Originally Posted by WindupGuy:
Originally Posted by Eddie Marra:
This with my Hornby clockwork set will form the basis for a small tin layout I want to make, and it will be just based on the clockwork trains. I want to try and recreate the vibe of what a working or middle class boy would have had in that period.
Great find on the Bing set Eddie! I'm really looking forward to seeing progress on your layout, too. Clockwork layouts are few and far between, and ones trying to recreate a layout of that vintage are even more scarce. The trains and accessories are simple to figure out (notice I didn't say easy to acquire, just simple to figure out) - if it was made in that era, it is appropriate for the layout. My question would be regarding scenery, or perhaps a lack thereof. Are you thinking a boy from that time would be able to find green paint for the layout board, or perhaps just leave it bare? Would he have been resourceful and ambitious enough to glue down sawdust dyed green for grass? I think any of those options would be appropriate to the era, and maybe the guys can chime in with other vintage scenery techniques. Regardless, it will be a neat project.
I do have to caution you, not only are the clockwork trains addictive, but clockwork train track can also become an obsession. I have a difficult time resisting the urge to buy any obscure piece of two rail O gauge tinplate track I happen to find! There are all kinds of wonderful track, switches, turntables and crossings available from Hornby, Marklin, Bing, Ives, American Flyer, Marx and even Lionel (which is hard to find).
You have been warned...
Thank you for the encouragement! Actually, I've always loved clockwork trains (and my one Hornby set has a mechanism that's beautifully elaborate and even runs smoother than some of my Post WWII or modern electric trains!) The craftsmanship and look is irresistible!
My thinking is that the platform (which will only be large enough to hold the track, nothing gigantic or extra - this is to demonstrate what a boy (or girl) would have done had they the ability to put the train onto a board and make a little layout from it.
I've always loved the thoughts of that period, where you only had a few things to choose from, and the imagination took it from there. So my idea is to have some things present, but not be a showroom layout.
It may not be painted green or have any grass surface on it at all, since a boy in that time frame (nor his parents) may not have had the resource to get a whole can of green paint just for a train platform.
Just a thought, but if anyone has ideas for scenic tips, let me know!