I will never forget back in the 1950's when my best friend and I would walk over the 59 ST bridge from Queens to Bloomingdale's a few days after Thanksgiving.
We would take the elevator up to the TOY department and stay there for hours at a time. They had really big layouts with both the Lionel and American Flyer trains running. My dream was watching the Santa Fe F'3s, Oh how I wanted a set under the tree.
After Bloomingdale's we would walk down town to the Lionel showroom, then over to American Flyer and then I believe Polk hobby store or whatever the name was. This was the high light of our train days in the 50's.
I remember the layouts, and the crowds were everywhere we went. I remember how I liked the Flyer showroom train layouts so much better than the Lionel ones because they had 2 rail, but I was locked into Lionel.
After that we made our way to the Hobby store, I should say building. I can recall taking the elevator up to the 3rd floor, that's where the trains were. They always had a few layouts running. We never bought anything because we only had the 10 cense and we needed that so we can take the trolley back over the bridge home .
Two days after Christmas my Mother gave me a note and her Bloomingdale credit card saying I could spend no more $20.00 on trains (she also called the store just to make sure). This was when all the train related stuff was discounted.
I can't remember everything I purchased but I do remember getting the operating Saw Mill one year. I also remember the trailer loader with the flat car that had the trailers on it. But the best was the number 50 trolley.
You know one thing about being young back in the 50's was how much little things meant to me. We did not have a lot of money, but every Christmas there was always something Lionel under the tree.
Going to bed with the Lionel catalog, wishing for the Santa Fe F 3's that never happened. But I was always happy with everything Lionel I got, and I still have some of them.
Christmas in New York was something special and thank God I can still remember those days, when my best friend and I would spend the whole day having the time of our life.
Rich in NH
PS I now have two sets of Santa Fe F 3's
