An early memory of mine is of a small, ceiling-tracked train children could ride in some sort of department store. The track was on the ceiling and the train hung below it. The train went around the toy section of this store, then into a smaller room with Christmas dioramas and decorations. I’m pretty sure the train was silver and looked streamlined.
I was raised outside of Portland, OR, but it is possible this store was somewhere else, but not too far away. It could have been a mall, but it seemed to me to be one single, large store.
From this same memory, the toy section of the store was stocked with a Star Wars AT-AT, so it must have been in the very early 1980’s. (If that helps.)
So, am I remembering a dream, or did this thing really exist?
Googling brings up mention (but only mention) of Lit Brothers department store in Philadelphia having a Silver Rocket train that hung from the ceiling. I don’t know if they had a store in Oregon, though, or if they were only a Philly concern.
Wanamakers toy department (Phila, Pa) had a ‘monorail train’, too, that hung from the ceiling. I guess they were fairly popular back when department stores had gigantic toy departments.
The monorail is now on display (hanging from the ceiling) at the ''Please Touch Museum" across the street from The Ben Franklin Institute for anyone from the Philly area that is interested. (More Wanamakers toy store info: Nicholas Smith Trains in Broomall, PA has two of the orginal train displays).
They had one (I dimly remember riding in it) in the E.W. Edwards Dept. Store in downtown Syracuse, NY, in the '50’s. There was also a Woolworth’s. Right out of “A Christmas Story”.
Those screens across the windows in the first pictures in the thread remind me of the little caged in cars that used to take you around in the Coal Mine in the Museum of Science and Industry. I have very little doubt that my extreme claustrophobia can be traced to early rides in those devices. I shudder to think about taking that “cool” train. Eeeeww Don’t make me look again.
You are not imagining the train at M&F in downtown Portland…It was such a magical place back then…It was on the ceiling and it was big and went around the 3 ed floor where Santa was. And remember the Cinnamon Bear!!! About 5 years ago (before Macy’s took over) we went to M&F downtown. I was sneaking all around the upstairs offices because I wanted to find that place… I walked down some back stairs and opened a door…And there it was…It took my breathe away!!! The room was in disarray but the train was there on the ceiling… I seriously teared up… We lived in Gladstone, a small town next to Oregon City. It was the highlight of 'Christmas to go to Portland, to Meier & Frank…to see the windows…and then…sigh…Go ride the train and see Santa… Thanks for reminding me!!
