Agument Against Building A Traditional Layout

Yes, it is one of the big choices to make, and it can be a tough one.  I have a permanent type layout, but miss some of the flexibility with trackage, building placement, and so forth.

Let him at the controls.  Once he knows he can speed up, slow down, stop and start the train, he might be just as happy.  Then you can build your layout.

Cheers,

Ed

Build a layout with alot of operating accessories that will be entertaining for him.  When I was younger my favorite was the MTH Fire Station.  

If you have an island layout or an around-the-room, he can still chase them around.  If you build it at his eye level or close to it, he'll be able to immerse himself in the miniature world you're building by being on the same level as the people and trains.

I haven't even finished laying track on my layout. My granddaughter is only 15 mo old and already I have plans for a floor level layout for her under the permanent layout. I'm assuming she will enjoy crawling under the main layout to play with her trains.

Gilly

How old is he?

Cute videos.

So cute to see him straddle the track and walk with the train.  When you build a layout, I think he he will get a kick out of watching the trains at eye level.  You could always add a small drawer style pull-out track at the floor.

Very cute!

Peter

Sinclair:  You need to include him in the build, if you choose to go that way.  You can always build your tables at whatever height you wish, then attach a shelf layout to the legs at a height where he can still run with the train.  When he is old enough (and it'll be sooner that you think), get him a LionChief (plus) set and he'll be running his own train.  Frankly, it's amazing how fast the little ones pick up the operation of these, and other electronic devices.  My eight year old grandson can do things with his dad's tv's and recording devices that I don't even know how to do.   No matter what, please help to insure that he always has as much fun as he is having now.  He represents the future of our cherished hobby.  I wish you the best.  Bob S.

I hate to break it to you, but he is not going to stay at this stage for very long.  Stay flexible and do what feels right at the time.

I have the same issues.  My 4 year old and 1 1/2 old love the carpet layout.  I hate them stepping on the track, accidentally punting cars... I fear for the buildings being sat on...

I tried a ping pong table at ping pong table height and the kids almost lost all interest. 

I put the ping pong table on some heavy duty home depot medium moving boxes - about 16" off the ground. The 4 year old has a pretty good reach of the layout at that height.  The 1 1/2 can get to the outside track.  That got the layout off the floor and they can still interact with it, move the station and buildings and automobiles, change up their consists, load the cars with their toys...EVERY MORNING THEY GET OUT OF BED AND ASK TO PLAY TRAINS! It's a rare morning that doesn't start with the blast of the diesel horns. 

They have Marx steamers that I got for a few dollars at shows and pulled the gears from so they can use them as "push" engines and push them around the layout.  They also have inexpensive conventional diesels.  The smallest of the small ones has an RMT Beep and I highly recommend them for kids.  Super easy for them to put on the track, the top speed isn't fast enough to derail it on O36 curves, they seem pretty durable...  

Both boys are capable of driving the trains via the conventional controller appropriately and throwing the switches. 

They both GREATLY prefer pushing the Marx steamers (which won't go through switches just fyi).

It isn't the same for them to drive from the controller or have a layout that is above their heads, or where the scenery is static and they can't move the buildings, the cars, the cows...  

They love accessories, and again, anything manual is their favorite.  I picked up a manual culvert unloader with a hand crank.  They will unload culverts all day.  Sometimes they will use the button to work the culvert loader, but they prefer to put the culverts back in the cars by hand.  They like loading the milk car more than they like pushing the button to spit the cans out of the car.  A broken crane car that has been converted to a crane with a magnet on the hook is much more engaging to them than the electromagnet crane.  

I expect much of this to change as they grow up.  I'm enjoying playing with them where they are at.   My "dream layout" is currently the one we all enjoy together - It is nothing like the one I planned. 

My beautifully scenic around the walls layout may happen some day - hopefully with their help.

Truly very cute.  I love that 2-3 year age for the kids. 

From my own experience with 6 children and now 16 grandchildren let me say they will find their own way.  I started with a traditional layout and simply kept expanding.  They all loved it at that precious 2-3 years of age.  As time moved on most of them grew away.  But, some of them didn't and as I expanded my layout and my creations some of them grew with me.  I now have three, ages 6, 10 ad 14, who regularly come over and help me with scenery, new buildings, painting people figures and ballasting track.  The boys love running the trains and the girls love repopulating the table and acting out their own story lines.

Bob is very correct about their learning the command systems.  At 6 years of age they will take the controller right out of your hand and move those locos down the pike.  Blow the whistles as long as I can stand it and have the engineers chatter to each other.

It has been a real joy to have my grandchildren grow with me in this hobby.

Do both!

I kept a big box of nice, clean 027 track for my kids, including wide radius curves, switches, crossings and uncoupling tracks.
When they were little, I'd build the layouts with them. As they got older, they did it themselves, asking for help only when they were stuck.

I mounted a couple of small transformers (1033, 1044) on small boards with Lionel #91 electromagnetic circuit breakers (they trip instantly on a short), so they could run the trains with loose supervision (adult in the same room / area).

Often setting up the trains was as much fun as running them.

He's young. Floor running with inexpensive locos and cars is the way to go for now.

Plenty of time for a layout in the future.

My 6 grandchildren all started running trains on  my large table layout at about age 3, using the DCS remote.  They quickly learned to control speed with the wheel, and which buttons were direction and whistle.  No real harm done if they pressed a wrong button.  I did add a lanyard on a remote after one got shattered on the floor (it is fixed and still runs, 14 years old).

You'll still need a floor layout for awhile. It doesn't mean you can't build yours.

After my grandson and I have been running trains for 2 years now on low tables, I thought he could have his own at home. Well, he,his sister (2)and a friend(3), all under 4 years old, were left unsupervised for a while. My daughter discovered mayhem and they were on the table. So, much for that idea. The Godzillas destroyed Plasticville. However, the UP LionChief RTR set, survived. just had to put a few axles back on the cars.

Again, keep a floor layout for him with trains that can be destroyed. The trailer incident was only the only the beginning.

My grandson is three, and he loved the Christmas tree layout. Now I have a train board and he wants to open doors on buildings and play with them.  He had not interest in the big boy, but I pulled out Thomas and ran it, and he couldn't get enough.  

My train table is at 46" inches and I have a portable platform for him to stand on.  I am now working on a thomas layout below the main layout at about 16 inches off the floor ( I build the layout with 4 x 4 supports so it was easy to add a lower table)  which I'll have building and truck for him to play with. He too just likes to push the trains around so I have some old cars that I am going to put there.  

Make a small potable layout just for him. It worked for me when my boys were little!

I built my layout 22" off the ground (enough room underneath the table for 2 stacked bankers boxes). the kids were able to reach the trains when they were young. worked pretty well for quite a long time. That layout height is easily run when sitting in a chair for the adults.

Joe K