Let's see your postwar style layouts

Great Thread keepem coming!

My gosh, each one is as charming as the next. There is a fresh playfulness to each of them which speaks so pleasantly of their owners. You guys have captured and reminded all of us of where the hobby started for so many of us.

 

Thanks for starting such an interesting thread, Montclaire!

FrankM

Well, I am extremely PLEASED, at the exclamation of

Thanks for starting this interesting thread,  as I am in 120% percent agreement,

getting a little boring with York threads trying to solve worldly dilemas,  but as

people say, there's another one looming around the corner in 6 months ,

the Pics have been a pleasure,  and there has to be more,  keep them coming.

These pictures, are enjoyment,  OOPS , left the trains running  !!!

Not sure if this is exactly postwar style, was going for more of a toylike appearance with my layout.

 

 

Here's mine - This is a temporary layout I set up in the house we are renting while our  house is being built - Eventually I want to do the new layout in a department display style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the layout I built for my Uncle before I moved out of NJ last summer - 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of pics from my last layout...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul

Some pics of mine

It was a dyed sawdust product I found at a now long gone LHS.

 

Rusty

Christopher, I think Life-Like's Grass Paper would be the best thing to use, thats what I am going to do. I will need like a case of it though!

 

 

ALSO,

Check this video out from Bill Hopping's layout, running ALL the postwar F3's!

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UQzTTda1pE

My 1st. layout. 1959

Mark, - the LL grass paper looks too dark to me.  I wish there was a someone who made colored sawdust - I'm surprised that it can't be found - even in craft stores - maybe I'm not searching correctly.   Here is what I came up with

 

Lionel Layout - 4/11/13 by Christopher & Amy Cate / Eastern Rails Photography, on Flickr

My small 4'x6' layout I built in the early 1980's for my sons and I to watch my Lionel Trains run on.

Cobrabob.

My son Eric in 1984. About 2 yrs. 9 mos. old.

The last two photos were taken about three years later. Where did all that dark hair go? LOL

In this photo you can see where I re-purposed my old train board into my new layout in 2009. I went from 4'x6' on one level running two trains to a layout measuring  8'6"x13'10" with two levels and running three seperate trains.

Cobrabob.

Great pictures everyone, this was my layout before moving into my current house. Not much too look at, but was still fun to run trains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John-

Great layouts guys! Post War layouts make me smile every time

Here's some of my layout, still under construction (of course).

 

Christopher,

 

Thats a pretty close match. I think LL Grass Paper comes in 2 shades, Light and Dark.

I have some close up photos of some Lionel Postwar Display Layouts, that show the "grass" I will post them on here when I get home.

 

 

 

If it comes in light, that may work - I haven't seen too much of it.   I had it on my 4x8 layout when I was a kid.  I remember it being pretty light.  The square I posted is from Woodland Scenics & is the forest green color.    You can get it in different sizes & can also scape the 'grass' away  to paint the roads & roadbed.

A couple of photos I found on the internet in the past, for inspiration :-)

 

That lucky kid has 2 New Haven 2350s!!

Very similar in style to the way my layout looked, my carpet was a different shade of green but it looks like you used the same trees, and of course tubular track!

Inspired and inspiring, Frank53.

FrankM

Two pics of my pre retirement layout in Virginia.

 

 

 

Those of you looking for mats for layouts may want to consider the vinyl mats offered by Woodland Scenics. They are available in 50 X 100, 33 X 50, 33 X 25, and 12 1/2 X 14 1/8 inch sizes. They have Spring Grass, Green Grass, Forest Grass, and Summer Grass shades. The neat thing about this product is that it will last longer than the traditional paper mats, and the mat can be molded using a heat gun. The only downside is that they are kind of pricy for a large layout.

 

In addition Bachmann is also doing mats in the style of the LifeLike products, but a much darker green.

 

Regards,

Randall

Here's a sample I was thinking about using - I believe this is forest green -

Wow,Johnsgg1, we can see you've been having fun. I'll bet that layout is a real treat to see and hear in operation ! Cool!

FrankM

 

 After giving it some thought, I may wind up going w/ a mix of woodland scenic grass & earth instead of the mat idea.   I decided this due to that fact that I was planning on doing a few tunnels & mountains.  This way the ground cover on the mountains will match what is on the layout base

 

That's amazing.  I took that picture back in the early 1980's of a Christmas display that was at the St. Louis Science Museum (since moved).  If not, someone else took their shot from the same angle.  I lost my copy due to a lightening strike on another computer.  Nice to see it again.

Nice enjoyable viewing, everyone.  My contribution is one AF (GarGraves) loop and two 027, on which I primarily run Marx 3/16 (same scale as the AF).  I've managed to resist ballasting the track, but have mixed in diecast cars with the toy, and have also used ground foam in lieu of grass mat.  Plasticville dominates in the structure department.

Hi Johnsgg1, Can you post more photos of that crane claw. Did you make it? Or buy it. So cool!!! Is it a modified bucket? How well does it work? Would love to have something like it. Even make one myself. Have six cranes and always looking to modify/ improve them. Fred

Here's some photos of my layout. The young boys in the photo are Patrick and Ryan Brosky and the photos were taken by their mom Kerriann Flanagan Brosky.

Yep, you've captured the postwar layout spirit, Lenny.  Great!

I second that Lenny J. Postwar spirit with some modern touches. I love the Long Island RR equipment.

Fred, I bought the 'claw' when we were stationed in Germany, the first time, about 1984.  Stumbled upon an out of the way hobby shop in downtown Stuttgart.  The price on the sticker is in DM's.

 

I wired it right where the magnet would be wired.  It works OK, doesn't overheat, but it can only handle a light load.

 

It hangs from a restored Lionel 182/282 Gantry.  I added railing and an operating red light that comes on when the claw is powered.

 

My five year old Grandson likes to operate it.  It's a challenge.

 

 

Looks to me like you Postwar/Toy Train guys know how to have a lot of fun with your trains!