I love toy trains show with John Desantis standard gauge collection - wow!

The house has more than three floors. The fourth & fifth floors are where the trains reside.

RFD channel.  Pingman gives a heads up every week.  This is the most fantastic show I have seen.  You have to see it to believe it.  And don't forget to put the All American Cowgirl Chicks show on record too.  I'm a big fan. Yee ha!

His goal is, or was, he has to be close, is to have one of each of every standard gauge piece made, every variation, from EVERY MANUFATURER of standard gauge trains!  He has a room and a layout for each!  The Glenn Snyder shelving alone must have cost more than king's ransom.  The guy seems like really nice guy too.  I don't think he has too many worries.  That house, the mansion, the whole setup, that is my kind of party.  Good for him and thanks for sharing.  Wow!!!

John Desantis is the director of the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show. Usually the first week/ 9 days March each year.  The largest single venue for the Pittsburgh, PA,  David L. Lawrence Convention Center.  The TCA Fort Pitt High Railer's display at the home show the last several years has been at John's request. 

Guys...

If you don't want to wait for it to come around on RFD TV, I might suggest searching out and purchasing the dvd. It was put out by TM Books & Video, aka Tom McComas & Joe Stachler and their wives I believe... and I agree with William 1, it truly is amazing.

 

I might suggest you going one further, TM Books & Video puts out a 5 dvd boxed set of the Tinplate Legends in Action videos and each one is as good as the next. I'm not 100% sure if TM is a forum sponsor, but I do know some of the forum sponsors carry the individual dvds and the boxed set (I think) They are all wonderful and if you like tinplate, they are a must have! 

 

I love it that folks like John are so willing to share their collections in so many ways, love it even more than a business like TM Books & Video's goes to the trouble of producing the dvd's! Hope this helps, get that 5 dvd set, you won't regret it.

Just took a moment to find the video on one of the forums sponsor sites. I thought to be fair for once I'd start at the bottom of the sponsor index...found it immediately. The Sponsor is Western Depot, nicer folks you'll never deal with! Here I think is the video that is being talked about: 

 

http://www.westerndepot.com/pr...84/products_id/33313

 

They appear to have all five video's available although seperately not in the 5 dvd set...but I might just be missing it. (Toy Train Christmas Magic dvds are great also!) I better stop, starting to sound like a salesman and I have no affiliation with any of these folks, they're just all great to support because they support the site in one way or another. Have fun...

 

 

I stand corrected.  5 floors!  3600 square feet per floor.  All stacked in a basic rectangle.  Man, I don't know what it is, but I love the whole restored mansion thing.  And the train collection is beyond compare.  And he says that openly, but in a very down to earth way.  Very cool.     

Mark,

 

I agree 100%!!  I watched all five TM DVD's within the last two weeks.  Supurb IMHO.  I was also very fortunate to attend a tour of Mr. Desantis' home, layouts, and collections that was very kindly hosted by Mr. DeSantis last summer as part of the 2014 LOTS Annual Convention in Pittsburg, PA.  His layouts and collections are totally, totally unbelievable -- and that's an understatement. 

 

Any true tinplate enthusiast would likely love the TM Tinplate DVD's

 

 

Yes, that is quite a home and quite a train collection.  I had heard from a friend a few years ago that there is a home with lots of old trains on the Allegheny West Christmas Home tour.  Does anyone from the ‘burg know for sure if John’s home is on that tour every year?  Here’s a link to the tour: Tour | Allegheny West.  Note the reference to a “Train Museum”. 

 

Although my primary focus is on O gauge, I really enjoy seeing standard gauge.  And I’m originally from the ‘burg but have never seen this collection. 

 

Bill

Dennis,

I've heard about that, never been able to be there but have definately heard about it. Living in NW Illinois I'll have to keep dreaming about that for awhile... If I was closer I wouldn't miss it for the world! I consider myself as lucky as John himself, while I may not have a huge budget for all that, I'm involved in a hobby where there are folks like John all over the place that are so willing to share. Doesn't get any better than that!

Doesn't really matter, but it looks like three stories to me. with a possible basement.  I love the artwork and grandeur.  So classy, top shelf all the way.  I can't get enough of the whole scope of what he has done.  Is it out of line to ask how old John is?  He has been collecting since a boy, he still looks young.  Man would I like to see that someday.  That is destination worthy.  Ok, I'll stop gushing.  I will watch this again with several pauses just to gape in awe at everything.   Seriously cool.

Both questions is were answered two minutes into watching the video again.  The house is four stories, trains on three and four, and he was born in 52.  Amazing guy.  Make no small plans.

Mark,

 

I bought mine directly from TM.  Nice people, fast shipping, and then you are on the TM catalog mailing list.  The catalog is very nicely done, and is updated roughly annually, or more frequently.  The ™ website is worth looking at.

I'd love to see that house and marvelous collection in person. Maybe we could do an O Gauge Forum tour?

Mark,

 

Very well stated!  So nice of Mr. Desantis to open up his home to share his layout and collections with us.  

Hard to believe with all the beautiful trains, accessories, and layouts,  one of the most interesting and amazing aspects to Mr. Desantis' collection is the boxes that he has for many, many of the items.  The boxes are all neatly stacked under the layouts in a way that many can be viewed.  And, although I am not a box collector by any means, I saw many, many vintage boxes, some with graphics, that I have never even seen depicted in any photos whatsoever.   

Also---

One of the nicest "train guys" you will meet

it shows, I'm watching it now.

Mark,

 

I plan to watch it again.  As with many movies,  It's often easier to focus on the smaller details with a second viewing.

Based on SGMA's experience, it is possible to arrange for a special viewing of John Desantis' collection.  In 2011 John opened up his home in order to give several SGMA members a guided tour of his extensive collection.  This took place in conjunction with SGMA's participation in the Greenberg Toy and Train Show being held in Pittsburgh.  On the SGMA website, you can find posted a folder of photos of SGMA's participation in the Greenberg Pittsburgh show.  At the very end of this folder there are a few photos of SGMA's visit to John's collection in which you can see John pointing out the unique details of some of his rarest Standard Gauge cars.

 

http://www.standardgaugetrack.com/

 

Bob Nelson

I was catching walleyes last week and am watching part 2 of this video that I recorded from the show.
Wow!!!  I don't know what else to say.  So I wont even try.

A visit to see John's incredible collection is one more reason to attend the 2017 TCA National Convention in Pittsburgh. We were fortunate to see his collection during the 2004 TCA National Convention and it will be one of the featured tours in 2017.

 

Eric Hofberg

TCA, LCCA

Eric:

 

Thank you.  I will be at the 2017 convention so count me in for that tour!

 

Bill

As a result of your post, I purchased the DVD about this collection and thoroughly enjoyed it (it will get a second viewing this week).  Just great trains!  I was struck by Mr. Desantis remarks about how available and inexpensive good standard gauge trains were in his early collecting years.  That was before my time, but I imagine it gave him a nice head start on a marvelous collection.  It seems unlikely such a collection will ever be matched.  I will have to make the journey to see it.  Truly amazing.  

I am not terribly interested in Standard Gauge, but what made the episodes with John's collection interesting was simply how genuine he seemed about being an operator as well as a collector.  Very much a regular guy.  Enjoys the fellowship while seemingly remaining grounded and humble.

He said he has never sold anything.  And everything thing he has is original, not one repro.  And probably very few doubles.  Imagine the focus this man has had for all these years.  The passion, the accrued knowledge, the energy to do all that.   It truly is remarkable.  I'm a big fan in a lot of different ways.

So it's all a fraud?  Proof of your allegation, please.

yes please

Yes, his house is on the tour, but you don't have to take the main tour, you can just visit his house.  I did the tour a couple of years ago, and it was even more incredible in person.

 

Andy

Hi Andy:

 

Thanks and John did mention the Christmas tour on Part B which played this past Thursday.  I’ll be sure to sign up for that tour during the TCA Convention in June 2017 because I never get up there in December (I no longer have any winter clothes!).  

 

Bill

 

The big benefit to the December tour is that the house is decked out in Victorian Christmas decorations.  The only thing missing are the live candles on the tree (he told me at York that some of his neighbors actually go that extra step -- but the idea of standing around the tree with extinguishers at the ready was a little much ).  The house itself is beautiful and almost worth the admission without the trains... almost.

 

Andy

I enjoyed the two shows, what I noticed was he was not a "I" person, very rarely said "my collection". I remember he gave a lot of credit to other Standard Gauge folks.

He seems to be a class act. MHO.

Not much of a leap, really, just reading what you wrote.  He calls himself an operator, you said he isn't, which implies that he's lying.  You're basing your claim on one visit to his house.  The video shows many scenes of trains running on his layout - the RFD show spreads him over 2 or 3 shows; maybe you only watched one.

 

Unless you know him personally (and I don't), it seems rude to question what he calls himself.

 

And, you said that TM showed footage of their own trains in action, which suggests that they presented them as John's.  Is TM guilty of misrepresentation as well?

It's likely that John is following this thread...  So, a special thanks for having the LOTS convention goers over to your beautiful home last summer.  We thoroughly enjoyed your hospitality.  And, of course the trains , and each of your operating layouts.

 

The TM video is an added bonus.

if he is (even if he isn't) beautiful home, fantastic collection, hope to see them someday. 

Video is available on Amazon Instant Video too. Now you have no excuses.

Mr De Santes is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He is NOT a fraud.

The attic contains FOUR layouts , FLyER IVES LIONEL and DPRFAN?GENERAl/BOUCHER,

That is were the stuff NOT good enough for the display is.

AZ TIN

John is an incredible human.  His loops of running standard gauge in each room are for the benefit of those unable to make it up the stairs to the attic layouts which he does operate.  The house is worth the trip alone.  I've been there 5-10 times and still find interesting things I missed previously.  John has been involved in Fort Pitt TCA for many years and has been on many committees for TCA.  as former President of Fort Pitt, John has done a tremendous job of promoting education, collecting, and just plain loving trains.  His home and layouts as well as the collection is worth attending the Convention in 2017, so "Pack Your Caboose for Pittsburgh."