Was Tom Snyder ever at York?

He was never at York   He was good friends with Ward Kimball and Tom McChomas  I believe he had both on his show when he was host of the Late Late Show  His standard gauge layout and his collection are now housed at the NJ HiRailers in Paterson NJ  When we installed the layout it was dedicated by a number of his celebrity friends like Spncer Christian, Kaity Ton, Frank Field and a number of others

Thank you, @bluelinec4. Given that he and Mandy Patinkin talked a lot about York in this episode, I thought he would have attended.

But was Snyder ever a TCA member?

@NIKHIL posted:

Given that he and Mandy Patinkin talked a lot about York in this episode, I thought he would have attended.

Nikhil, Thanks for posting this fabulous and meaningful Mandy & Tom video. This is the first time I've seen it. We all can relate in some way to their banter. Just like Mandy, my father also bought our first train set from a small hardware store in Chicago.

I remember reading that Frank Sinatra had friends/agents who went to York to look for things he wanted.  I often wonder if Tom, Mandy and other celebrities  have or had agents wandering around York.

Andy

@Andy Hummell posted:

I remember reading that Frank Sinatra had friends/agents who went to York to look for things he wanted.  I often wonder if Tom, Mandy and other celebrities  have or had agents wandering around York.

Andy

One celebrity I know went to york  I was on line outside the hall waiting for a sausage sandwich   This scroungy looking guy in front of me started talking to me   Oh wow it was Neil Young   Nice guy but was a space cadet   My wife was the biggest fans of Neils music   I called her and put him on the phone   Til this day she doesnt believe it was him

Btw  The guy that Mandy Potamkin keeps mentioning that built his layout, Rich Roman   Is the guy that owns East Coast Enterprises  Customlayouts.com   He is in the Orange Hall at York in the corner by Ross Switches   He makes all the Laser cut bridges

The only national celebrity, D-List at best, I ever met at York was the toy expert from the early seasons of "Pawn Stars".  I didn't recognize him as being on TV, but I knew that I knew him from somewhere.  His name on his badge didn't ring any bells, so I assumed that he was a fellow forumite whose handle I couldn't remember.

Andy

@bluelinec4 posted:

One celebrity I know went to york  I was on line outside the hall waiting for a sausage sandwich   This scroungy looking guy in front of me started talking to me   Oh wow it was Neil Young   Nice guy but was a space cadet   My wife was the biggest fans of Neils music   I called her and put him on the phone   Til this day she doesnt believe it was him

Yep Neil Young was at York and used to come on the forum every now and then.  When I met him at York he told me I looked good.  Not sure what he had to compare me with but I'll take it.

He signed my catalog...

Thank you all for your wonderful responses - they were very interesting.

However, I have still not heard from anyone whether Tom Snyder was a TCA Member or not.

@NIKHIL posted:

Thank you all for your wonderful responses - they were very interesting.

However, I have still not heard from anyone whether Tom Snyder was a TCA Member or not.

Call TCA HQ or locate an old directory.

John Kitterman who once worked for Lionel in the 90’s built Tom Snyder’s layout. John is a friend of mine and always wondered where the layout ended up until I told him that Tom’s widow had it shipped cross country to the NJ Hirailers.

Was John Kitterman a participant or attendee at York? I believe he had a layout-building business, as he also built the mobile model train display for Neil Young (the country legend.)

@NIKHIL posted:

Did anybody ever meet Tom Snyder (Host of The Late Late Show) at York? Just wanted to find out because I believe he was a promoter of the hobby.

I never met Tom Snyder, but I did correspond with him on occasion (he was a fellow dog lover as well as a fellow tinplate addict). He and Tom McComas were good friends, and McComas appeared on Tom Snyder's TV show multiple times, usually during the holiday season. You might also want to check OGR Run 257, page 50, for a full feature article about Tom Snyder's layout.

A Tom Snyder is listed in 1989 TCA directory with a 1971 membership number.

@Allan Miller Just took a quick look and the article is fabulous!

@R2D1 Is that the host of "The Late, Late Show?"

All I can say is this Tom had a Beverly Hills address & a early TCA #   

@Allan Miller posted:

I never met Tom Snyder, but I did correspond with him on occasion (he was a fellow dog lover as well as a fellow tinplate addict). He and Tom McComas were good friends, and McComas appeared on Tom Snyder's TV show multiple times, usually during the holiday season. You might also want to check OGR Run 257, page 50, for a full feature article about Tom Snyder's layout.

Allan

From what we were told the sheepdog in this pic was Tom Snyders dog

@bluelinec4 posted:

So glad you guys saved this little piece of history.

This thread reminded me of something that every model train fan should have. Old news to many, but Tom Synder's "A Century of Lionel Trains" (a DVD produced by Tom McComas) is a must see. Enjoyable, informative, and great photography documenting the history of Lionel trains. Tom's wit and great storytelling really come through.

I try to watch it at least once a year. If you don't own a copy, do yourself a favor and pick one up.

@R2D1 posted:

All I can say is this Tom had a Beverly Hills address & a early TCA #   

Uhhhh...I looked it up on Wikipedia, and I believe he primarily lived in Benedict Canyon (12 minutes north of Beverly Hills), and he had a second home in Belvedere, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he died of leukemia complications.

And @modeltrainsparts, I saw one of your responses in an email notification I got from following this thread. I get what you are saying . Given that he was dead (and he was a celebrity, I didn't think I would be bothering him. But I now understand

@NIKHIL posted:

Thank you all for your wonderful responses - they were very interesting.

However, I have still not heard from anyone whether Tom Snyder was a TCA Member or not.

@R2D1 posted:

A Tom Snyder is listed in 1989 TCA directory with a 1971 membership number.

@R2D1 posted:

All I can say is this Tom had a Beverly Hills address & a early TCA #   

FWIW, Tom Snyder was a news anchor/reporter for Philadelphia's KYW-TV from 1965 until 1970.  The TCA EasternDiv York event started in 1969.  So Tom was in the general area of TCA HQ and not far from York, PA which might correspond to the 1971 membership, if they are one and the same person.

I always thought it would be cool if a video producer (like TM) could collect all of Tom Snyder's various career segments and interviews involving trains and put them out on DVD.  I know that most if not all of them are available on YouTube, but I'd buy one for the higher quality video.  I won't be holding my breath, tho, as I imagine it would be a nightmare dealing with all the various media companies he worked for over the years.

Andy

Was John Kitterman a participant or attendee at York? I believe he had a layout-building business, as he also built the mobile model train display for Neil Young (the country legend)

Yes, John used to attend York in the 90’s and early 2000’s. He had a tent set up next to Lionel with his Kittworks layout system he produced and marketed. Nice stuff!
I believe he built the Horde tour layout that Neil took on tour. John had it moved from California after it sat in a warehouse for a few years and was set up in a Cincinnati museum. I believe it is still there on display.

The above linked video of Tom and Mandy got me wondering -- has anyone run into Mandy Patinkin at York?  You might think by the (excited) way he was talking about it that he had been there.  I know that tone because that's the way I talk about York with train guys who have never been.

Andy

@Ted Bertiger posted:

Was John Kitterman a participant or attendee at York? I believe he had a layout-building business, as he also built the mobile model train display for Neil Young (the country legend)

Yes, John used to attend York in the 90’s and early 2000’s. He had a tent set up next to Lionel with his Kittworks layout system he produced and marketed. Nice stuff!
I believe he built the Horde tour layout that Neil took on tour. John had it moved from California after it sat in a warehouse for a few years and was set up in a Cincinnati museum. I believe it is still there on display.

@Ted Bertiger Yes, it's on display: https://entertrainmentjunction.../music-loves-trains/

Looking for celebrities that attend the York Meet?  Look no further, I’m there every Meet!

ok I’ll show myself out.

@Traindiesel posted:

Looking for celebrities that attend the York Meet?  Look no further, I’m there every Meet!

ok I’ll show myself out.

ROFL

@Andy Hummell posted:

I always thought it would be cool if a video producer (like TM) could collect all of Tom Snyder's various career segments and interviews involving trains and put them out on DVD.  I know that most if not all of them are available on YouTube, but I'd buy one for the higher quality video.  I won't be holding my breath, tho, as I imagine it would be a nightmare dealing with all the various media companies he worked for over the years.

Andy

His visit with Ward Kimball at his California home was really cool.

@Arthur posted:

His visit with Ward Kimball at his California home was really cool.

That is another video I'd buy on DVD just to get the better quality.  I must have watched that one on YouTube a half a dozen times.

Andy

Since Mandy Patinkin was mentioned a couple of times in this thread, I was reminded of the following: When he played the first couple of seasons of Criminal Minds, there was an episode in which his cabin was featured and there were some O gauge trains on shelving, at least one of which was a TCA caboose. I thought that was a neat plug on national TV for not only our hobby but the TCA as well.

@Traindiesel posted:

Looking for celebrities that attend the York Meet?  Look no further, I’m there every Meet!

ok I’ll show myself out.

Brian,
I think there was one York that you and Lynley did not fly in.
Besides, I’m more of a celebrity than you. I have connections and know people in high train places! Lol!

You rooting for your ex-city Eagles?

@Ted Bertiger posted:

Brian,
I think there was one York that you and Lynley did not fly in.
Besides, I’m more of a celebrity than you. I have connections and know people in high train places! Lol!

You rooting for your ex-city Eagles?

That’s true, Ted. You brown nose,… I mean, you know more people than I do!  But we all know I’m prettier.

Yes sir, Eagles 🦅 all the way!!

FLY, EAGLES, FLY, ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY!!

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

Tom used to attend the Friday night TTOS meetings in Arcadia CA.  He did great work on the Tomorrow Show following Johnny Carson.

This old gauge forum is the best. there was so much knowledge. Any question can get answered, and things like this about Tom Snyder for just pure entertainment,

About a year ago my wife started an N scale layout that I'm heavily involved in with her also, I've been using the N scale Train Board Forum and it's just nowhere near the same, I struggle to get all my questions answered

Nice picture of that couple with Kaity Tong.  I didn't know you had it.

Jim D.

@Jim D posted:

Nice picture of that couple with Kaity Tong.  I didn't know you had it.

Jim D.

Yeah Kaity and Chrissie look great   But that old man ruins the picture