Finally found a layout and have started!

Lionel dealer displays pack a lot of action in a small space. If you are interested, lot's of info out there on replicating the scenery and ground cover used by Lionel. Could be a good recreation of the original.

Looks like it will be a fun build.

Enjoy.

I'd be inclined to put the grass mat down first, but you should do whatever makes the most sense to you. After all, it's your railroad!

Dale

If you are planning to use the Woodland Scenics grass Matt I would suggest you put it down first and give it several  coats of flat spray or skip it.

Green comes off even after several coats.  Brown patches everywhere

  Terrible product

John

Thank you all for the replies and help.

Yes I did order the Woodland Scenic grass Matt but I am able to return it.

Looking at the above layout which has green and street what is the best matting to use?

I like this idea for gress:

How To Add "Grass" to Model Train or Diorama Scene - YouTube

Also I may go with green paint and black paint for the roadway.

Paint your piece of plywood or whatever green before you put the grass mat down. then the bare spot will not show thru

The suggestions and help on the forum here has been great. I paint the board and started laying out the accessories. Each one needs to be tested. Below are pic of what I have done so far. Sorry for the poor quality of the pics.

In the process of restoring and repairing an original D146. Having to recreate a little more than 1/2 as part of it was lost, but original control panel and bulk of the wiring on the intact part and most of accessories that came with it are present. Will post some pictures when able

nice

Wish I'd seen this thread earlier. I've built my own version of one of the Lionel Dealer Displays, the 5x9 D-105.

What I did for the painting and ground covering was to use a "Lionel green" paint for the main color and a cream/off white for the roadways. While the green paint is still wet, I sprinkled on original Lionel 919 "grass" that I picked up on eBay. It provides a good duplication of the original look of Display Layouts.

I see you're already underway on yours. Looks great so far!

EDIT: Here are a couple of photos of my D-105.

Wiring up now

Hey Jagrick, what are those silvery metal strips you're using for your power buses?

Yes they are

@PChepurko posted:

I am building my first layout and have, with the assistance of members here, decided on tubular track and not fastrac. I did some hunting to find a 4x8 layout which incorporates the accessories I have and is interesting. While browsing the Internet I came across a Lionel dealer display, D-146, from the 1950s. It works well for me. I have attached the layout.

So far I have assembled the track, added bumpers for the siding and tested the track. Next I will add the insulated track sections and wire in the accessories I have. As I acquire the accessories, I will wire them in. Once I have all of the accessories I will run the wires under the table, add the grass mat lastly the ballast. Is this a good plan?

IMO, Yes.

@johnstrains posted:

Wish I'd seen this thread earlier. I've built my own version of one of the Lionel Dealer Displays, the 5x9 D-105.

Your layout is awesome!

I am building my first layout and have, with the assistance of members here, decided on tubular track and not fastrac. I did some hunting to find a 4x8 layout which incorporates the accessories I have and is interesting. While browsing the Internet I came across a Lionel dealer display, D-146, from the 1950s. It works well for me. I have attached the layout.

So far I have assembled the track, added bumpers for the siding and tested the track. Next I will add the insulated track sections and wire in the accessories I have. As I acquire the accessories, I will wire them in. Once I have all of the accessories I will run the wires under the table, add the grass mat lastly the ballast. Is this a good plan?

Lay out everything on the table for location and get the lay of the land. Then do the scenery (roadway, grass etc, and wiring first. This will save frustration and you can flip the board over and do a nice, neat job of wiring.

Thanks

@johnstrains posted:

Wish I'd seen this thread earlier. I've built my own version of one of the Lionel Dealer Displays, the 5x9 D-105.

What I did for the painting and ground covering was to use a "Lionel green" paint for the main color and a cream/off white for the roadways. While the green paint is still wet, I sprinkled on original Lionel 919 "grass" that I picked up on eBay. It provides a good duplication of the original look of Display Layouts.

I see you're already underway on yours. Looks great so far!

EDIT: Here are a couple of photos of my D-105.

This is a great layout! How did you build the mountain? Do you think the layout would scale down to 4 x 8?

@PChepurko posted:

This is a great layout! How did you build the mountain? Do you think the layout would scale down to 4 x 8?

The mountain was built using the classic method of layering cardboard strips held together with hot glue and then covering with plaster of Paris strips. Let it all harden up and then paint. Simple, but effective.

Sure, you could use one of Lionel Display Layouts in 4x8 dimensions to get a similar layout. In fact, see Jagrick's post above for a 4x8 example. The D-146 is a 4x8.

Thanks