At 4,842 feet, BaldKnob is the secondhighest point in WestVirginia. From theoverlook you can seeinto two states and theclimate, it is written, islike that of Canada. Iguess next time we’llhave to make time forthe entire run, buthaving driven themountains to be at Cassfor the 3 pm ride, Iwanted to be sure I wasdriving back in daylight.

Seeing up close andpersonal a real Shay, andunderstanding it’s placein the growth of ournation, was a wonderfultime well spent. We rodebehind Shay No.5,which was built in 1905,and came to Cass newfor the Greenbrier & ElkRiver, West VirginiaSpruce Lumber Co. Theengine weighs 86 tonsand is 57 feet, 7 inches.

It uses 4 tons of coal and 5000 gallons of water daily.

I’m sure many of you have taken this side excursion toCass, but for those of you that for whatever reason have beenputting it off. You might want to consider allowing enoughtime and daylight to make this living piece of history part ofyour memory file. Our next stop is Roanoke, Virginia for avisit to the Virginia Transportation Museum. We’ll cover thatin part 2.

Photographs by Bob Carter


Commemoriatives of our 32nd

Family Reunion at Pittsburgh, PA. by Contributing Editor Dennis Leon Clad RM 10430

Oh sure, I’veattended a few of thosecommittee plannedconventions offered byother train clubs. I knowthe planners of thoseconventions reallywanted me to have agood time, but I justdidn’t. You see I’ve beenspoiled by LCCAconventions. The reasonfor this is simple. Ourgoverning fathers work very hard to make sure LCCAconvention attendees wear a smile. You bet LCCA conventionsare just that great! Speaking for me, the best part of attendingan LCCA convention isthe sense of family andthe fun of seeing oldfriends along with theopportunity to make newones. If you twist myarm, I’ll tell you a goodmeal away from home isawfully important. Well,our club fathers feel thesame way. The icing onthe cake for me are thosegreat LCCA conventionsouvenirs. Now trust meon this one. No other toytrain club offersconvention attendeesbetter commemorativesthan the club with Lionelin its name, the LionelCollectors Club ofAmerica.

To prove my boldstatement please let meoffer as evidence thesouvenir Lionel rollingstock that debuted at our32nd convention. Pleasetell me what other toy train club would give the first 400registrants a specially decorated limited edition Lionel Car?This was in addition to the convention souvenir. Well that’s

just what LCCA did. The6-17412 was originallyoffered by Lionel at theiron-line store and isuncataloged. As ourLionel luck would haveit, our club fathers wereable to acquire fromLionel, 400 of thesemade in the U.S.A.gondolas and had themdecorated with Happy,the Lionel Lion along

with the LCCA 32nd annual convention notation. All 400 ofthe Happy Gondolas came equipped with Lionel’s premiumdie cast sprung trucks. With Happy on our LCCA gondola

this very special freightyard workhorsebecomes a must have forthree collector groups.Before you buy a 6-17412 from an onlineauction, question theseller to see if you’regetting the real thing —a custom decoratedLCCA Happy Gondola.

If you think ourLCCA fathers couldn’ttop a free limited editionHappy gondola, welljust wait till you see theon-site convention 6464boxcar for 2002. Only250 of these cars weremade. The special 6464-2002 is a customdecorated 9700 seriestype Lionel boxcar.Painted under the car’sdoors between a pair ofhigh end die cast sprungLionel trucks is, LCCAOn-Site Car Pittsburgh,

PA 2002. This silver painted beauty with black doors has inthe upper left corner, near the roof line, the car’s number, 6464-2002. On one side of the car is a portrait of Joshua Lionel

Happy says, You’ll be happy too if you have his LCCA gondola in yourcollection.

No club but LCCA could offer such an attractive car as the Cowen /Maddox 6464-2002 boxcar.

This 6464 is a must have car for four collector groups.


Cowen, along withstatement, FounderLionel Trains. Under Mr.Cowen is the signatureof the portrait’s artist,Angela Trotta Thomas.To the right of Mr.Cowen is printed FromCowen to Maddox ACentury of LionelTrains! Above thatstatement is a black linefor the artist’s autograph.

A tip-top job wasdone by Weaver Models and the decoration on this car is rivaledonly by our beloved Lionel.

On the opposite side of the car, to the left of the door is aportrait of Lionel’s Richard Maddox and the words, PresidentLionel LLC 1999-2002. Again under the portrait is the artist’ssignature. To the right of the door is printed, From Cowen toMaddox The Legend Lives On! Again, above the statement isa black line where you can have president Maddox autographthe car. Both president Maddox and Mrs. Thomas wereavailable at our 2002 convention and were more than happyto autograph the car for our members.

Now I know what you’re thinking, Dennis you can stopnow as it can’t get any better than the Happy gondola and theon site 6464 box car. Well, it can and does get better. The 6-52273 is a special car made by Lionel exclusively for our cluband it commemorates Lionel Day at the Carnegie ScienceCenter. This car is the oh so desirable Lionel USS RequinSubmarine Car. This special gift was given only to LCCAregular members who attended the Thursday Carnegie Science

A rare look at the oh so rare Lionel made LCCA On site convention car.

Center event of theconvention. This Lionelmade treasure hasLCCA painted on a U.S.Navy flat car and likeour first two LCCAsouvenir cars, this flatcomes equipped withLionel’s premium diecast sprung trucks. Onthe sub’s tower, ispainted the USSRequin’s number 481.Painted on the sub’s hullnear the fan tail is the

Carnegie Science Center 10th anniversary logo. Even closer tothe ship’s fantail, just past the logo is painted One of the FourCarnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. The real USS Requin is oneof the museum’s exhibits and many of our members touredthe sub. Because Lionel produced such a small number of the6-52273 LCCA Submarine Car, its value will surely rise. Onthe box end flap, the 6- sku number is present along with thename of the car, which is the 2002 LCCA PittsburghConvention Special LCCA/On Site Carnegie Science CenterSubmarine Car.

If you were lucky enough to attend our LCCA 2002 familyreunion and you have just one of the three souvenir cars, youcan be sure there is collector interest in your car. Because ofthis interest, you can expect the value of these cars to increase.All this was in addition to two great convention cars that we’llcover next issue. Next summer, for a value packed family funvacation, make it our LCCA Las Vegas convention.

Happy tracks, Dennis Leon Clad

Upcoming LCCA Train MeetsLexington, Kentucky — Friday, November 29 &Saturday, November 30, 2002

Get a jump on the Holidays with some of the best train meethosts in the business! Join co-hosts Harry Overtoom, Larry Black,Bill Crace, and Winfred Adkins on Friday, November 29 & Saturday,November 30, 200 at the Continental Inn in Lexington. The Inn islocated at US 60 and New Circle Road (1.8 miles west on US 60from I-75 Exit 110.)

Setup and Early Bird Trading starts on Friday, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.and is open to LCCA members only. Saturday members-only tradingruns from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m., with public trading from 10:00 a.m. to3:00 p.m.

LCCA members and family are free; Guests are $3.50, withchildren under 12, free with an adult. Tables are $15.00 each.

For more information, contact co-hosts Harry Overtoom, 859-268-1942; Larry Black, 502-695-4355; Bill Crace, 859-299-2423;and Winfred Adkins, 859-873-2497.

East Haven, Connecticut— Sat. & Sun., Nov. 30thru Dec. 2210:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Jim Boylan will be presenting the 0-72 and 0 gage operatingLionel train layout in a 103 year old real operating trolley car at theShore line Trolley Museum, 17 River St., near the Green, East Haven,Conn. While regular museum admission will be charged, theexperience includes heated trolley car rides, hot chocolate, cookies,and a visit with Santa, who will have a gift for each child. A limitednumber of passes are available by advance arrangement, for memberswho would like to bring trains to run on the unusual layout, or helprun Jim’s trains. Public transportation is near-by.

Call Jim Boylan (122 Monroe Ave.; Penndel, PA 19047-4058)at (215) SKyline 7-7444 for more information and directions. I willcall you back if you leave your number on my answering machine.The museum phone is (203) 467-6927, but they won’t be able toanswer questions about passes.


LCCA members are prepared for the “Westward,ho!” trek to one of America’s premiere entertainmentcities, meeting destinations, and tourist attractions.Nevada is “silver country,” and the memories of theComstock Mine are evident in the flow and flash ofsilver dollars – the favored coin of the area.

The club’s convention hotel will be the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Contrary to some edgy TVimages about this fabled city, “The Strip” in Las Vegasis now more like a family-fun circus with free outdoorattractions like “The Volcano Eruption” and eveningfireworks, great casino-based extravaganzas like“The White Tigers with Seigfreid and Roy,” and on-stage musicals starring popular singers and hitmakers.

There’s a Lot Moreto Las Vegas than...

Well, You Know.

You and your family will enjoy professionallyconducted tours in the area, the Get Acquainted Partywith Series 2 Collector Cards, a collectible LCCA On-site Convention Car, and much more.

Mark your calendar for July 22-27, 2003, for thebest club convention in the West – or anywhere else!Early birds may make room reservations now at1-888-684-3746; be sure to ask for the “LCCACONVENTION SPECIAL RATE. Call now because weexpect the host hotel to fill up quickly. Information,photos, and registration and reservation forms foruse with the LCCA 2003 Annual Convention will bepresented in the next issue of The Lion Roars.

See you on the Ponderosa. Yahoo!


Dennis DeVito LCCA 6758

If you wish to understand marketing and would like tolearn how it works in the real world, study the marketingstrategies of Lionel. Over the years, the Lionel Marketers haveresponded to market conditions and in most cases, did so bytaking different solutions to what was at that time a troublingissue. This marketing expertise seems to carry over throughthe various managers and owners who were responsible forthe Lionel Product Line.

An underlying marketing principle is that no matter howgood your product is, IT MUST SELL to be successful. ModelElectric Trains are no exception. And a corollary to thisprinciple is that if the product requires service and a marketpresence, you must provide for this activity.

The folks at Lionel faced many challenges in 1970 whenthe Fundamenions Group (MPC) purchased the line. Neglectand indifference reduced product demand, and productofferings were slim. Starting with MPC in 1970, products andchoices were improved, but the traditional marketing channels(local hobby shops) were unwilling and unable to sustain theLionel Line alone. The development of the discount store andthe lower selling price of product offered at these discountoutlets came at the expense of the full service hobby shop. Ahobby shop, with limited sales volume and the premium costof operating a store and providing service, required asking ahigher price from customers. This price differential betweenhobby shop and other outlets was aggravated by the lowercost the discounters were able to get because of their greatervolume purchases. Too many customers were utilizing thehobby shop for their services, services, but were flocking tolower cost outlets, swaps and mail order for their purchases.

As a result of these developments and the popularity oftrain shows and swap meets during the early 1970’s whichoffered deep discounts on product, the hobby shops wereunable to maintain a margin which would keep them inbusiness. They were therefore unwilling to commit their effortsto the Lionel product.

Lionel responded to this by offering a specific high valuetrain set exclusively to retail hobby shops, folks with a

storefront and a permanent layout display. This would allowthe retail hobby shops to offer a unique product to customersat a price close to retail without direct competition fromdiscount sources. Lionel introduced the first set in 1971, callingit a Service Station Set and limiting its sale to select retailoutlets.

These sets started innocently enough. the first few years’sets were made from existing cars and were merely arepackaging of items offered for individual sale. But with time(starting with set 1350), Lionel modified its strategy andoffered sets for sale with items which would not be offered inother sets or for individual sale. This product differentiationand selectivity considerably enhanced the perceived value ofthe Service Station Set.

Lionel wisely offered a top-drawer selection for this firstunique set, the Canadian Pacific F3 set. The following yearthe Rio Grande F3 was offered. And with this excitingintroduction, subsequent years offered other sets whichimmediately became sought after collectables. This made thata high value item for the dealer.

The Service Station Set series was halted from 1978 to1986. This was a marketing driven action. The series wasoffered again in 1986. As a point of interest, this was the yearafter Lionel offered the Hudson and a few scale O gauge carsfor sale DIRECT from the factory to the consumer. As youmay recall, this direct sale (itself a result of seller abuse) tooksales away from retailers. If left unabated, a direct salesprogram will drive customers away from other sales outlets,especially the hobby shops. Lionel did not offer other directsales items, but it is interesting to note that the Service StationSets started the same year that retailers expressed their extremedissatisfaction with Lionel’s direct to the consumer marketingstrategy. Could the revival of the Service Station Sets be anolive branch from Lionel to retailers in the 1986 year?

Service Station Sets have been offered each year since1986. Prior to 1996 the SSS were announced with a separateadvertising page and were not pictured in the catalog. Afterall, these sets were only sold to registered Lionel ServiceStations. These individual catalog sheets are hard to find todayand make a neat collectable for those who cherish Lionel paper.

L I O N E L ®

S E R V I C E S T A T I O N S E T S


Starting in 1996, the SSS were included in at leastone of the major catalogs offered each year. Catalogpresence is noted in the table listings.

Lionel has respected the SSS sets, offering truevalue. The product is quite good, with colorfulgraphics, high-end couplers and trucks, and quite abit of variety. Prior to 1998 the sets retailed at lessthan $400 and many are considerably less than thattoday. The sets offer low to mid-range motive powerand most are the equivalent to post war type product.They are all complete sets (no track or transformer)and all have at least one engine.

It is easy to overlook the SSS sets as you covetthe rest of the Lionel Line. Perhaps after the 20 yearrun, a review of the sets offered will suggest a verynice collection. If one could choose only one set fromeach year, if it was the SSS sets, the resulting itemswould make one proud. The SSS truly represent thespirit of the postwar period, with a series ofdependable, high quality, reasonably priced itemswith substantial play value.

Below are some statistics on the Service StationSets. If you have a comment or question or which tooffer a correction, please contact me directly at 616-428-2636 or at [email protected]

Addendum – A number of members havecommented on the article I submitted last issue andhave indicated that there was a third “I Love NewYork” car offered around 1998. A special market runof 500 cars was included in a Bloomingdale’spromotional set. This car, number #15005, while inthe “I Love America” motif should not be considereda part of the “I Love America” series because of itsspecial origins and its limited distribution. A memberalso pointed out that the descriptions listed for theNorth and South Carolina cars were reversed.

Notes

1. Where not shown in catalog, Manufacturer’sSuggested Retail Price (MSRP) was estimated asshown

2. Current pricing referenced from 2002 Greenberg

3. B-unit (#8469) offered for separate sale in 1974

4. #8764 powered passenger and #8765 dummypassenger offered for separate sale later

5. Safety Caboose and Ladder Car came out in 1999preview — were these part of the 1998 set??? Orjust separate sale.

6. Bethlehem gondola car came out in 1998. Wasthis a pre-SSS car???

7. Offered in three diferent road names — threr were no matchingcars offered in 2002

8. Command Control

9. Current pricing estimated by author

Catalog YearNumber SSS Set Name Footnote Releas

1187 Illinois Central — (GP9) 1971

1250 NYC — (small Hudson) 1972

1350 Canadian Pacific Set — (F3) 3 1973

1450 Denver Rio Grand — (F3) 1974

1579 Milwaukee Road — (F3) 1975

1672 Northern Pacific — (GP-9) 1976

1766 Budd Cars 4 1977

1868 M&St. Paul — (GP-9) 1978

No SSS Set Issued 1979







1632 Santa Fe Work Train — (steam switcher) 1986

11704 Southern Freight Runner — (GP-9) 1987

11706 Dry Gulch Line — (General) 1988

11758 The Desert King — (small hudson) 1989

11712 Great Lakes Express — (small hudson) 1990

11719 Coastal Limited 1991

11733 Feather River — (GP-9) 1992

11738 Soo Line — (GP38-2) 1993

11744 NYC Passenger/Freight — (RS-3) 1994

11749 Western Maryland — (GP-20) 1995

11912 Steel Ore Cars 1996

11918 Conrail — (SD-20) 1997

21753 Fire Rescue Train 5,8 1998

21758 Bethlehem Steel 6 1999

21952 Service Station Special — (C-420) 9 2000

21789 NS Flat Car Set — (GP-9) 9 2001

28200 U30C Diesels 7,8,9 2002


MintCurrent

sed Price MSRP Part Number of Consist Road Name Catalog Appearances

425 (8030, 9200, 9211, 9214, 9215, 9230, 9160) Illinois Central

385 (8206, 9111, 9151, 9707, 9709, 9710, 9162) New York Central

770 (8365, 8366, 9113, 9723, 9724, 9725, 9165) Canadian Pacific

385 (8464, 8465, 9117, 9144, 9739, 9863, 9166) Denver Rio Grande

370 (8555, 8557, 9119, 9132, 9754, 9758, 9169) Milwaukee Road

290 (8666, 9267, 9775, 9776, 9869, 9177) Northern Pacific

310 (8766, 8767, 8768) Baltimore and Ohio

215 (8866, 9138, 9213, 9408, 9726, 9271) Minneapolis and St. Louis

220 (8635, 5745, 5760, 6272, 6593, 6496) Santa Fe

230 (18802, 16102, 16402, 16607, 16701, 16505) Southern

230 (18702, 16010, 16011, 16012) Virginia and Truckee

190 (18609, 16105, 16206, 16616, 16509) Denver Rio Grande

285 (18611, 16027, 16028, 16029, 16030 ) Chicago and Northwestern

250 (18814, 16109, 16336, 16407, 19624, 16525) Delaware and Hudson

310 (18820, 16121, 16234, 16359, 16653, 19414, 16539) Western Pacific

260 (18825, 17006, 19416, 19536, 19604, 19720) Soo Line

270 (18835, 16903, 19263, 19605, 19819, 16066, 16067) New York Central

230 (18841, 16420, 16421, 16424, 16425, 16426, 16427, 16564) Western Maryland

360 (18515, 51503, 51504)

260 469.95 (18566, 19287, 19288, 19424, 19608, 19738) Conrail 1997 Classic

500 649.95 (18444, 19854, 19442, 19853, 26961, 26505) Volume 2 — 1998

300 349.95 (18799, 16442, 36040, 36041, 26520) Bethlehem Steel Volume 1 — 1999

350 399.95 (28515, 26292, 17626, 36079, 17413, 26114) Volume 1 — 2000

500 549.95 (28529, 26559, 26004, 26005, 26006, 26007) Norfork Southern Volume 1 — 2001

400 429.95 (28200 (D&H) OR 18292 (Chessie) OR 18293 (Santa Fe) Volume 1 — 2002

$7,485.00


The Mane Line

by Dennis Leon Clad RM 10430

Editor’s Note: Our contributing editor Dennis Clad is awonderfully enthusiastic Lionel collector and he is a valuedmember of our Lion Roars team. The opinions,recommendations and commercial endorsements contained inThe Mane Line are those of the writer and do not constitutean endorsement or approval of those items by LCCA, its officersor directors. This information is provided to our members inorder to educate, inform and yes, entertain. Any decision tomake any purchase based on this information should only bedone after careful consideration and with full knowledge ofmarket conditions.

As I enter my mid-fifties, I must confess there are anumber of things that I’ve given up hope of ever happening.One of those things that I’ve lost all hope for is hair returningto the top of my head. Another lost cause would have to be thefact that I’ll never be vascular, or what body builders callchiseled. If I were to pick just one thing that the flame of hope

still burns bright for, it would be thatone day I’ll reach adult maturity. Aslong as I’m baring my soul, I feel Ishould tell you that I ran smack dabinto a roadblock on my quest thatmade me lose hope of everachieving my goal. It happenedon a Saturday afternoon, a fewshort weeks ago as I was drivingold Bucky Bronco just west ofthe Confederate capital on BroadStreet. No sooner had Ileft the city limits whenI spotted, off to my right,the one thing that was guaranteed to lure me into a new cardealership — a giant inflated gorilla. No sooner had I parkedBucky than I found myself at the refreshment booth with freehot dogs (the good kind, boiling in red water) and specimencups of Pepsi. It would seem that someone at this car lot wouldknow my weakness. It was like I was caught in a rift of thetime-space continuum and was completely powerless. So after

four dogs and six cups of Pepsi, I said goodbye to my friendof seventeen years and left the lot in a new car.

Maybe because of this detour on the road to adult maturitythat I find myself traveling is the reason I love Lionel TOYtrains so much. Oh sure I’m full of respect for Lionel scaletrains, after all they are the world’s best example of machinetooled art, but it’s the Lionel toy trains in my collection thatreally capture and hold my heart. In this edition of The ManeLine, we’ll look at a Lionel toy train set that has not only tuggedat my heart, but the hearts of so many collectors. What’s sosurprising is the fact that this set is cataloged and the 2000sets made far exceeded the magic number of 750. Yes, I canonly be speaking of 6-21976, the Lionel Centennial Express.

The year 2000 seems like a lifetime ago, but I can stillremember the day I received via U.S. Mail, my 2000 Lionelcatalog from Barry’s Train Shop in Pennsylvania. It would beon page four that my heart began pounding and my eyes lookedlustfully for the first time at the Lionel Centennial Express. Iknew in an instant that the promotional set which honors themaker of the world’s greatest promotional sets had to be mine.So I called my dealer, Barry Keener, RM 728, to place myorder. As my Lionel luck would have it, Barry knows me betterthan I know myself and had already earmarked a set for me.I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — it pays to be true to

y o u rh o m e t o w n

Lionel dealer!

Little did I know that Iwould prove myself right with the

this set as the number of dealer ordersplaced with Lionel far exceeded the planned and

published number of sets Lionel would make. Sadly,many dealers had their orders for the Lionel 100th birthdaytrain cut, and I mean cut big time.

Before I cover the three cataloged and two uncatalogedadd-on cars for this set, let’s take a look at the set itself,beginning with the locomotive that heads up our train. Thedesign team at Lionel could not have picked a better engine topull our anniversary train than that warhorse of the three-rail

Just imagine the five add-on cars in yourtrain.


track, a die cast 4-4-2. The trim for oursteamer as well as the tender lettering isdone in silver. Even the boiler front andcatwalk received a coat of this veryspecial silver. The number 100 appearsunder the cab windows but what reallysets off this loco is the 100th birthdayEngineer Some Fun logo in silver on thesteam chests. Wow what a dressed-up 4-4-2! Our train would be incompletewithout a boxcar and Lionel didn’t letus down. The boxcar included in the setis a 9700 series type dressed up incorporate Lionel orange and blue. To theleft of the door is the Engineer Some Funlogo and to the right of the door is 100Years of Railroading Fun.

The second car in the set is a flatcar with stakes and bulkheads. Again, the100th birthday logo is stamped on the car.Ask any toy train collector and they willtell you that no train is complete withouta caboose. Again, Lionel didn’t let thecollector down as our train comes witha SP type caboose trimmed in two colorsand stamped with Lionel’s mostattractive 100th birthday logo. The setcomes complete, ready to run with trackand transformer.

The only disappointment in the setis the undecorated tractor trailer. I reallyfeel that it should have been decoratedto match the boxcar. Please Lionel, it’snot too late to correct this oversight.

Now let’s take a close look at thefive add-on cars for our highlycollectable set. The first three add-onsto our set are cataloged, but don’t befooled into thinking that these threegorgeous boxcars can be easily found.Like all of the rest of the Lionel items inthe 2000 catalog, they have becomedesirable for both sentimental andhistorical reasons. For you see, lovingly placed between thecovers of both year 2000 catalogs is real treasure – the lastmade in America Lionel.

The Lionel Centennial boxcar 6-39202, appeared onlyonce on pages 56 and 57 in the 2000 Lionel Classic Trains,Volume 1 catalog. The car has all the 6464 features and ispainted with blue sides and gold roof, doors, and ends. Of thethree add-on boxcars, the Lionel Centennial boxcar is the onlyfreight mover to proudly carry the 100th birthday logo and it is

pad printed in gold. What makes this car even more desirableis the fact that it is also an add-on car to the coveted JoshuaLionel Cowen train from 1982.

The Lionel Birthday car, 6-26736 appeared with the 6-39202 for one time only. The Birthday car is a lighted 9700series boxcar with die cast trucks and operating couplers. Whatmakes this Birthday car so special is that the candles on thecake light up, as do the headlight and marker lights on theHudson. This car did not appear on dealer shelves at the sametime as the 6-39202. It would be many months afterwards

The Lionel Centennial Box Car 6-39202 is amust own for two collector groups.

My dealer research indicates the 6-26736 Birthdaycar moved off the shelves faster than the 6-39202Centennial Box Car.

The 6-2928 Centennial 6464 Box Car is a must own for atleast four Lionel collector groups.


before Lionel loverscould get their hands onthis highly prizedilluminated birthday car.

Our last add-onboxcar is the 6-29298,Lionel Centennial 6464boxcar. I have a gutfeeling that Lionel did notproduce this car in largenumbers. Our Centennial6464 boxcar wouldappear just once in the2000, Volume 2 catalogon page 28. What makesmatters worse is that notonly does this car have alow production number,but it is also a must ownfor those who collect the6464 boxcar series, thosewho own the 1983 LionelLines orange and blue set,and finally for owners ofthe 6-21976 LionelCentennial set. You knowwhat? We can addanother Lionel collectorgroup to that list – thebrave collectors who ownthe four LionelCorporation orange and blue boxcars, which have beenaffectionately nicknamed the Blue Boys series.

If you think our three cataloged boxcars were hardenough to obtain, well, our two uncataloged add-ons mightjust make you give up all hope of completing yourCentennial Express set. These are both clear shell cars.But please don’t give up as this very special train set isworth all of your efforts to complete. The 6-26115 wasonly offered on Lionel’s website store in the fall of 2000.Our Lionel Birthday confetti tank car disappeared almostover night from Lionel’s store. This clear shell tanker camewith a large bag of confetti for the car’s owner to pour into thetanker. The tanker’s hatch cover was packaged separately inits own plastic bag. With the hatch cover came the warningNOT to remove it after you fill with confetti as it could break.Be sure that if you buy your tanker on the secondary market,that the bag of confetti and the hatch cover are in your boxwith the tanker. The 6-26115 confetti tank car proudly displaysLionel’s 100th Birthday banner to the left of the car’s metalladder.

The last add-on car to your set is again a clear shell tankcar with confetti. The 6-26127 is the Wellspring tank car and

it was designed and created for Lionel’s parent company,Wellspring. Like the 6-26115, the Wellspring version hasLionel’s 100th Birthday logo to the left of the car’s metal ladder.The Wellspring version also has Happy Holidays to the rightof the ladder, while the 6-26115 has Celebrate to the right ofits ladder. The Wellspring version boasts its logo on the tankerend caps. The Wellspring Happy Holidays confetti tank carwill be the hardest for you to obtain, but is worth all of yourcollecting efforts. A gift card also accompanies the Wellspringtanker. To date, Lionel employees who attended the 2001Employee Christmas party at Lionel headquarters are the luckyowners of this tanker, as one was given to each of them asthey left the party.

The 6-26115 Confetti tanker was a sellout on the Lionel website.Be sure the one you buy has the sealed package of confetti andthe hatch cover.

The 6-26127 WellspringTank Car was distributed toLionel employees.

This gift card greatly increases the value of the 6-26127.


Please Pull Up a ChairAs Class is in Session

The phone calls and letters are still coming in monthsafter I covered the 1997 Lionel Little League promotional set.A great many of you have told me that you have the set buthad no idea how great and memorable the set is. Manycollectors have told me that they traded or sold their LittleLeague set and are now sorry that they let this great set slipfrom their collections. Keep in mind if you’re a boomer likeme, made in the USA Lionel is something from our childhoodthat is gone. Please think twice before you sell or trade yourMount Clemens trains.

Lionel paper collectors have shown a big interest in all ofthe paper pertaining to the Lionel Little League promotion.There is a gondola full of confusion over the dealer flyer forthe uncataloged set and the countertop display sign that wasmade by Lionel and sent to the Little League divisions for ateam fundraiser. Our first photo shows the dealer flyer. Lookat the 10 o’clock position on the flyer and you will see theset’s 6- sku number. Below that is the line, The Only LionelTrain Set, and below that, the Little League logo.

The second photo shows the display sign. At the 10 o’clockposition you can see the word WIN! In bold letters was addedand the set’s sku number was dropped. The Little League logois also bolder on the contest display sign. This sign is worthall of your collecting efforts and it looks so good whendisplayed in your train room — especially with your LittleLeague train set.

Lionel Licensee AlertIf you haven’t ordered your set of helicopters in Lionel

orange and blue from Taylor Made Trucks, please don’t waituntil they’re sold out. The die cast choppers decorated in Lionelcolors, come in very attractive Lionel boxes and make a greataddition to our LCCA Stocking Stuffer Airport. A pair is pricedat $19.95 plus shipping and tax. You can order them directthrough Taylor Made at 1-800-685-0333.

In ClosingIt’s back to uncataloged sets and cars for the December

issue of The Mane Line. Our beloved Lionel has created somegreat sets that have collectbility built right in. I can’t wait toshare them with you.

Happy Tracks, Dennis Leon Clad

See the 6- sku number of the set onthe dealer flyer in the 10 ‘o clock position.

On the contest sign, note the bold WIN inplace of the sku number.


Lionel’s No. 6512 Cherry Picker car, No. 3413 MercuryCapsule Launching car, No. 6413 Mercury Capsule Carryingcar, No. 6463 Rocket Fuel Tank Car and No. 6407 Flat Carwith Missile and Removable Mercury Capsule — are theymodeled after prototypical railroad cars or are they whimsical?

All five of the Project Mercury inspired Lionel space agethemed cars were introduced during the “space craze” feversweeping the country between 1961-1963. The advancesrealized by the Atlantic Missile Range rocketeers were dailyfront-page news and were eagerly discussed at the familybreakfast table, school and the office. On May 5, 1961America’s efforts to send a man in space would be rewardedwith Alan B. Shepard’ssuccessful ProjectMercury sub-orbitalspace flight. Whatfollowed was PresidentKennedy’s address tochallenge America andthe space program toplace a man on the moonby the end of the decade.John H. Glen’s Earthorbiting space flight onFebruary 20, 1962would continue to allowAmerica to step closer torealizing that dream.Lionel was quick torecognize that keepingpace with the toy marketdriven desires ofAmerican children andtheir families was thekey to survival. 1962was a banner year ofproduction for Lionel“Space & missile”collectors as Lionel kept

abreast of the ever-present space race by continuing to developelectric trains, “As timely as tomorrow” with the introductionof the regular issue catalogued No. 6512 Cherry Picker Car,the No. 3413 Mercury Capsule Launching car, No. 6413Mercury Capsule Carrying Car along with the No. 6463 RocketFuel Tank Car. The remaining Project Mercury themed No.6407 Flat Car with Missile and Removable Mercury Capsule,however, was introduced in 1963.

Believe it or not, the No. 6512 Cherry Picker car seemsto have been modeled after a real piece of ground supportequipment used during the Mercury Project Manned SpaceProgram between 1961-1963. The No. 3413 Mercury Capsulelaunching car could probably be assumed to be pure fancy!

Both the #6413 MercuryCapsule Carrying carand #6407 Flatcar withMissile and RemovableMercury Capsule aresomewhat feasible. Noevidence has beendiscovered to supportthat the Mercury CapsuleCarrying car wasmodeled afterprototypical rolling stockused by the railroad.However, conventionaland specially designedflatcars were bothutilized to transport theRedstone missile used byMercury Project. Supercooled liquefiedHydrogen gas (H2) forrocket fuel could indeedbe transported in railroadtank cars – However, aself sustaining,independently controlledchilling unit would be

Whimsy?R E A L O R

by R. E. Lee Hamilton RM 10990


necessary to maintain the low temperatures needed to maintainthe liquid state.

The No. 3413 Mercury Capsule Launching Car is depictedin the 1962 regular issue Lionel catalog on page 32 & 33 withthe following description:

“New! Mercury CapsuleLaunching Car – Ready to conquer“new horizons”! Mounted on arailroad car is a high powered missileready to “boost” a Mercury Capsuleby remote control. At a specific heightafter launching, missile falls back toearth and Mercury Capsule continuesto soar. At its peak height MercuryCapsule turns upside down anddescends back to earth slow andgracefully through the use of aparachute.”

The idea of the Lionel No. 3413 Mercury CapsuleLaunching Car boosting a Mercury capsule from a railroadcar to descend back to the hard earth surface might not havebeen too far fetched back in 1962! In the early developmentaldays of Project Mercury, it was anticipated to allow for bothland and water recovery of the capsule. A cushioned hardlanding impactdevice was conceivedas part of the capsulerecovery package,coupled with ana s t r o n a u t“cushioned” couch,to absorb boost,reentry and landingloads. The capsulewas also designed tobe buoyant and stablefor water landinguntil the recoverycrew frogmen couldinstall a flotationcollar. The Lionel carutilizes a booster

with the U. S. Air Force “star and bar” insignia – clearlyidentifying it as an Atlas type rocket, which was a U. S. AirForce Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) and the onlyAir Force rocket used to boost Mercury Capsules. ProjectMercury utilized the Atlas booster to evaluate the structural,life support and recovery system capability of the Mercurycapsule from July 1960 through November 1961. The finalfour Mercury Project manned Earth orbital launches all utilizedthe Atlas booster from 1962 through 1963.

On page 33 of the 1962 catalog is also depicted the No.6512 Cherry Picker Car with the following description:

“New! Cherry Picker Car – Anessential part of any space launching!Ladder which can be raised andextends holds a compartment thathouses an astronaut. By turning aknob, Astronaut swivels out into fullview. Cherry Picker can be used withthe Mercury Capsule Launching Carto give the effect that an astronaut isbeing loaded into the capsule.”

As will be seen later in this article, I believe the CherryPicker to be the most life like of all the Project Mercuryinspired Lionel manned space themed electric train cars.

Also on pages 32 and 33 of the 1962 catalog is an elevenpanel black and white line drawing depicting the action

sequence of the“NEW ANDE X C I T I N GLIONEL … …“SPACE AGE”ACTION CARS”:The No. 3413Mercury CapsuleLaunching Car, No.6512 Cherry PickerCar and alsointroduced in 62,the No. 3619R e c o n n a i s s a n c eCopter Car. Clearly,Lionel wanted tofully showcase theirnewly designed


multi-functional action cars to an eager market – the “spacedcrazed” American youth!

Continuing on page 34 of the 1962 catalog is depictedthe No. 6413 Mercury Capsule Carrying Car with thefollowing description:

“New! Mercury Capsule Carrying

Car – On their way to the launch site!

Loaded on a flat car are two Mercury

capsules ready to take a man into

outer space. Capsules look like those

used in real space launchings!”No sources of information have been uncovered regarding

rail transport of the Mercury capsules from fabricationfacilities to the launch site as most of the surviving historicalarchival records for Project Mercury deal with booster and

capsule system development. However, a recorddocumenting the airlifting of the Mercury-Redstone 2 capsule from the Army BallisticMissile Agency at Redstone Arsenal, Alabamafollowing checkout to the Atlantic Missile Range(AMR), Florida exists. No records have beendiscovered to support confirmation of railtransport of either the flight design McDonnellAircraft Corp. produced capsules or the NASA,Langley produced full-scale “boiler plate”Mercury test capsules to the AMR.

On page 35 of the 1962 catalog, also worthy of note inthis study of Project Mercury inspired Lionel cars, is depictedthe No. 6463 Rocket Fuel Tank Car with a description whichreads:

“New! Rocket Fuel Tank Car – Nomissile could be launched without itssupply of essential rocket fuel!Brightly colored in white with redmarkings. A real “missile age”railroad accessory with minutedetailing.”

Undoubtedly, highly explosive, super cooled liquefiedgaseous Hydrogen (H2) for rocket fuel use (as denoted on theLionel tank car sides) was transported on America’s railroadlines. It must be assumed that the Lionel Rocket Fuel TankCar utilizes an unseen refrigeration unit to maintain a

controlled low constant temperature usedto increase gas density, thereby, enablingmore Hydrogen to be carried in the tankcar. The cooling unit is necessary in orderto sustain the liquefied state while the tankcar is in transit. If the Hydrogen is notmaintained at a super cooled state, butallowed to increase in temperature, anexplosion may result due to pressure build-up. For this reason, fully “fueled” LionelRocket Fuel tank cars should be given toppriority and not be allowed to sit on a sidingunattended but should be swiftly deliveredto its destination – unless it is beinghandled as an empty. Interestingly, also


depicted on the tank car sides is the unmistakable silhouetteof the 2-staged Nike-Hercules U.S. surface-to-air missile.What makes this interesting is that both the Nike booster andHercules sustainer were both propelled with solid rocket fuelmotors! Since 1958 the Nike-Hercules nuclear warhead tippedmissiles were defending major cities throughout the U. S. – arole that would continue until 1974. Exactly why liquidhydrogen was chosen to be transported in the Lionel RocketFuel tank car is anyone’s guess. The MercuryProject Redstone booster utilized liquid oxygen(LOX) and ethyl alcohol while the Atlas boosterused LOX and hydrocarbon Rocket Propellant 1(RP-1). The first rocket to use Hydrogen rocketfuel with LOX oxidizer would be the Centaursecond stage of the Atlas-Centaur space researchvehicle launched from the AMR on May 8, 1962.This launch attempt resulted in an explosion ofthe Centaur second stage shortly after liftoff.After a considerable failure analysis and redesigneffort a second Atlas-Centaur rocket waslaunched on November 27, 1963 that resulted inthe first successful liquid Hydrogen fueled rocketto take flight and reach Earth orbit. The Atlas-Centaur rocket was designed to deliver heavypayloads to Earth orbit and played an active role in deliveringinstrumented probes to the Moon surface preparing the pathfor future Project Apollo landings.

After 1962, the only remaining Lionel Project Mercurythemed car to be released would be the 1963 introduced No.6407 Flat Car with Missile and Removable Mercury Capsule.In the 1963 regular issue catalog, the page 29 description reads:

“New! No. 6407 Flat Car withMissile and Removable MercuryCapsule – Carried onboard a railroadflat car is a mighty missile ready totake an astronaut into outer space.”

The No. 6407 “missile” body with a cruciform fin designand checkered patterned front section with removable MercuryCapsule is an exact, although toy-like (remember – this is atoy for gosh sakes!), copy of the Mercury-Redstone rocketand capsule! The checkered pattern (black and white on theprototype & red and white on the Sterling Plastics producedrocket used by Lionel) portion of the rocket was an elongationto the Redstone booster necessary for a fuel tank extensionand pressurized instrument section containing control, sensingand abort systems along with the Mercury capsule adapter.The checkered patterns are used on rockets to detect rotation

and act as easily identifiable markings for visual and cameratracking.

While the Project Mercury Redstone rocket with capsulewas never transported on rail cars, the Mercury Medium RangeBallistic Missile (MRBM) was capable of being transportedby rail. The highly maneuverable conventional or atomicwarhead Redstone MRBM tactical missile system including

launching, fueling, hoisting crane and auxiliary equipmentcould all be loaded and transported by air, ship, truck and railwith field armies and be readied for launch under battlefieldconditions. Rail transport of the trailer trucked missile stagesand warhead with all support equipment was facilitated bypiggy-back conventional trailer on flat cars and the newlydeveloped “Clejan” center sill railroad cars. The firstdocumented rail shipment of a Redstone MRBM, with trucktransporter aboard a Clejan flatcar, was on September 25, 1959.

Project Mercury was the first U.S. effort developed toverify multi-operational spacecraft systems in delivering a manin space and ultimately to the moon. Many different rocketswere used by the recently created (October 1, 1958) NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) between 1959-1963 to validate the individual Project Mercury systems -namely: Blue Scout, Little Joe I, Atlas Big Joe, Redstone andAtlas. The two man-rated programs, all launched from theAMR in Cape Canaveral, Florida, were the Mercury-Redstoneand Mercury-Atlas. Mercury-Redstone utilized the U. S. ArmyRedstone MRBM to propel the Mercury capsule to a non-orbital ballistic flight. While Mercury-Atlas used the U. S. AirForce Atlas ICBM in order to deliver the Mercury capsule toEarth orbit. However, even with both rockets having a highstandard of reliability, significant modifications and testing wasnecessary in order to transform the Redstone MRBM and AtlasICBM into reliable man-rated spacecraft boosters.

The unmanned first Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) waslaunched July 29, 1960 which resulted in an explosion of theAtlas rocket 65 seconds after lift-off.


The first unmanned Mercury-Redstone 1 (MR-1) launchwas attempted on November 21, 1960 that resulted in the rocketlifting a few inches before the booster shut down and the rocketresettling on the launch pad. This resulted in the MercuryCapsule escape tower being activated but the Capsule remainedin place atop the booster.

The unmanned first successful MR-1A was launchedDecember 19, 1960 using the same Mercury Capsule fromthe failed MR-1 attempt but this time with a different escapetower. This non-orbital test flight was used to evaluate theMercury capsule capabilities.

MR-2 was launched on January 31, 1961 with thechimpanzee “Ham” as the test subject. The decision was madeduring the beginning of the Mercury Project to evaluate thecapsule life support systems using an animal test subject inEarth orbit, prior to conducting a manned orbiting space flight.This non-orbital test flight was designed to evaluate theMercury capsule’s life-support, environmental control andrecovery systems. Despite some technical problems thatdeveloped during the test flight, which resulted properly inthe unplanned activation of the capsule’s emergency escapesystem, Ham was successfully recovered.

MA-2 was launched in a non-orbital flight on February21, 1961 to evaluate the Mercury capsule-to-Atlas rocketstructural compatibility and qualify the unmanned Mercurycapsule under planned adverse re-entry conditions.

MR-BD (booster development) was launched in a non-orbital flight on March 24, 1961 to evaluate an astronautsimulator package and to qualify system upgrades incorporatedfollowing previous Mercury Redstone launches. This finalunmanned successful flight resulted in the Mercury Redstonerocket being qualified as man-rated.

MA-3 was launched on April 25, 1961 to place anunmanned Mercury capsule, with an astronaut simulatorpackage, in orbit and return safety to Earth. The global Mercurytracking network capability was also evaluated for systemreadiness. However, due to the Atlas rocket not acquiringproper trajectory, the range safety officer signaled the rocketto destruct following separation of the Mercury capsule usingthe retro and escape tower rockets.

MR-3 was the first United States effort to launch a humanastronaut into a non-orbital space flight. Commander Alan B.Shepard was launched aboard the capsule Freedom 7 on May5, 1961. His Mercury capsule attained a maximum altitude of115.7 miles and landed 302 miles downrange in a flight lasting15 minutes, 22 seconds. Main mission objectives includedexposing the astronaut to the experiences of space flightincluding lift-off, sustained powered flight, weightlessness,re-entry and landing. Also evaluated was the astronaut’sphysiological ability to perform relative functions necessary

during space flight including proper capsule attitudepositioning and communication with ground control.

On May 25, 1961 following Shepard’s successful spaceflight, President Kennedy declared before a joint session ofCongress the United States’ intention to place an Americanastronaut on the moon prior to the decade’s end:

“First, I believe that this nation should commit itself toachieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a manon the moon and returning him safely to the Earth. . . . Nosingle space project in this period will be more impressive tomankind, or more important for the long-range exploration ofspace; and none will be so difficult or expensive toaccomplish.“

Because of the nature of using a human aboard MR-3,special consideration was given to the utmost safety of theastronaut prior to launch, during flight and subsequent capsulerecovery. All conceivable safety systems such as rocket assistedjettison capability, heat shielding, utilization of a landing-impact device and automatic parachute deployment wereintegrated into the capsule design to allow for full recovery ofthe contained astronaut following an in-flight emergency andafter normal flight. During flight the emergency capsule escapetower rockets, aided by the retro-rocket package, were designedto jettison the capsule clear of the booster in the event of anautomatic system detected malfunction or signal activation bythe astronaut or ground control. This would subsequentlyactivate a landing parachute system, heat shield release andextension of a pneumatic cushioned landing-impact bag belowthe capsule. The parachute/impact bag combination was alsoautomatically utilized during normal recovery following asuccessful flight.

More important to Lionel collectors (and the reason forthis article!) is the safety system utilized prior to launch of amanned Mercury Project space capsule. During the countdownof the Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle at T-55 (Launch minus55 minutes), the main gantry service structure was withdrawnfrom around the rocket and launch pad. In the event of anemergency abort while the booster and capsule were still inan erect position on the pad, access to and egress of a self-sustained or incapacitated astronaut, prior to repositioning ofthe main gantry, could be attained utilizing a mobile aerialtower-elevating boom know as the “Cherry Picker”. The CherryPicker mobile tower was originally designed to be used withthe manned Mercury-Atlas booster. However, because ofoperational time study analysis and a desire to develop practicaloperational experience prior to planned Mercury-Atlas use,the mobile Cherry Picker was utilized by the Mercury-Redstone program for capsule egress following service gantryremoval. The Cherry Picker tower cab, capable of reaching aheight of 125 feet, was specially designed to be positionednext to the capsule hatch providing the astronaut with a quick


self-egress, up until T-4 minutes. The tower cab could becontrolled from a panel at the rear of the mobile transporter,from within the tower cab or by remote control within thelaunch pad blockhouse. A pre-programmed switch thatactuated automatic descent (down andaway from the capsule and launch vehicle)could be initiated from the tower cab andblockhouse. During a normal launchsequence, the Cherry Picker tower cabwould be signaled to descend to the groundposition at T-4 until vehicle launch oremergency use repositioning.

During use of the mobile aerial towerCherry Picker for the Mercury-Atlasprogram, testing near the Atlas launchingcomplex gantry service structure indicatedthat the Cherry Picker could possiblyinterfere with radio transmissions.Additionally, the Cherry Picker was subjectto being damaged from the greater pressureenvironment produced by the firing Atlasrocket engines. An emergency egress towerplatform, extending from the Atlas mainservice structure, was utilized as the primary egress methodfor manned Mercury-Atlas launches while the mobile CherryPicker was stationed behind the blockhouse as a back-upsystem in the event the primary tower failed to operate. Themobile aerial-tower Cherry Picker would continue to supportall remaining manned Project Mercury Redstone and Atlaslaunches without ever having to be used as an actual emergencyescape device.

MR-4 was launched on July 21, 1961 in a non-orbitalflight with Captain Virgil I. Grissom aboard the capsule LibertyBell 7. His Mercury capsule attained a maximum altitude of118 miles and landed 303 miles downrange in a flight lasting15 minutes, 37 seconds. Main mission objectives were similarto the MR-3 spacecraft control mission with the addition ofallowing all three axes of capsule attitude (pitch, yaw & roll)being controlled simultaneously as opposed to independentcontrol. Also evaluated was the newly developed manualactivated Rate Stabilization and Control System (RSCS).

MA-4 was launched in an unmanned orbital flight onSeptember 13, 1961. The objectives of the space flight wereto place the unmanned Mercury capsule carrying an astronautsimulator in Earth orbit, using an Atlas D rocket, and evaluatethe ability for programmed re-entry in a pre-planned designatedrecovery area. An additional evaluation of the first-time usedglobal Mercury tracking, data gathering and communicationsnetwork was performed. The Earth orbit was achieved, thecapsule was successfully recovered and the Mercuryworldwide full tracking network performed exceptionally well.

MA-5 was launched on November 29, 1961 in an orbitalflight using the chimpanzee test-subject “Enos” aboard an Atlas

D rocket. The space flight was designed for a three orbitmaximum mission but was commanded down after two orbitsdue to an abnormal capsule roll rate. Enos was successfullyrecovered following the aborted flight.

MA-6 was launched onFebruary 20, 1962 that placed thefirst U. S. American astronaut JohnH. Glen, Jr. in Earth orbit aboardFriendship 7 using an Atlas Drocket. Glen’s capsule orbited theEarth 3 times and the flight lasted 4hours, 55 minutes, 23 seconds.

MA-7 was launched May 24,1962 with astronaut M. ScottCarpenter aboard Aurora 7 using anAtlas D rocket, which confirmed thesuccess of the MA-6 by duplicatingthe flight. Carpenter’s flight lasted4 hours, 56 minutes, 5 seconds.

MA-8 was launched on October3, 1962 with astronaut WalterSchirra aboard the capsule Sigma 7

using an Atlas D rocket, which flew on a six-orbit flight lasting9 hours, 13 minutes, 11 seconds.

The final Mercury flight, MA-9, was launched on May15, 1963 with astronaut Gordon L. Cooper aboard the capsuleFaith 7 using an Atlas D rocket, which flew on a 22-orbitmission lasting 34 hours, 19 minutes, 49 seconds whichresulted in the first American astronaut to spend a day in space.This completed the Mercury Project series of spacecraft.Advances in U.S. spacecraft design and development wouldcontinue to evolve using the Gemini and Apollo programspaving the way for eventual landing of a U.S. astronaut on themoon by the decades end.

By 1964 Lionel too would soon seek out new frontiers intoy production while being caught up in the space crazesweeping the country with the highly secret “Project X” Helios21. Truly an advanced toy, even by today’s standards, theHelios 21 would become a “Sears exclusive” in their annual1964 Christmas catalog. Even though Lionel continued todemonstrate their ability to produce toys “As timely astomorrow”, the Helios 21, along with the complete line of toytrains, would succumb to the dreaded world of toy obscurityby the decades end as America now had a taste of the jet-ageand vigorously pursued a desire to go faster, higher and furtherthan could be attained within the confines of railroad track.

The author would like to acknowledge the assistance ofRobert Jaques of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)History Office and Kaylene Hughes of the Redstone ArsenalDepartment of the Army History in helping to clarify some ofthe information included in this article.

Photograph courtesy of NASA


Lionel News& Views

by Bill Schmeelk RM 6643

The Heliport ReturnsLionel’s original No. 419 Heliport first appeared in the

1962 catalog. The Heliport was an example of the downturnthat things were taking at Lionel. The tooling for the Heliportoriginated with the 1956 introduction of the No. 465 SoundDispatching Station.The elevated stationfeatured a colorfulinsert in the windowsection that showedthe dispatchers atwork amongst a bankof control panels. Thestation was alsoilluminated andfeatured a microphoneand a public addresssystem allowing youannounce through thespeaker, the arrivaland departure of yourtrains. In a previousNews and Viewscolumn we discussedthe original postwaraccessory and the newversion put out last year. As you may remember, the newversion compared quite favorably with the original and wewere pleased with the more modern PA system that actuallyallowed you to record and play back your message through amuch more technically advanced speaker system.

The original No. 465 Sound Dispatching Station cameout the same year that Lionel introduced the No. 110 ElevatedTrestle sets and the roof height of the station was about thesame height so that the roof of the station could be used as anunloading platform for a train elevated by the highest trestlepiers. I can only guess as to whether that was co-incidental orby design. After all, there was no means for passengers on theroof to get into the station. It’s interesting to note that the twoyears that the No. 465 Sound Dispatching Station wasavailable, it only appeared at the end of the catalog in theaccessory section. It did not appear, as most accessories did,in the catalog as part of the scenery along with the train sets.

By 1958, the No. 465 Sound Dispatching Station was nolonger in the catalog. The No. 365 Dispatching Station replacedit. This was a cheapened version that was still illuminated, butlacked the sound system and microphone of the original. This

version appeared once more and for the last time in the 1959catalog.

The station returned in 1962 as the No. 419 Lionel Heliportand featured the helicopter launching mechanism from Lionel’spopular car, installed on its roof. The Heliport was includedin a 1962 television commercial featuring the No. 3413Mercury Capsule Launching Car and the No. 6512 CherryPicker Car. As the Atlas rocket is being readied for launch theannouncer states, This is a tense moment at the launching base.As the countdown proceeds on the No. 413 Countdown ControlPanel, the Heliport is shown as the announcers says, Nearbyat the new Lionel Heliport, a Navy copter takes off to make

the recovery. Thecopter takes off andflies straight up. TheHeliport is on screenfor about 4 seconds.As the commercialcomes to a close, theannouncer states avariation of a themethat concluded severalLionel commercials ofthe day, Rememberboy, you’re the boss onland, in the air, andunder the sea whenyou own Lionel Trains.

One small changewas made by Lionel tomake the Heliport looka little different. The

two small ornamental loudspeakers, which had always beenmounted on the underside of the roof, were mounted on therooftop in the Heliport. This is how the Heliport was shown inthe catalog and the instruction sheet. Actually, you can mountthem either way, but on the Heliport Lionel suggested mountingthem on top. The Heliport in the TV commercial however,had them mounted on the underside of the roof.

The Heliport Lionel produced in 1962 was perhaps a signof the bad times ahead. It was clearly produced as cheaply aspossible. They already had the molds for the station, but thisversion was cheapened considerably from the two previousversions. The colorful insert that added to the attractivenessof the previous versions was simply eliminated. There wasnothing to see inside through the window, except of coursethe metal launching mechanism. The illumination was alsoeliminated. To launch the helicopter, a wire was fastened tothe release mechanism and went through a hole in the undersideof the elevated station and joined to make a ring. You couldput a finger into this ring and pull it down to send the copteroff. The instructions suggested that the copter could belaunched by remote control. The instructions went on to state:

1


This is easily accomplished by tying a string to the TriggerRing and passing the string through the hole in the base. Installscrew eyes to guide the string to any convenient control point.

This was surelyLionel’s poorest attemptat remote control. Thedemonstration in thecommercial clearly usedthis method. Looking atit carefully you can seethe ring being pulleddown. The catalog pricefor the Heliport was$9.95. It was onlycataloged in 1962 and isconsidered relativelyrare. The commercialshowed the copter as thestandard gray Navycopter, but this is notwhat was shown in thecatalog or what wassupplied. The copter wasalso cheapened. Thiscopter was molded inyellow and the tail rotorsection, which had beena separate piece in earliercopters, was now moldedas part of the main bodysection. This part of thecopter is very fragile andI can’t imagine any thatwere actually playedwith, surviving a number of returns to earth without damage.I have seen many of these copters with the tail section brokenand sometimes broken completely away. This copter body wasmolded in yellow plastic. There was no Navy designation, butthere was a door opening on the side. Sadly, 1962 seems to bethe last year that Lionel introduced new trains that requirednew tooling. From here until the end of the post war era in1969, Lionel continued on a downward ramp and new toolingbecame a thing of the past.

In 1963 Lionel produced the last variation using thistooling. The No. 5160 Officials Viewing Stand was offered asan accessory to Lionel’s ill-fated road racing sets. This versionhad two flags on the rooftop, but was without the insert,illumination, or frankly much of anything. The ornamentalloudspeakers were mounted on the rooftop. The station hadbecome merely a static decoration. Not surprisingly, this wasonly cataloged for one year. The value of the Heliport and theViewing Stand come only from the fact that they were notpopular at the time they were made and are therefore relativelyrare.

Just this year, Lionel has reissued the Heliport and photo1 shows the result. Thankfully, this new version gives noindication of a downward ramp for Lionel. As Lionel did when

they re-introduced theSound DispatchingStation, they have mades i g n i f i c a n timprovements in thisnew Heliport. Thecolored insert whichadds so much to thelook of this station hasbeen included. Thisnew version is alsoilluminated.

Most significant isthe improvement in theremote controllaunching capability ofthis new model. Nothread is needed. Ane l e c t r o - m a g n e t i cplunger has beenemployed to push therelease on the copterlaunching mechanism.Photo 2 shows theinterior of the newHeliport. The originalHeliport is one of thefew postwar accessoriesthat I do not have andtherefore could notphotograph an original.

Photo 3 shows the electrical connections for transformer hook-up. The original of course had no electrical hook-up.

There is only one small area in which the new versionfalls short of the original. Although the copter supplied doeshave the separate tail rotor assembly, there are absolutely nomarkings on the copter. The door openings are there. No dooris painted. Photo 4 shows the new Heliport copter. I comparedthis copter to the one supplied on the 3419 Helicopter car whichwas included as part of this year’s Missile Launching set. Thecopter from that car is shown in photo 5. The variationsbetween this and Lionel’s original are slight. It is interestingto note however that this copter differs significantly from theyellow copter supplied with the Heliport. In fact they werenot made from the same molds. Although hard to see in thephotos, when placed next to each other you can see differencesin both the clear bubble and the body of the two copters. Forexample, notice the point at which the clear bubble and thebody join. Compare the two photos and you will see anoticeable difference. Photos 6 and 7 show the underside of

2

3


each of the copters. The graycopter has the square rotorshank, as did the postwarversion. The yellow copterhowever has a round shankand is smaller in diameter.Photos 8 and 9 show a topview of each copter. Hereagain there is a difference. Onthe yellow copter, the hole inthe main rotor does not comethrough the top, but does onthe gray copter.

The new Heliport looksmany times better than theoriginal. I tried operating ithowever and could not get thecopter to take off. The rotorspun, but the copter merelytoppled off the roof. Thinkingthat perhaps it was the copterI tried the gray one, but withthe same results. I then alsotried a post war copter, but nodifference. I then tried allthree copters on the new No.3419 Helicopter Car and alltook off into the air. The graycopters however flewconsiderably higher than theyellow one. Clearly, thetooling used for the graycopter is the one Lionelshould use in the future.

I then disassembled thelaunch mechanism from boththe Heliport and the 3419 car.I measured the wire of eachspring and found that thespring in the car was madefrom a .038 diameter wire,while the spring from theHeliport was made from wirethat was only .028 indiameter. The spring in thecar was therefore stronger. Inext put the stronger springinto the Heliport. The coptersflew a little better, but nevermore than 18 inches above theheliport. The car would send the gray copter from the tableheight that the car was on, to the ceiling.

I also noted that the tailsupport on the car wasdifferent than the one on theHeliport. The one on the carwas taller and had a deeperslot allowing it to do a betterjob of holding the copterstraight on the launchingspool. The small diameter ofthe rotor shank on the yellowcopter, and the shorter tailsupport allowed it to tipconsiderably on thelaunching spool. But evenwhen I was careful to see thatit was straight, the resultswere no better.

The new LionelHeliport seemed to have allthe makings of a desirablereissue from the postwardays. The electrical remotecontrol release, the coloredinsert, and the illuminationare all significantimprovements over theoriginal. The improvementsthat Lionel made were allwelcome ones. I’m just veryconfused by the differencesbetween its launchmechanism and copter ascompared with Lionel’s newNo. 3419 HelicopterLaunching Car. The copterand launching mechanism ofthe new No. 3419 is almostidentical to Lionel’s originaland operates so much betterthan the unit mounted intothe Heliport. Perhaps minewas unique? I’d be interestedto hear from others who haveattempted to operate thisaccessory. Let’s hear fromyou.

Bill Schmeelk15 Birchwood LaneHillsdale, NJ 07642(201) 358-1955

Photographs by Bill Schmeelk

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What’s in it for me? Why should I help? It looks likethey have plenty of people to handle that. Oh, let’s let someoneelse do it.

How many times have you said, thought or heardsomeone say those words? Most of the time, I guess, I wasone of those folks. Have you ever found yourself just waitingfor the busses, waiting for some one to help sell you a T-shirtor some other LCCA “just gotta have” collectible, or waitingto register? You know the feeling, a lot of waiting. Why? Thereason for the waiting is that there just weren’t enough helpers.Well to borrow a phrase from Paul Harvey, here is the rest ofthe story.

The year was 2000 and the LCCA convention was beingheld in Dearborn, Michigan. My wife Dinah and I had riddenAmtrak from Dallas to Chicago and on to Dearborn, arrivinga little earlier than we had expected. We walked around theHyatt and spotted a group of people stuffing these orange andblue plastic bags. Not having anything else to do, we walkedup and asked if they needed any help. Dienzel and Joy Dennis,Barry and Betty Findley, and others all jumped up and showedus what to do. We talked and stuffed and talked some moreand had a grand time. This was the second LCCA conventionI had ever attended, so the opportunity to meet and visit withsome fellow members and their wives provided us the chanceto get to know a few more people. I had no idea they wereclub officers. I thought our officers were like the management

where I worked. You know the type, always in meetings ortelling you what to do and then going off to have a cup ofcoffee or otherwise trying to look busy. Not these guys andtheir wives. When we finished, I had a new appreciation forthe management of our club. They’re volunteers, just like weare. They like trains, just like we do. They happen to be electedto office, but for no pay, and they don’t have any interns.

What’s developed has been a fun time that Dinah and Ilook forward to at each convention. We’ve been able to assistat the sales table, registration desk and passing out table andraffle prizes. What do we like best about it? It’s getting tomeet the fellow members and having a brief one-on-one, eventhough it may be hectic.

What’s in it for me? It’s the knowledge that I’m helping,you the member, and the club, at a time when help is needed.There is a book by Robert Fulghum titled: All I Really NeedTo Know, I Learned In Kindergarten. One of his truisms is:When you go out into the world…hold hands and sticktogether. I think that is still true, no matter how old you are.We have enjoyed “holding hands and sticking together.” Whydon’t you give it a try?

So, what’s in it for you? A good time, a chance to meetnew friends and visit with old ones, a feeling ofaccomplishment and of helping out when and where needed.This next year in Las Vegas, or at any future convention, stopby and ask Eric Fogg, John Fisher or any of the officers howyou can help. You’ll still be able to take tours, sleep late, go tothe seminars and do whatever you want to do, because this isnot a full time job. In fact, you may like it so much and get toknow so many people; you might end up running for officeyourself. If you do, remember to ask yourself, “What’s in itfor me?” I think you already know the answer.

What’s In ItFor Me?

by Bob Carter RM 6620

There’s a LCCA membership form locatedon the inside back page of the ghost cover.

Help support your club and pass it onto a fellow Lionel collector.

You’ll make a friend for life.


A LionelPuzzlement

by Gene H. Russell, Ed.D. RM 24608

Answers will be published in the next issue

The completed flower design of this puzzle contains24 three-letter words. From the provided clues, enter thewords from the tips of the petals, in toward the center ofthe blossom, just one letter per box. Note that half of thewords curve clockwise while the other half will arccounterclockwise. Use both sets of clues to achieve a fullblossom. And remember, this bud’s for you.

Answers to last month’s puzzle1. Fiber2. Reefer3. Radar4. Rocket5. Tower6. Red7. Dispatch8. Highway9. Yard10. Dwarf

Clockwise Clues1. Often pictured on catalog covers.2 Location where early brakemen rode on boxcars.3. Flatcar with ______ boat.4. Color of block signal light.5. Pick-______ vat car.6. Poultry dispatch car occupant.7. Buddy of “Happy” and “Lenny.”8. A railroad miniature “intended primarily for children.”9. Converts logs to lumber.10. Trolley or interur-______.11. Dump car load.12. West Coast city name on early classic cardstock boxes;

1st of two-words.

Counterclockwise Clues1. Artificial coal container.2. GE 44-______ switcher.3. Emotion evoked when getting a Lionel item.4. Lionel dealer or ______.5. Collection of locomotive and cars forming a unit.6. Parents hope that secretly concealed presents are well

“______.”7. ______ got the Lady Lionel.8. Number of wheels on one side of the GG-1 locomotive.9. Upper Midwestern RR noted for hauling grain, 1883-1990.10. Caboose window.11. Bobbing sheriff and out-______.12. Lawrence’s relationship to Joshua.

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Treasurer’s Report

by Richard H. Johnson RM 7103

As I complete my first year as your Treasurer, I am happyto report that your club is in sound financial condition. Despiteall that has occurred in our economy since September 11, 2001,LCCA is as strong as ever. As we ended 2001, we had over$500,000 in membership equity. This ample cash reservesenables us to promptly pay all of our bills upon receipt, payfor any unforeseen or unbudgeted expenses should they arise,and keep your club on the cutting edge of technology so youcan receive the utmost in membership benefits. Each year, wehave our financial records reviewed by a paid, non-memberCPA to ensure that we remain fiscally responsible. As in thepast, we have passed with flying colors. A synopsis of hisreport appears below. Unlike other train clubs, we have never,and we will never, budget for a loss. Your officers and directorshave made every effort to ensure that you, our members, arereceiving added value for your dues, commemorativepurchases and convention registration fees.

What a fantastic convention car we produced for this year!We received orders for 2,500 of the “Coal Goes to War” PRRhoppers which are being produced in two different carnumbers. They should be in your hands by the end of October.We continue to receive six annual colorful, informative andinteresting issues of The Lion Roars because of the efforts ofBill Schmeelk and his cadre of contributing editors, and sixannual issues of the premier buy, sell and trade publication,

The Interchange Track, under the capable leadership of BillButton and his editorial staff.

Those of you who attended this year’s convention inPittsburgh know what a fantastic convention it was thanks tothe efforts of Lou Caponi and all of his volunteers. The LionelTrains on-site gondola given to the first 400 registrants was areal hit. However, two other Convention “surprises” were abigger hit: the Carnegie “Requin” sub on a LCCA “U.S. Navy”flatcar given to those members who attended LCCA Day atCarnegie Science Center on Thursday; and the “Dick Maddox”boxcar available to the first 250 members wishing to purchasethis car. Talk about bang for your buck!

Take a moment to thank your club officials for all theirefforts on your behalf. I am proud to be a member of thisleadership team, and I look forward to serving you during thecoming year.

Dick Johnson - Treasurer

Lionel Collectors Club of AmericaStatement of Assets, Liabilities and Membership Equity-Modified Cash BasisYear Ended December 31, 2001

ASSETS: 2001 Current Assets: Cash in banks 363,963 Marketable investments 195,000 Inventory at cost 98,452 Total current assets 657,415 Fixed Assets: Equipment, net of depreciation 9,364 Other Assets: Convention deposits 4,056Total Assets 670,835

LIABILITIES & MEMBERSHIP EQUITY: Current Liabilities: Accounts payable 0 Convention car deposits 60,127 Michigan sales tax payable 372 Total current liabilities 60,499 Membership Equity: 610,336Total Liabilities & Membership Equity 670,835

Lionel Collectors Club of AmericaStatement of Revenue, Expenses andChange in Membership EquityModified Cash BasisYear Ended December 31, 2001

REVENUE: 2,001Car sales 131,851Dues 279,931Convention 99,605Interest & dividends 25,857Initiation & reinstatement fees 2,658Meets 3,222Gain (loss) on sale of assets 0Freight income 17,459Other 552Total Revenue 561,135

EXPENSES:Car sales 71,293Lion Roars 138,151Interchange Track 117,128Roster 0Professional fees 39,144Officers & Board of Directors 45,841Convention Expenses 116,068Meet expenses 1,838Federal income tax 6,969Insurance 6,749Depreciation 3,550Bank & credit card charges 3,368Membership expense 6,173Printing 321Website 28,537Election expenses 4,738Miscellaneous 1,342Total Expenses 707,296

REVENUE IN EXCESS OF EXPENSES (30,093)MEMBERSHIP EQUITY AT START OF YEAR 640,429MEMBERSHIP EQUITY AT END OF YEAR 610,336

IBC

Oct 2002 - Lionel Collectors Club of America

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