I haven't disappeared but I'm not running trains

While building a layout for your grandkids is very commendable, I think you are missing the point with these sets. My kids had a great big box of Brio trains and track when they were little, they had more fun building the layouts and constantly changing them than running trains.  When they wanted to play with them, they dumped out the box in the middle of the family room and started laying track, the furniture became  the tunnels, cushions became scenery and they always tried to “out do” the last layout.  Do them a favour, pull that layout apart and give them the pieces to play with, they will have a lot more fun.

Lee,you don't do anything halfway ,do you. Very nice.

Brad

Won't the grandchildren be surprised

I spoke with a lot of parents and the owner of my LHS (which has a monster Thomas room) - two and three year olds want to play with an assembled layout, older kids like to build the layout.  The "box" turns over and inverts so there is a "blank" layout for when they are older - and there will be 200 extra track pieces for the future, etc., when they are older.  But right now, with my grandkids that are 4, 2, and -.5, an assembled set up is best.

Lee,

 What a nice and thoughtful thing to do for your grandchildren.  Also, with the way you planned it, the kids will continue to enjoy it as they grow older.  Bravo, Mr. Engineer.

Ed Boyle

Been there....doing that myself right now!! I am not making a custom table like yours (KOOL) but my grand daughter is train crazy...and while I have a 4-4-2 starter  Lionel set done up in Girls colors she is into the wooden train thing right now so she can play alone without constant supervision. Last week we spent hours on the floor making layouts and running trains. We then went to the local hobby shop which is a full line shop including open stock wooden track. I bought a few things for myself and a few new 'trackses' as she calls them.  I do not force trains on her (I have been accused of this) but this 3 year old knows the difference between hoppers and box cars.....things some adults don't know. And while playing trains she stops often to fill them with water! I have a feeling I know where my trains are going anyway.....

quote:

I spoke with a lot of parents and the owner of my LHS (which has a monster Thomas room) - two and three year olds want to play with an assembled layout, older kids like to build the layout.

My experience matches Kevins.

Most of the play value was in the creation of the layout.

Regardless, you have your bases covered with the blank side.

Both of my kids are adults now. The Brio, along with some other key toys, is packed away, waiting for grandchildren.

My experience matches Kevin's and CW Burfle's.  My son, when he was 3 or 4 would take the wooden track and create a layout that covered the living room floor.  At the end of the day, the track got put away and he would start anew.  He's 11 now and helps me with the 9x10 layout in the basement.  He still likes the Thomas and wooden stuff tho.

I have two boys (and three girls but they are not into trains), 10 and 4.  Thomas has been a part of our lives since our 10 year old was 2.  Up until they are about 4, you have to build the layout for them, and forget about using anything that has elevation unless it is attached, or larger like the draw bridge.  Once they hit about 4, they will start stringing track together, with their layouts getting more and more complicated until they are more just building a layout and tearing it down without hardly running any trains.

I agree that even four year olds probably wants to sometimes "create" layouts, and personally I think that that type of creative play is important in the development of a mind. The loose track pieces are like wooden blocks/legos to kids - they just like to put them together, not really run trains.  My LHS's owner's grandson does just that - over and over again, all day. 

On the other hand, we have a long history of "suitcase train layouts" (train layouts, like this, that fold into a box that goes under a bed or in a closet) in our family - each of my boys grew up with his own fold-up under-the-bed HO or N gauge layout - small bedrooms, small layouts, etc. 

In addition my daughter in law thought that track pieces strewn across the floor would be too messy (again, personally, I think that is bound to happen, particularly since I'm providing an extra 200 pieces of loose track "just in case."

I think it's a great idea, Lee. While I concede that free form layouts add some variety, having a homemade, "grandpa original" set like this will be fantastic, not only for play, but storage, etc. And there is always free form layout building for the elder when the young one is playing with this set.

Bruce

Lee - I have been trying to find out how to reach you. Could you please tell me the source of your street lights on your town?

Thanks,

Art

They are made by JTT.  Here is the only link I could find to a picture of what their product looks like: unpainted what plastic is a bag with various things to add traffic lights to.  I trimmed them slightly.  I think the bags I buy actually have six streetlights and no traffic signals in them (but I bought some traffic signal lights from JTT, too.  Not sure).  

In addition to awesome (if expensive_ trees, they make a lot of unpainted white plastic stuff like streetlights, people, traffic signals, etc., which I buy at my LHS.  All very good stuff.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JTT-SCENERY-97310-HIGHWAY-STOP-STREET-LIGHT-1-4-1-1-48-STYLE-2-2-PK-JTT97310-/120869977812?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item1c24697ed4 

Lee - Thanks for the information. These lights are exactly the style I am looking for, but it looks like they might be impossible to light? I'm guessing that the poles are solid plastic and not hollow inside? If they are hollow, I could add LED's.

Thanks again!

Art

 Wow !

 Lucky Grand kids with a cool Granddad

 Looks great.