As promised, Warrenville RR pics-Layout plan added

Looks amazing! Thanks forsharing!

@stangtrain posted:

Looks amazing! Thanks forsharing!

Thanks stangtrain.

For more (and better) pics, and details on the WVRR, check out www.Warrenvillerailroad.com

You have some of the accessories I wanted so badly as a kid.

How much of your equipment is from when you were a kid?

John, you could author multiple articles on the development of Warrenville. Your wiring has to be very involved.

Great layout.  Looks darn good to me.  Love your phalanx of post-war Lionel ZW Transformers.  

Postwar paradise indeed !  Thanks for sharing.

@BillYo414 posted:

You have some of the accessories I wanted so badly as a kid.

How much of your equipment is from when you were a kid?

Unfortunatly, Bill, I have nothing from when I was a kid.

I do love (even though I don't operate them as much as I used to) accessories. Here is a list of what I have, 80% of which are on the layout:

@Landsteiner posted:

Postwar paradise indeed !  Thanks for sharing.

My pleasure Landsteiner - I love sharing.

@OKHIKER posted:

Great layout.  Looks darn good to me.  Love your phalanx of post-war Lionel ZW Transformers.  

Thanks Okhiker,

Yes, ZW's are great, but not as powerful as the American Flyer postwar #22090 ("Pancake") 350 watt transformer I use to power my simple, small, American Flyer loop in "The Alcove". Overkill? Yes, but I love it.

John,

I knew it would be inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

Mike

PostWar boyhood dreams! 

Thanks, 'Ski!

@Lionelski - WOW what a wonderful layout.  Super job and great to look at.

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

@Lionelski - WOW what a wonderful layout.  Super job and great to look at.

Don

THANKS, Don

Lots more on the website - have you checked it out?

Very nice John.  Is there a Lionel accessory you don't have? 

So the frame of my bicycle is cracked.  If I bring it over could you weld it up for me?  I'm sure you've got enough juice.

@coach joe posted:

Very nice John.  Is there a Lionel accessory you don't have?

So the frame of my bicycle is cracked.  If I bring it over could you weld it up for me?  I'm sure you've got enough juice.

So that explains the brownouts........

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

John, you could author multiple articles on the development of Warrenville. Your wiring has to be very involved.

"Involved" is an understatement - "Spaghetti" bests describes it - but it works. **** to pay when trying to track down a problem, however.

Remember that WVRR was never torn down and rebuilt fresh. Over the last 40 years it has grown and changed through a series of expansions and updates - the original 4x8 still exists in the center.

Good intentions were had using color coding many times during the original build and the changes noted above but, some of you may know how that goes - want to finish and ran out of a wire color or two............

I ain't flexible enough to ever re-do the wiring, and that would be a huge undertaking, so it will never happen. I hope what I have will continue to work until I'm no longer to play trains downstairs!

Monitoring the do’s and don’ts I’ve learned on the forum my friend orchestrated the power drops and buss line for the track power. I did the wiring for the switches. Everything was color coded and numerous tags were attached as we went along. Next I will tie up the extra wire and do a schematic of the wiring. Our goal was to have organized spaghetti.

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

Monitoring the do’s and don’ts I’ve learned on the forum my friend orchestrated the power drops and buss line for the track power. I did the wiring for the switches. Everything was color coded and numerous tags were attached as we went along. Next I will tie up the extra wire and do a schematic of the wiring. Our goal was to have organized spaghetti.

That's always the goal, sometimes we fumble.  A lot!

Beautiful layout, John! Great pictures and story!

Peter

Layout plan (as evolved over 40 years):

@Lionelski posted:

As you requested, my friends:

Looks great, John! I see some great memories of my own on your layout, and some great new memories you have added.

@Allan Miller posted:

Looks great, John! I see some great memories of my own on your layout, and some great new memories you have added.

Thanks Allan

Lots more to see on the website (below)

@Lionelski, John, Every time I review your layout pictures I see trains from the past that bring back many fond memories, because post war Lionel and American Flyer trains are the foundation of this wonderful hobby. Folks like AC Gilbert, Joshua Lionel Cowan, created a world in our youth that just was so inspiring that as adults we are able to build that dream layout and enjoy those fun toys from the past. Yes, some of us wanted a more scale like versions of those Lionel 773’s, 736’s, 681’s, F3’s, TrainMasters, GG1’s, but in the late 40’s-50’s-60’s, the dream was planted. Your cool layout is so inspiring, the accessories, mixed in with plasticville, so memorable, the Control Panel so massive. Thank you for sharing with us here on the forum your Warrenville Railroad, it’s simply a pleasure to review. You need to submit pictures to Allan Miller, editor for OGR Magazine, your beautiful story…. It’s Time. Happy Railroading Everyone

John - WOW!!! You have amassed a phenomenal collection of postwar trains and accessories!!  Your layout is a postwar delight!!  Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing!!

Leapinlarry and Trumptrain,

Thank you so much for your kind comments!