I miss the train displays in Kauffman's, Horne's, Gimbels and Penn Traffic.

I miss the old FAO Schwarz train displays at the old flagship store on 59 the and 5 the Ave NYC!

That's where I was introduced to LGB and Marklin.

And I am sure forumite Skip will agree with missing the Swiss air Layout on 50th and 5th Ave.

You're not alone Jim.  Growing up in Philadelphia, my parents would take us down town to shop.  Wanamakers, Gimbels, Strawbridges, Lit Brother and Snellenbergs were the major department stores then.   Wanamaker had the largest and most elaborate toy department.  But they all had toy departments.  The display windows along Market Street were always packed with Lionel and American Flyer layouts.  And the crowds would gather there all day.  

None of those department stores exist now.  Wanamakers has become a Macys.  Strawbridge sold out not too long ago and I believe it may be a Kohls now.  Gimbels and Lits became part of the Market East complex.  Snellenbergs closed some time in the early '70s and the top floors removed.  If I am not mistaken it houses numerous stores now.  

So much has changed sine I was young.  Even PRR's Chinese wall, which was there until I was very young, I still recall.

Sears on N Shepherd in Houston had Lionel and Marx on display in the 2nd floor toy store all uear round.

All we have are memories....Don

Growing up in Scranton, PA, we went to look at the layouts in the Globe, Scranton Dry, and Penn Furniture and, then, a trip to Scranton Hobby Center (at it Adams Avenue Location) for something for the under-the-tree trains. American Auto never had a layout, but had a big Lionel Display window. Just out of town was Eynon Drug with a large train department. Woolworths and Kresges had PennLine HO trains.  - Something to do every Saturday!

Jim,

I miss those displays and stores in Pittsburgh as well. We always made a trip to Pittsburgh (from Warren) during the Christmas season to see the spectacular window displays with all the animation as well as the trains. I wish I could show my kids what that was like. Today no one would give up the window space for anything but merchandise!!!! 

Jim, I visited your store in late 2010 just as you were clearing out all of your inventory.  I was lucky enough as a child to visit the original Bowdish display in Brookville before it was moved to Buhl Planetarium.  It was a real thrill to see the massive display every Christmas with the Lionel trains, animation, at least four  transformers, a large number of controllers and relays clicking.

Penn Traffic was a well run general merchandise chain than morphed into groceries with its Riverside and BiLo stores in western Pennsylvania and Ohio, headquartered in Johnstown with a large grocery distribution warehouse in DuBois.

Back in the fifties we took a school trip to Buhl Planetarium to see the show and the train display.  Now I go to the Carnegie Science Center when I get to visit.

Jan

I can remember pushing my whole face against the glass and launching myself into LA LA land. Dream is all I could do. Nick

WALMART TOM,

Was that the only time you came to our store? How much inventory was still there?

rockstars1989 posted:

I can remember pushing my whole face against the glass and launching myself into LA LA land. Dream is all I could do. Nick

Nick,

Do you remember the trains displays at Halle Brothers 7th floor toyland in Cleveland?  I remember when Super O came out. Oh to have had a camera.  (Keep in mind I'm 68).

Lou N

Jim, I was only in your store the one time, just for a few minutes.  It had to be late 2010 or early 2011.  You had very little inventory left.  I e-mailed you to your posted address.  If you didn't receive it, post here.

WALMART TOM,

Got it.

Lou N posted:

rockstars1989 posted:

I can remember pushing my whole face against the glass and launching myself into LA LA land. Dream is all I could do. Nick

Nick,

Do you remember the trains displays at Halle Brothers 7th floor toyland in Cleveland?  I remember when Super O came out. Oh to have had a camera.  (Keep in mind I'm 68).

Lou N

LOU, I remember Hallies Downtown! We used to go down at a very very early age. Higbees - May Co And Halle's.

We only knew the small trains sets we had, so when we seen those displays our eyes swelled into tennis balls.

I remember how many people there were down there it had to be in the tens of thousands.

I can remember going to sleep at night and dreaming of those trains. I asked god to let Christmas last forever. Nick

Penn Traffic had 3 divisions...Penn Traffic department stores...Riverside markets...and the Sanitary Dairy. Penn Traffic went through at least 3 bankruptcies after being taken over by raiders. Subsequently the Sanitary Dairy was sold to Deans Foods...and they just went chapter 11.Deans Closed the dairy in the 90's  and kept all of the ice cream recipes, and auctioned off all of the equipment. Also at the last bankruptcy they liquidated the company and the supermarket arm that also had Quality Markets was closed about 5 of those stores in Crawford and Erie counties (in Pa.) became TOPS markets.... a chain in NW New York.  What an end to a once profitable corporation. Only folks who lived in NW Pa would know this. From my 13 years living in Johnstown I can attest to this.

jim sutter posted:

When I was a young boy, my mother and father would take me to Pittsburgh to see the train displays at Kauffman's, Horne's and Gimbels. We also went to Johnstown, to the Penn Traffic store to see their displays. If we could only turn back time.

All the same for me.  Penn Traffic was my favorite.  Fond memories!!!  There was as also some department store in Sharon that had trains upstairs.  Jim, do you recall what would have been the store in Sharon?

Wards at IH45 and Airline had seasonal layput eith top Marx set.

Lou N posted:

rockstars1989 posted:

I can remember pushing my whole face against the glass and launching myself into LA LA land. Dream is all I could do. Nick

Nick,

Do you remember the trains displays at Halle Brothers 7th floor toyland in Cleveland?  I remember when Super O came out. Oh to have had a camera.  (Keep in mind I'm 68).

Lou N

Mr. Jingaling at Halle’s!  And The Hobby House on Huron, Trading Post on Pearl Road and my favorite, Jaye and Jaye Trains in East Cleveland. All Cleveland area train stores. Those were good times. 

When I was a later grade schooler my mother would take me "shopping" in Pittsburgh on Friday after Thanksgiving.   It was real adventure for me to ride the bus from Glenwillard and spend the day in the really big city.    She would let me visit all the toy departments at Gimbels, Hornes, Kaufmanns and maybe there was still a Rosenbaums.     I remember walking through the old diamond market.     And the trip always included lunch at an Isaly's in the city.     That was my only experience at eating out when I was a kid.    I remember I loved the fried chipped ham sandwiches, the grilled cheese, and the milkshakes were a must.   

All the stores had train displays and took up a good deal of my visit just looking and day dreaming.