Great little layout, Evan, and welcome to the 48 Club. I am tinplate division. Looks like some cabinet grade birch under there, LOL.
That's a great collection to start out with. Nice little track plan. You can add some operating accessories to the powered but isolated tracks in the center. Great place for a milk car, horse corral, dump cars, and various postwar operating accessories. Have you been to a train show yet? It's like gambling. Don't bring any more money than you want to spend, because you won't bring any money home. You will be amazed.
One mystery is this crane. I can't identify it. I wonder if the guys on the tinplate forum would know. Is there a name on it?
Will~
Thanks for the comments! It indeed was a HDepot birch plywood I chose to use. It's got a bit of a warp too it yet I just wanted something with reasonably clean sides.
We talked about changes and this track plan was in some literature somewhere? as I for got due to looking at so many! At the time I just wanted it to run, and thought the isolating track segments was beyond me. I'm closer to giving the a go next time. I'm going to take plenty of pictures of what I did this time around and dismantle it for the rest of the season (March) till we get the urge towards Christmas time. I already know it will be hard not to have it up as we have enjoyed it tremendously! (There was talk of adding an additional area next time.) Or.... maybe somewhere else! My support staff of one is nearly as smitten as I am, which makes this whole thing that much better.
Several years ago I did attend a local very small train show in my town. I loved it then having absolutely no idea I'd have train later. The local group is on hold at the moment for getting together. I look forward to going again to the yearly show for sure!!!
The train shop I have been to called Eastside Trains over in the Seattle area is quite large and very well known and is certainly a dangerous place to bring money to!
This little crane is very simple, and was just part of the volume of goodies that came with the set. I'm sure it's got a story. It only has, "Made in USA" stamped on a legs top along with "MAR" in a circular symbol at the end of the crane house. I did go to the link below and saw the online Marx references. I'll have to look deeper on this.
Cheers~
