Famous Lionel Fans

It's cool to know that some very famous people are Lionel Train fans, or model railroad enthusiasts of any scale. (Not that my hobby needs any validation or justification!). Some famous Lionel fans of the past and present include Joe DiMaggio, Roy Campanella, Arthur Godfrey, Frank Sinatra, talk show host Tom Snyder, Mandy Patinkin, PGA golfer Ed Dougherty, and rock icon Neil Young. In fact, in 1995 Neil became a twenty precent owner of Lionel and has worked extensively to develop state-of-the-art control and sound systems for Lionel Trains. He brought along a huge layout for concertgoers during 1997's H.O.R.D.E. tour, and often attends the Train Collectors Association semi-annual train meet in York, PA.

Here is a long list of famous model railoaders with their gauge preferences. (Photo: Neil and me at York, Oct. '99)

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?". "To the back part of the basement to run the trains, of course!"