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After reading " Progress so far for my Fall 1963 layout", how about we get together a collection of these "classic" layouts. For starters, here is Lionel's Super-O layout idea from their 1957 catalog. 

 

Back-of-57-Catalog-Layout

 

rearcover

 

Please post with track plans and the related photos if possible.

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  • rearcover
Last edited by Rich Melvin
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Originally Posted by Ace:

After reading " Progress so far for my Fall 1963 layout", how about we get together a collection of these "classic" layouts. For starters, here is Lionel's Super-O layout idea from their 1957 catalog. 

 

Back-of-57-Catalog-Layout

 

rearcover

 

Please post with track plans and the related photos if possible.

I find the drawing of the layout a bit humorous.  It makes it appear as if you could seamlessly drop that layout into the main floor of a 1950s house without it being obstrusive at all.  If only that was the case...

Originally Posted by MichMikeM:

I find the drawing of the layout a bit humorous.  It makes it appear as if you could seamlessly drop that layout into the main floor of a 1950s house without it being obstrusive at all.  If only that was the case...

And what a perfect example of the positive 1950's era. A fantastic layout with finished sides and under layout storage befitting a top line kitchen.  My buddy lives in a Mid Century Modern home in So Cal.....and yes...the layout would work perfectly in his home....but yes...it is not typical of the small 1950's ranch the vast majority of folks lived in. But this is the 'dream layout' so dream big!!

I found pics of a D-132 layout on an auction site and am trying to figure out the track plan. Even with three pictures from different angles, it isn't obvious how the tracks connect, which is what makes the plan more interesting.

 

D-132-2a-

 

D-132-2b-

WOW! Lionel postwar D-132 dealer Lionel train display layout, circa 1954, which measures 8 x 8 feet. The layout operates three trains on two different levels.

D-132-2c-

 

This is my reconstruction of the suspected track plan, which maybe has only a single reversing track. If someone has a different idea on this, let's see it!

 

Lionel D132c

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  • D-132-2b-
  • D-132-2c-
  • Lionel D132c
Originally Posted by DOC:

A Great book is Lionel Display Layouts You Can Build by Roger Carp.  It is out of print they can be found but New is about $175. It is a 96 page book that covers 23 different layouts. The D-131 is in it. Many pictures, Track plans, old adds.

DOC,

 

You must have missed my post (see just up above). Am aware of the Carp book and the fact that it's cost prohibitive.  Am hopeful a forum member might be willing to scan and post some track plans.

Originally Posted by Christopher2035:

just thought of something -  with these old style layouts if the track is directly on plywood/painted trackbed  , how bad is the noise?   Is there anything to do to quiet them down?

Christopher,  My tinplate layout has tin track right on painted plywood (I use paint for the "ballast").  With tinplate the noise isn't bad at all. Maybe because the clackety-clack of the tinplate trains is what I hear.

 

Overall, noise isn't an issue for me.

 

img_4427

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Originally Posted by Ace:

I found pics of a D-132 layout on an auction site and am trying to figure out the track plan. Even with three pictures from different angles, it isn't obvious how the tracks connect, which is what makes the plan more interesting.

 

D-132-2a-

 

D-132-2b-

WOW! Lionel postwar D-132 dealer Lionel train display layout, circa 1954, which measures 8 x 8 feet. The layout operates three trains on two different levels.

D-132-2c-

 

This is my reconstruction of the suspected track plan, which maybe has only a single reversing track. If someone has a different idea on this, let's see it!

 

Lionel D132c

 

Ace - how tight would that reverse loop curve have to be?

I did not see the post before mine about the Layout book. I have the book a friend gave it to me about a year ago. I did ask where he got it but it is new. He did not want it I sure was glad to get it.

It states in the book it can not be reproduced or copied.

I was   stur-it   I build the D27 layout pictured in that post. 

A friend of mine has a D224 and a D225. Both are Very Nice. His D224 has been in CTT.

Originally Posted by Christopher2035:
... Ace - how tight would that reverse loop curve have to be?

Chris, I drew that previous D-132 estimate with all O31 curves. I think it would be more fun if it had reversing for both directions, although this would involve a bunch of switches in tunnels, but it would keep people guessing where the train is going to come out ...

 

Lionel D132-m-

Drawn with tunnels open and upper level omitted for clarity.

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Originally Posted by DOC:

I will take a picture and aenr it  Email address needed.

Can you tell us if the D-132 track plan is different from this? I puzzled over the three auction house pics trying to figure it out. It appears to have only a single reversing track unless something else is hiding in the tunnels. 

 

Lionel D132c

Or maybe it's just a dead-end spur going into the tunnel, which would be kinda lame.

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Last edited by Ace

I believe it is a dead-end spur. Since it has the cattle and milk car platforms, that track was probably meant for permanently demonstrating those two operating cars, and not for running of a train. It was probably extended into the mountain so there would be two tracks close together over which to display the signal bridge.

 

If you have access to the December 1997 CTT, there is an article on the D-132 on page 86.

I have attached the track plan for D-132. This was the second layout I built when I got back into the hobby many years ago. I continued the dead end spur and connected it with a switch at the back of the layout. The track came out of a tunnel portal, went under the upper level truss bridge, and met the main line.

 

D-132

D-132 mod

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Last edited by Mike Donahue

Mike your addition of a switch and continuing through the tunnel is a great enhancement.

 

The switch too the right on top can throw the switch too its left opposite creating an in and out figure 8. One could also add a crossing guard technology which was available at the time. This would allow 2 trains to run stopping and starting for each other at the throat created by the 2 switches.

 

One can do both by wiring the controllers with a DPDT toggle switch. One side throws the switches curve to curve straight to straight. The other side curve to straight and  straight to curve.

 

On the lower inner loop a right turnout can replace the curve on the right inside the tunnel and connect to a left turnout where the dead end was. This way with 2 trains on the lower level one can alternate inner loop train to run on new middle loop with the throat or outer loop train to alternate between outer loop and middle loop with a train running on the middle loop. With trains running on the outer and middle loops one can drop a motorized car onto the middle loop for more action.

 

A pair of 022 switches can be placed near the signal bridge to create a double crossover with the middle loop. Never tried this on a 022 switch but have seen in Standard gauge where the turnout portion of the curve is cut in half and joined with another switch cut the same way to allow for tigher track spacing.

 

A 22 1/2 cross over can connect the middle and inner loops creating a figure 8 with a throat to the outer loop.

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