I just looked at my other project today,Its a 1955 Lionel D146 display layout I have been working on for the past few years and I am thinking on selling it so I thought I would post it up and see what you all have to say about it
forgot one
Pretty neat. I used to have a nice HO set when I was a kid.
How I miss the trains. I had to choose many years ago and went with the cars. Fun to see your display.
Rich
You don't have a real old car garage if you don't have a train set some where in the shop or a slot car track.
Charley
Spencer: A very nice layout. Great fun.
I have a Super O layout, ie 1959, in the basement of my shop. Great stress reliever.
I once saw a Model T truck decorated in Lionel orange and blue. Seems like it had an inventory of old trains and erector sets in the peddlers box. Anybody know anything about it?
I decided I had to do them both - oh yea - I forgot about the model rockets, too but the shop is so full of T stuff, the trains went upstairs in the house ! My wife knows where I'm at most all the time.
Every time I have sold off my train stuff I have regretted it. I'm trying to find a way to "take it with me."
I fear scale model train layouts. If I ever started to build a layout, I see myself being found dead of starvation because I refused to leave the room while building and playing.
Model rockets, Steve? I really enjoyed building them when I was in college. Spent hours on each model. What I didn't enjoy was losing them on maiden flights in tall trees...sigh...
I think that at some time in the past we all other hobbies. I had model air plains (free Flight, U control and early Radio control) along with model boats. My dad had Lionel trains starting in the 30's thru the 50's,but I don't know where they went
when my folks split in the 60's. That's when I started with the T's, I still have some train things in boxes that were packed back in the 80's, maybe some day they will see light again, I like to scratch build. Many memories and much fun thanks for the reminder Spencer.
Bob
I went to Caboose Hobbies today during my lunch break. Spent $180.41 A T guy needs something to do during the winter in Denver!
Paul
Is Heritage Square still there in golden? We lived next to it in the 80's also had a store there. I worked at the Fed Ctr. in Lakewood. Did you ever go into Caboose Hobbies when Ronald Coleman (the Actor) worked there, he was quiet a model train Hobbiest.
Bob
Bob,
Yes Heritage square is still there. I moved to the Denver area, and started going to Caboose Hobbies, in November of 2003 so I missed Ronald. I had always wanted to have a Model Train layout but never had a house with enough room. Then I moved to Denver and bought my first house with a basement...
Looks like Christmas, 1960. <grin>
I really enjoy nice train layouts. Have you ever seen the large model of the city of Chicago at the Science and Industry Museum? That is incredible.
Some day, perhaps in retirement, I would like a scale version of the 1960s Monaco Grand Prix circuit (no chicane, thank you very much!) interlaced with a very nice train layout. I have a large, unused attic with nice light in which to do it, I just need to find the time.
...and for your viewing pleasure...
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=train+layout+museum+science+industry+chicago &FORM=HDRSC3
"You don't have a real old car garage if you don't have a train set!"
VERY TRUE!
I built an HO set many years ago.
It was on an 8x6 ft table with something like 100 feet of track, 20 switches, block control with 4 transformers, 5 engines, 30 cars, and a bunch of buildings.
The table could be easily broken down into 2 4x4 sections and one 2x8. The wiring had large connectors between sections so I didn't have to rewire it when we moved.
I gave the table away about 35 years ago when we moved from OH to KY but kept the locomotives, buildings, cars, and transformers.
They are now in a big box in the basement.
I also have a small N gage RR that I set up on the dining room table
It is just a single loop but if I don't set it up when we do the tree my granddaughters tell us that it is not Christmas yet!
Even the kids understand that trains are needed for a REAL Christmas.
My wife and I were in a small restaurant in RI a few months ago and they had a three rail RR running around the room near the ceiling.
She said that she really like it so I am thinking that when there is time I'll drag out the HO stuff and do something in one of our home offices.
The operative word in all this is "Time"
If I had a bunch of money and time I would love to play with real big boy trains.
Here's mine. Approx 24" X 36" N scale in a coffee table.
I dabble in Marx 027, nothing real nice, some tin and some plastic. The Marx, while somewhat realistic, is still toy like so no worry if it just on a board. I have lots of HO but have never had space to build a proper layout. Steve would that be American Flyer? Between the 027 and HO sizes, American Flyer is a nice size to work with.
I believe that American Flyer was S Gage and was 2 track ,I have a 50's set in a box some where.
Bob
Yes, American Flyer it is. I collect "one year only" sets mostly. My Dad in Law plays with Lionel and we always seem to have the discussion about "real trains run on two tracks" !
Here's my collection of model rockets - first time I flew one of my Space Shuttles, it failed to separate and the recovery chute didn't open - Oh Crap !
Here is an N gauge I have now in the living room.
I have boxes of O gauge stuff packed away... I should break it out again someday... Time and space problems.
Wes, Your N scale layout is very cool, I especially like your "construction site". Much more practical than than my large stuff. By the way, I like what you've done to your living room walls...(grin)
Here are just quick cell phone shots of a set I just completed this year. It takes of the entire room over the garage that houses my t's. I made all the rocks and scenery.
Nice layouts guys! I'm just getting started on mine, it's in a 8 x 12 room with a 8 x 8 workshop/staging area. It is going to be HOn3 set in the 1920's. I have one of the new Blackstone K27's with sound, hearing that thing chuffing along makes you feel like your right there in Colorado watching it go by.
i I might be interested spencer how much
Mike send me a pm with your email so I can send you some more photos
thought I,d share a photo of a lay out me and a couple friends threw together for our friend Herb who always wanted a layout. he had some engines and cars but had never gotten around to having a spot to use them. So this is what we gave him to start with.He has since passed but was like a little kid at Christmas with every little thing we did on the board. was a lot of fun.
Steve, Great collection of rockets! I see at least two that I have built and possibly a couple others. I loved building the Saturn V. Quite the challenge on that one but as I recall it had a semi realistic lift off.
"Real trains run on two tracks." That's why, when my folks got me a train set, I insisted that it should be American Flyer and not Lionel. Never could abide that lame three-rail set-up. I also hated clip-on suspenders, loved spinach, and enjoyed getting haircuts. I became a weird old guy by starting out as a weird kid.
Actually, TWO TRACKS could handle two trains. A track is made up of two rails. I think what you American Flyer guys mean to say is,....."real trains run on 2-rail track". Or, I guess you could say,....."real trains run on two rails", however I really don't think you mean,......"real trains run on two tracks". I know,.....picky, picky......had to put in my $0.02,.......harold
We have a mix of old and modern Lionel but the oldest Grandson has kind of lost interest.I like the modern Trainmaster/Command Control which is nice for lash up's and the Grandson can run 3 trains at the same time on one track 10'X 11'6" Bud.
Well I have decided to sell it but before I put an ad up any where I thought I would give you guys on the forum first crack at it If any one is interested please email me at tvibert@snet.net thanks Spencer,
Hey Steve, American flyer may have two rails but they don't have real couplers like my Lionels, also lionel used three rail because it was easier to wire than the two rail american flyer's that is why you don't see super complicated layouts of american flyer
Spencer, '
when I get home from this trip, I will post some pics of a complicated American Flyer layout! YES, Flyer folks have to be more creative electrically!
Sorta like learning the three pedals
Steve, nice stuff, like the Knuckle coupler Silver Bullet set. AND AF did have realistic couplers after 1954.
David D.
Thanks Guys ! I do have a considerable amount of wiring under the layout - probably should be on the "look-out" for wire thieves !
Danial: I have too much build time into the Saturn to ever "light her off" !
Boy this brings back memories. I still have my Marx 333 O27 gauge train set, the aurora ho race cars. I flew control line, free flight, early single channel rc. and model rockets. The local hobby shop put on a model rocket contest when I was about 15 and asked me to build the Saturn V for them to demo at the contest. The shop owner put the largest engines he could find in it. They turned out to be booster engines for a multi stage rocket. When it ignited. It lifted off OK but quickly when up in flames as the boosters burned through. The capsule was all that survived and I still have it.
I'll have to dig out some photos of it, but a colleague of mine and I finished a layout (non-functioning) that the local NRHS Chapter could not meet deadline-wise. It was the only model railroad I ever got paid to build.
An N-scale layout of the property that the museum currently sits on: an approximately 13' wide by 28' foot long diorama that showcased 13 buildings, a coal drag, two turntables, a 37 stall roundhouse, erecting shop, powerhouse, master mechanic shop, flue shop, paint shop, scale house, stock yards, ice house, gas station, 4 lane highway, and several houses. Complete with rolling stock, locomotives, etc. and classification yard.
The erecting shop was built by kitbashing 10 or more kits together to create the scale size of the original building of 150 feet wide by 600 feet long. The roundhouse was entirely scratch built. It is the largest N scale roundhouse that I know of.
The property originally was about 150 acres, and the layout was rendered using aerial photos from the late 30's and 40's. A large blowup of a photo was on the wall in the rear of the layout and if it was on the picture, it was on the layout.
As far as I know, it's still there....