Captain Kangaroo and Lionel Trains

Remember the Captain, but don't remember ever seeing the Lionel layout.

Henry, It was shown in the fifthies.

I was born in 1958-- and I very well remember that large Lionel layout on Captain Kangaroo. It made me want a train set so badly. I don't know how many times a year it was on-- but not many, and it seemed like an eternity between showings. As you mentioned-- it had every Lionel gizmo a young chap could dream about, and it had several layers, and tunnels and wig wag crossing signals....! I never got a Lionel set-- but did a nice Marx set that I wore out....

I remember his Schwinn bicycle ads...

Having born in '47, I remember the Cap and the L trains. Jimmy Sutter....weren't you already a senior curizen by then? My one room grade school house was 6 blocks away and we always cheerfully ran and skipped to the old wooden room...with fireplace roaring away. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all !!

Anyone remember a Lionel train bringing out a drink for Jacky Gleason? Don

Yep. He had a commercial where the Lionel train had a flatcar with a bowl of Rice Krispies on it. The train would pull the bowl under a water tower and milk would pour out the spout and onto the cereal. Then the Captain would put his ear up to the bowl and listen to the "Snap- Crackle-Pop" !

@jim sutter posted:

Who here remembers, when Captain Kangaroo was  on TV and occasionally would have a large Lionel train layout on his show. He would operate all the new Lionel accessories for that year, I was in grade school at the time. We lived about about four blocks from the school. I would run to school and get there just before the bell.   

Most certainly.  There was an article about the Captain and his trains many years ago in CTT.  I'll see if I can find it.  I wrote the guest editorial for that one.

Lou N

I remember those Capt. Kangaroo episodes. his helper, Mr. Greenjeans was always there to help with the trains. I wish I could see a track plan for that layout.

Jeff

September 2001 CTT.  I couldn't find the issue with my guest editorial in it.

The layouts were factory display layouts.  One exception is in the article listed.

Lou N

@scale rail posted:

Anyone remember a Lionel train bringing out a drink for Jacky Gleason? Don

Jackie said: "Booze goes swell with Lionel" or something like that

I certainly remember the CK episodes with Lionel trains.  Those episodes really would wet my appetite for Lionel trains every time I'd see them for sure.  If my memory serves me correctly those episodes would open with the trains running and of course the Captain at the throttle .... a ZW of course.  I was always so bummed  because I could only watch 10 minutes of the show before my Mom would force me out the door to school.  I think the episode would run twice per year; one during the regular season and secondly the same show during summer re-runs.  

Lou N. - I'd love to read your guest editorial in CTT.   Unfortunately I don't have any train mags lying around that go back that far.

There used to be a weekday kids show broadcast from Baltimore on one of the local network affiliates ( I think WJZ TV ) called the Early Riser with Stu Kerr as the host. This show was on just before Captain K.   He would sometimes ( once a year )  have a set of trains on that show.  I don't recall if they were Lionel or American Flyer.  

Searching the internet I found that the April 8, 1958 episode of Captain Kangaroo, Season 4, episode 189, featured the Captain and his toy trains. BUT, I can't find the actual video. It was deleted from YouTube as the person who posted it no longer has a you tube account. Easy to find is the episode where he was reading "The Little Engine That Could"

Can anyone here find it?

Did you know that Capt. Kangaroo was Clarabell on the Howdy Doody show?

I recall sending away to CK for a clear plastic lens that stuck to your TV screen. They would put something up on the screen so you could copy/drawn it on the lens. Then they would play a cartoon and what you drew appeared to be part of the cartoon. Not exactly PlayStation quality, but we thought it was pretty neat.

If anyone finds the trains that would be a cool video for sure.

The "Capt", attended the same college I graduated from. Many years ago, they granted him an official honorary diploma.

Jeff

@GVDobler posted:

I recall sending away to CK for a clear plastic lens that stuck to your TV screen. They would put something up on the screen so you could copy/drawn it on the lens. Then they would play a cartoon and what you drew appeared to be part of the cartoon. Not exactly PlayStation quality, but we thought it was pretty neat.

If anyone finds the trains that would be a cool video for sure.

I don't think that was Captain Kangaroo, I think it was on the Winky Dink show. A piece of static cling plastic placed on your TV screen.

BUT, it could have been on both

Here you go, from Winky Dink:

My friend's father worked for WCBS television, and his father would take him and his brothers to the studio and got to go on the set of the Captain Kangaroo Show.

Stuart