Roger Carp
...anyone like Texas Pete who visited the showroom---PLEASE share your memories here and with me at .
I guess we visited mayby a half-dozen times from about 1952 to 1958, not always on consecutive years. I actually preferred the Gilbert Hall of Science, since their layout was more interactive. I was an AF kid and the three other families in our building with trains also had American Flyer.
Unfortunately my recollections are mostly impressions, I was just a little kid. Although I do recall (unless my memory is playing tricks) a large steam locomotive front end mock-up somewhere in the showroom entryways. Not a prayer of me remembering anything about a specific track arrangement. Now that's impressive!
My main impression was one of tremendous size, the layout looked as big as a football field to me. I had never seen a layout that seemed so large, even though our first stop usually was at the Gilbert Hall. After that, it was smells and sounds. The aroma of ozone and the hiss and click of what seemed like a thousand trains running.
I was particularly fond of the "underground" station at the front of the layout, and the controls setup, which made Buck Rogers' stuff look puny. And the first time they had the "VIRGINIAN" FM diesel running I was very impressed by its tremendous size.
It's kind of disappointing, looking at it from nearer to the other end of my life, that I never brought my no-name box camera and took any pictures. Even as a small child I didn't much care for flash photographs, all washed out in the front and dark as a cave in the back. I recall that other folks were taking pictures so I don't guess that Lionel forbade it, I just never brought the camera.
Not really the kinds of memories that a scholar/historian can use, but they're mine and I treasure them. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for your wonderful book.
Pete
