Letter to the Editor: Zebra Communications aids local causes as well as students in Tanzania

web1_buck-Gladys3.jpg

Tunkhannock resident, Gladys Habeeb, misses opening day of deer season for first time in 50 years

MOOSIC &#8212; As a kid Dave Sage couldn&#8217;t afford to buy a Lionel train set. As an adult, he&#8217;s making up for it.The 60-year-old police officer came to Grzyboski&#8217;s Trains for National Lionel Train Day with a list and a fondness for the miniature locomotives and rolling stock.&#8220;Now I have a huge collection,&#8221; said Sage of Coal Township.He has a 12-feet-by-14-feet layout in his home where he runs the trains. But he makes sure to maintain them and the packaging they came in.&#8220;A lot of the stuff is like money in the bank,&#8221; said Sage.He pointed to box with a starter kit priced at $369.95. &#8220;Over the years it will go up,&#8221; he said.&#8220;It&#8217;s more than a toy. It&#8217;s an icon,&#8221; added Sage of the 115-year-old brand.He wasn&#8217;t going to get an argument from Rich Grutzmacher. He&#8217;s been with Lionel Trains since 1978 and works as the regional sales manager.At 69 he hasn&#8217;t lost his love for the O-gauge trains even with the changes to the Concord, North Carolina-based company and its products.He estimated he was 12 or 13 when he started playing with a Lionel train set under the family Christmas tree. He recalled seeing the metal rails being made at a factory in Michigan. Today the company sells its one-piece &#8220;Fastrack&#8221; made to resemble stone bedding and railroad ties molded in plastic with encased metal rails.&#8220;We&#8217;re switching to a remote system,&#8221; Grutzmacher pointed out while holding what looked like a television remote control in his hand. The company still markets the box-like transformers to power the trains.Even though adults made up the majority of customers, kids still play with the trains bought for them by their parents and grandparents and relatives, Grutzmacher said.&#8220;This is a wholesome hobby. It&#8217;s for mom and dad to get involved with their children,&#8221; Grutzmacher said.Michael Gironda and his 11-year-old son Christopher came down from Montgomery, New York, to shop. Gironda carried a basket stuffed with a few cars and other items. He debated with his son about purchasing a scarp yard piece to add to their collection. The problem they faced was what to take out of their 100-square-foot layout to make room for it.&#8220;Where are we putting it?&#8221; asked the father.Store owner Joe Grzyboski moved from behind the counter onto to the floor to deal with customers and retrieve merchandise.Like his clientele Grzyboski, 65, played with Lionel trains as a kid and coveted the annual catalogues. &#8220;I took the book to bed with me,&#8221; said Grzyboski.The retired civil engineer has been selling trains for 38 years and has developed a loyal customer base. He started at his home in Moosic, moved to Scranton and then built a store on Glenmaura National Boulevard.&#8220;I&#8217;m actually the third largest Lionel dealer in the world,&#8221; he said.Sage complimented Grzyboski for his customer service and knowledge of all things Lionel.Many of the products are for sale on the internet, said Sage. &#8220;But you don&#8217;t know what you&#8217;re getting. Joe&#8217;s an honest guy. He takes care of you,&#8221; said Sage.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Jerry Lynottjlynott@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews</shirttailMeta></div>

Customers all aboard for National Lionel Train Day