Lionel Electric Trains, (Lionel LLC) has graciously donated the Lionel Visitor’s Center Layout, to The Railroad Museum of Long Island (RMLI-pronounced RIM LEE). By doing so, Lionel has preserved this historic piece of their history. The Lionel Visitor’s Center showroom was located in Chesterfield, MI, down the road from what was once the Lionel factory. Opened in 1992 with the help of the Lionel employees, the Lionel Visitor’s Center featured a 14-foot by 40-foot layout with ten running trains and 37 operating accessories. Situated at the tracks in Riverhead N.Y., RMLI is across the street from the Long Island Railroad train station of the same name. Members of LITTLE (Long Island Toy Train Locomotive Engineers), the model toy train division of RMLI and its’ fundraising arm, has visited “The Holy Grail” in Michigan for the disassembly process.
It will travel by 40 foot container to Riverhead where our merry band of volunteers plan the reconstruction process.
Look for a container with the Circle (L) on the sides at a grade crossing near you.
We at RMLI want to thank Lionel LLC., specifically President and CEO Jerry Calabrese and others such as Product Development Manager Matt Ashba and Marketing and Product Development Specialist Remy Convery, in choosing our Museum for the final resting place of this layout with such significant importance to the hobby that we all love and share.
George Faeth: RMLI VP and Pres of LITTLE Al Schwartz: Club Car agent and formerly of NLOE Bob Mintz: RMLI Trustee, Editor and author
I think that was GREAT ! I always wondered what happened to some of these fabulous layouts … sure hoped they were’nt torn down and scrapped . Hats off to LIONEL !
I agree I wrote two or three e-mails to Lionel,(none of which they replied to) and one to the henry ford to try to get it for their collection, the henry ford replied that it was up to Lionel to contact them if they were interested, oh well seems to me a forty minute truck ride would be a lot easier and cheaper then shippin it to the east coast, but what do we know, atleast it wasn’t thrown away i guess
don’t forget guys , that Lionel had offices in new york city for may years. geographically speaking long island is just across the river from manhatten, think brooklyn bridge. there is a new york city transit authority museum in brooklyn and a satellite museum at grand central station in manhatten where a lionel layout has or was on display for a log time. i saw it in 2007. the place was packed with parents and kids looking at the layout. although my screen name is lirrnorth , riverhead long island is about 100 miles from the city and i think more people would see this layout if it where more centrally located.
I think ALOT more people would’ve seen this layout in the henry ford, seeing as its not just a railroading museum and seeing as the layout was only from the michigan visitors center it would be fitting
The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn got Richard Kughn’s big beautiful Standard Gauge layout instead. I think that is more in keeping with their mission.
The Lionel Visitor’s Center layout is situated on an island of some 5 Million people. It will be seen, and help support the mission of the museum. Plus, you can talk your wife into trains and a wine-tasting tour nearby!
I say be happy with lionel’s decision as they could of just tore it down and sold it off as used equipment to different dealers/wholesalers/junk collectors this way at least it can be seen by all who wish to go there and see it.
Never been there but from what I understand the L.I. RR Muesum is a Big museum and it will do the Lionel history well.
I would also bet that L.I.RR contacted Lionel about it as it sounded to me that the email from the Ford they didn’t really want it or they would of contacted Lionel and asked about it.
WOW, this works for me, as I live on the east end of Long Island, as in EAST of Riverhead. The RMLI has 2 sites, with Riverhead the largest. The site in Riverhead features retired LIRR equipment, and the minature train that the LIRR ran at it’s pavilllion during the '64, and '65 Worlds Fair. Riverhead is also at the threshold of The Hamptons and The North Fork, so it should attract a good many visitors. The other RMLL site is in Greenport, and there is a great up to date, Toy Store in Greenport Village that sells Lionel Trains (Goldberg’s). Will Lionel have a visitors center at it’s new offices in New York ?? Ken
Had heard this on the TCA forum. Glad that it is being saved. While I never did visit the layout in Michigan, I may in New York. Unlike the '49 layout, it seems they at least took steps to preserve this one. I hope that when the Long Island folks rebuild it, that they put the American flags up correctly. In all the photos that are in the book, All times when the flag is hung up with stripes down, the stars are in the wrong position. Otherwise, looked like a great layout.
I’m just glad it was protected and donated … it’s really a piece of history . I really don’t agree Lionel should have to contact a museum after they know it’s available … as to what the Ford museum stated … it will probably be seen by 10’s of thousands more where it is anyway. Again … hat’s off to lionel … ! In my opinion Lionel is part of our country’s history … bringing joy and much needed fun to millions of children and adults for decades upon decades and many more to come . Whether they loved trains or not … those displays and trains over the years put excitement and dreams in the thoughts of many … and provided a good wholesome hobby and built character as well as advanced the abilities of many . The world needs more activities like this for our youth … what’s great the parents get into it also with their children . From the bottom of my heart … THANK YOU LIONEL for your generousity !
As a very active volunteer at the Railroad Museum of Long Island that works very closely with the President, we are very proud, and thankful we are now the guardians of this layout. It will be a very nice addition to our site, and will be enjoyed by many when it is rebuilt hopefully in 2010. As mentioned before, Riverhead is our larger museum, with many former Long Island Railroad, locomotives, passenger cars, hacks, MU cars and more, along with a mini train used in the world’s fair.
Right now we are in the process of making out storage building a suitable home for this layout, so it will soon be reassembled For more info about our museum visit our website here http://www.rmli.us/Welcome.html
The Railroad Museum of Long Island is also home to G-5s No.39 one of the last three reaming engines of it type, which is currently being restored in the Strasburg Rail Road Company Shops. MTH trains recently produced a scale model of this locomotive
Something else worthy of saying, our museum is located directly next the Riverhead LIRR station, and so you can travel to us by train, even through Amtrak! You just have to get to Penn Station in NY, and transfer over to the Long Island Railroad, and you are on your way!
As I occasionally visit family on Long Island I will try to check out the museum, preferably after the layout is operational, so please keep us informed.
For those of you not familiar with greater NYC/LI, it’s a pretty good haul out to Riverhead, 100 miles from NYC as previously said. The twin forks east of Riverhead are, however, scenicaly beautiful, and there is a ferry from the north fork back to the mainland, albeit to Connecticut. Greenport is a tiny village on the north fork; surprising that there is any RR activity there, toy or otherwise.
In my attempt to determine how one would visit your Riverhead Museum using the LIRR website schedule (from Pennsylvania Station to Riverhead), an error box appeared with the following:
No doubt, the wrong information has been entered.
For out-of-town visitors who are unfamiliar with New York City transportation, and are starting from downtown New York City, exactly how does one travel (by rail or bus) to visit your Riverhead Museum, and what is/are the costs.
I could not locate this information on your website, though I may have overlooked it.
