LCCA's 7-20-13 Convention and Toy Train show in Chattanooga TN - Recap
The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) hosted a Toy Train Show on Saturday, July 20, 2013 in the Track 29 building onsite at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel during or 43rd Annual convention. The show was well attended by LCCA members and visitors from Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. Over $615 of donations were collected at the door from the public and LCCA members. This money was donated to benefit the local Erlanger hospital .
Over 100 LCCA members came from locations all around our country to Chattanooga to set up tables to buy, sell and trade toy trains. Many good deals were reached.
Lionel's 18' X 40' layout which was designed and built by TW TrainWorx of Dallas TX was on display and operation in the beautiful lobby of the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. This layout demonstrates current Lionel train products in operation as well as several interactive buttons that operate Lionel animated Accessories. Various levels of modeling skills and scenery techniques are featured in the different areas of this vast layout. The kids and their families just loved this layout!
The LCCA/Lionel Fastrack Modular railroad Layout was operation in the Roosevelt room near the main lobby of the historic hotel. This new modular layout is intended to encourage as many model train enthusiasts as possible to get into the hobby, demonstrating their skills with even a single module. Do it yourself, build a kit or have TW TrainWorx build a module for you, then decorate it in any way that you desire, with any theme you chose. Then bring it to one of the future events planned by the LCCA and Lionel to create HUGE modular layouts that easily fit together utilizing the standards created for these modules. They are light weight, in a size that should fit in just about any automobile, yet give you the opportunity to run the biggest Lionel engines made on O-72 & O-80 FasTrack! Great way to get into module railroading using a track system you enjoy already with a group of train buddies too! Stay tuned for more information about future events that will feature these new Lionel/LCCA FasTrack Modular Railroad.
LCCA's mini-Layout which features two loops of train running on a space no larger in area than a conventional shipping pallet was operational throughout the week. This small foot print layout demonstrates that you do not have to have a large space to operate and enjoy Lionel's O-Gauge trains.
LCCA offers its "Thank you" to all attendees, exhibitors, and donors at this Toy Train Show. Thanks go out to Lionel for their generous donation of the trains and bringing their operational layout. It was another "great day in the LCCA". Thank you for your participation and continued support. We hope you had FUN!
Al Kolis
Immediate Past President and Special Events Manager