Summer is here! More time outdoors, fun filled weekends, family and friends visiting. Less time spent indoors with trains. Most of us will use and enjoy the summer months to advantage, but this is no reason to stop enjoying our trains, our hobby or our club. The LCCA remains active during all months, this Summer is no exception. All club programs continue, highlighted by our annual Convention, this year in Boston. Upcoming LCCA Special Events include a visit of two Wonderful Layouts of members with notable collections, Marty Fitzhenry and Marty Visnick. This is a MUST SEE in the Boston area (More Info) and is open to all members whether they have registered for the convention or not. Keep looking at upcoming events in our publications or better yet get real time updates on our web site, www.lionelcollectors.org. Al Kolis is continuing to organize Special Events all over the country and seeks your input on locations and venues where we can meet and enjoy our hobby. In this issue: Elections - 2015 Election Results have been published on the web site - see Election Results. Congratulations to our new elected officials. The LCCA is fortunate to have had an exceptionally well qualified slate of candidates. The Officers, Directors and Appointed Officials thank all members who offered to be candidates and welcome the newly elected officials to office.
New LCCA President Elect - Ken Kelley
New LCCA Treasurer - Mark Kempfer
New LCCA Directors - Johnny Ourso and Larry Black. Thanks also to our members who cast their votes this year. Publications - I just received my June issue of 'The Lion Roars". WOW! A 48 page full color magazine plus a Ghost Cover with additional material. All our members can be proud to be part of an organization that takes the time and effort to put together and distribute this award winning club publication. The June issue of TLR is the last for our Interim Editor, Michelle Snyder - (snydercreativem@gmail.com). Thank you Michelle for leading this magazine (and herding all our varied volunteer authors). You did good. Our new Editor - Mike McLintock (mamclintock@verizon.net) takes over as Editor with the October issue of TLR. Mike is a long time member and has been active in the hobby. Mike will be assisted by his wife, Mary Lynn. Mike is a great choice for TLR editor as he produces future issues of TLR, building on the superb work of those who came before him. Review Press Release about Mike McLintock as LCCA Editor. Every club member and reader of this e-mail can and should be a contributor to either TLR or to our other award winning magazine, the 'Interchange Track". ALL ARTICLES AND COLUMNS in both publications are authored by volunteer club members. You can be part of the excitement. Contact Mike or Barrie Braden (bradenb@att.net) with suggestions or articles. Our publications are as good as they are because of the material, contents and pictures provided by members. Be part of something special and write for the club publications or the web site.. Convention Update Boston will be here in less than 3 weeks. For those attending, expect not only many of the same wonderful events and tours, yet again the LCCA has raised the bar and is offering a number of new activities. Plan on a unique"LCCA supports Boston Strong" shirt for all attendees, a few special seminars, and a number of other surprises. This year there again will be a unique and special ‘Train Ride’ car celebrating our Monday convention trip on the Conway Scenic Railroad. Be sure to get one if you ride the Scenic. And don't forget the Special event train ride on the Sunday after the Convention. We were granted permission to travel through the naval base and hopefully will be able to do so on train day. A special booklet on this tour will be given to all riders. As a result of the high attendance, the LCCA has exceeded its originally committed room block. Be sure you have your hotel reservations made if you plan on attending. Remember, while the convention train show on Friday is open to registered convention guests, the show on Saturday, July 25th at the Danvers Doubletree Hotel is open to all members, whether they register for the convention or not. Be sure to stop by and invite your friends to the Saturday no-cost train show in Boston. IMPORTANT - For those attending, the LCCA has provided options on how to get to the host hotel (Transportation options to Convention Hotel). Regardless of how you travel to Boston, it is suggested you bring a copy of this page. Future Convention Cities The LCCA 2015 Boston convention starts in three weeks! The 2016 Kansas City convention is well along and details will be announced soon. LCCA members requested and as a result, the LCCA has focused on the Northwest and will announce Tacoma WA as the 2017 location when in Boston. Early indications are that Boston will be one of our best conventions, and that both KC and Tacoma will be great convention cities with great conventions. LCCA Product Development - - The 2015 LCCA Convention Car (6-58254) is unique in its load and its functionality. A beautiful O-Scale wooden deck Providence and Worcester Railroad flatcar in P&W black carries two newly released Lionel die cast high detail tractors. One tractor is in Lionel Blue, the other in Lionel Orange - and both tractors carry the venerable Lionelville Transit logo. This is the same historic Lionelville logo used many years ago, refreshed on a new product. Both tractors can be removed for use off the flat car. And when you do, you find a bonus - the stanchion to hold trailers is still on the car! This means they can be raised and the same flat car carrying the tractors can be easily transformed to now carry your trailers. Or if you like options, the car is equally at home with one tractor and one trailer. This year's car not only is a great scale piece of rolling stock (min radius 0-36), but also provides a two-tractor load to use off the car on your highways and byways. New, flexible, exciting, colorful, traditional styling with a strong past, this car is a must have. Don't miss out. Order quantities have already been set and after they are gone, there will be no more. Remember the last day to order this car is August 15. This car is expected to ship in Q4 - see ad in April TLR or stop by the web store (LCCA Web Store).
- B&M Caboose - the Boston and Maine O-gauge smoking bay window caboose (6-58217) is still available as a separate sale item in the web store. The road number of this caboose was selected as within the numbering scheme of similar post war bay window caboose styles. This O-gauge bay window caboose was built in the postwar style with the, unusual for this model, smoking chimney. This is only the second such caboose produced based on this style body. Our LCCA caboose B&M has more color and deco than the prototype B&M units, and while not exactly prototypical, the matched set of the diesels and caboose is outstandingly impressive. This caboose remains available in the LCCA Store (link to LCCA Web Store). This car has been produced and its delivery schedule has been advanced. Samples should be available at the convention. Delivery to members currently scheduled to start as early as mid August..
- Lionelville Series #1 - the LCCA has announced and is offering a set of 3 die cast vehicles, all with the Lionelville logo. This is the first of such sets, providing vehicles to our layouts, not just any vehicles, but vehicles from and marked with Lionelville. Be on the lookout for these beautiful models in the June issue of TLR, which fit perfectly into any Layout. The prototype cars and packaging has been approved and production has started. Delivery expected before year end.
- 2015 LCCA Christmas Car - 2015 Christmas car will again be a US manufactured boxcar. Being US made, it uses a high tech printing process which allows for multiple vivid colors and more elaborate images. The LCCA will have a limited number of cars made and expects to sell all of them well before the end of 2015. The LCCA continues the tradition established by the LRRC and will offer this car for delivery by Christmas. The 2014 car was a huge success. This is an ideal car for those who have a collection of LRRC cars, or for those wishing to add on to the continuing series of LCCA Christmas cars, or just to celebrate 2015. This car will go on sale with the June issue of the TLR and being US made, has a ship schedule of October 1, well in time for the holidays. Last year's car sold out quickly, don't be disappointed.
- 2015 On-site Convention Car (6-58251) - The 2015 Boston Convention on-site car will be a matching flat car to the 2015 convention car, another O-scale wood deck flatcar, this time with trailers. One trailer celebrates Lionel's 115th anniversary. The second trailer celebrates the 45th anniversary of the LCCA. The trailers are in complementary reverse colors, road ready and a proud load for the Great American Fallen Flags Maine Central Railroad. Of course the two trailers are totally compatible with the two tractors of the 2015 convention car. Mix and match the tractors and trailers on either car. This car carries the road number 72025, the dates of our convention. Wow, a scale car at home on scale and traditional layouts, the convention and the on-site cars from NE railroads celebrate the LCCA's first convention in the Northeast. As an added twist, when the on-site car is sold at the convention, it will include only the MEC flat car and the LCCA trailer. Why, because the Lionel trailer will be given at no cost to convention attendees who attend the Lionel seminar at the convention. This car will be offered to convention registrants whether they attend the convention or not. Those registrants who are unable to attend the convention will be able to purchase the flat car and both trailers. Based on the limited quantities and unusual distribution, these will most likely quickly sell out the limited convention order quantity. See the June issue of The Lion Roars for more details.
- Boston and Maine GP7 - (6-58213/58214). This attractive diesel/non powered unit and caboose combo pack is one of the highest featured unit offered by the LCCA and one of the best deco, it will also be one of the most rare. This beautiful LionChief Plus engine has been sold out. Original shipping date was Q4 of 2015. We now believe these units will ship to members in mid September as a result of an LCCA pre-order. Keep tuned to the LCCA Website for updated information.
- LCCA/LRRC Walking Brakeman Car (6-58224) is an unusual piece, a relatively rare operating car, that will be fun to run on any railroad, especially when kids are around. But more than a boxcar, it is a celebration of the members of the LRRC who joined the LCCA in 2014. Both the LRRC and the LCCA logos are proudly shown on this car, perhaps for the last time. Our LCCA brakeman has a new feature, he carries a flag, not a regular flag, but a two sided flag. As our man walks back and forth along the car, the flag alternates between LCCA and LRRC, symbolic of the two clubs. Of special note, a bonus US flag is included and can be carried by our walking brakeman. If you prefer, you can make your own flag. This car has been sold out. Most likely ship date to members is Mid September.
- 10 Car LCCA Great American Fallen Flags Series. The LCCA has announced plans to produce a series of cars from Great American Fallen Flag railroads. These cars will be of varying body style and road names from all parts of the country. In fact, we will be asking member participation to select many of the road names. See our upcoming "Train Talk" sessions. Much more on this coming up.
Future Offerings - the LCCA is developing new and exciting products for our members. We have committed to having fresh new ideas in our products, making them unusual and different, and most of all fun and with a high degree of collectability. All our product will be full feature and road ready so operators can use them with pride. They are developed to be at home with any member, regardless of their interests and budgets. Train Talk and Switching Tracks Be sure to check our Train Talk on the web site ( Link to LCCA Train Talk  and share your thoughts and opinion. And you may want to join in the fun and sign up for a switching tracks car. Members in 31 states and 3 countries have already signed up to enjoy sharing the load on their tracks. To be part of the Switching Tracks program, contact Tim Fuhrmann fuhrmanntim@hotmail.com. Tim has produced both 2015 and 2016 cars. If you have not yet signed up, be among the first to get the 2016 car. Special Events The list of Special Events continues to expand, even during the late Spring and Summer months. Try to attend shows in your area and when you do, be sure to say hello when you stop by. - July 19/25, 2015 - Danvers (Boston) MA - LCCA 45th Annual Convention - Special Event
- July 19, 2015 -LCCA home layout/Collection Special Events in Boston area - Special Event - This Open house will visit two notable collecitons and ALL LCCA members are welcome.
- August 15-16, 2015 - in Parkersburg, WV - Mid-Ohio Valley Railroad Club - Special Event
- November 28/29, 2015 - Crown Point, IN - LCCA Host Thanksgiving Show. This is an LCCA sponsored show near Chicago. Make a point to attend this annual show, meet new and old friends and visit the LCCA Booth
The LCCA will be at TrainFest November 14/15, 2015, and at all of the World's Greatest Hobby on Tour (WGHOT) shows (WGHOT Schedule), at the BIG E in Springfield, MA on January 30/31. One stop on the WGHOT show destinations is in Kansas City, the site of our 2016 convention. Expect a huge LCCA showing in KC on March 5/6, 2016. Remember, Al Kolis and the LCCA continue to seek new venues for Special Events. Contact Al (agkolis@comcast.net) with your suggestions. In Closing Summer is here with its long days and strange weather! It is wet in the Midwest, dry out West, Hot in the Southwest, sharks in the water on the East coast. Enjoy what we have, we are gifted one day at a time, make the most of it. How you use it is up to you. Keep up with your hobby, the LCCA continues to encourage the use of and enjoyment of Lionel Trains. Today is a great day to be active with trains. Clean them, fix them, maintain them, review inventory lists, run them, whatever it takes to enjoy. And take time this wonderful weekend to share your hobby with others. Get a kid excited about trains, consider gifting a small but useable set to a neighbor or family member. Set a personal goal to encourage at least one person to start in the hobby and join the LCCA by December. Appreciate Family and Friends, hug a kid, enjoy the day no matter what the weather, celebrate what we are and what we have, and most of all, have a safe, enjoyable 4th of July weekend! Dennis DeVito RM 6758
LCCA President |
