Lionel Layout in 1946 from Shorpy website

That photo has already been brought to our attention a couple of days ago. It must be a right after Christmas '46. See the rare Aluminum 3459 dump car?

Definitely see an Erector set "shanty" in the far right upper corner. Also notice that the boys are wearing shirts with collars and no "advertising" on the front.

Steve

Can definitely make out the turbine engine .

Repurposed ping-pong table.  Clever track plan; I like the swerve in the front to make room for the various controls.  

Not just a 'plop tracks on table' rig;  they drilled holes and ran the wires under the table top.  

Wish they'd backed up so we could get the entire layout in the pic;  as it is,  the tunnel/bridge branch is chopped off and makes it appear as though it's disconnected.  

Mitch 

No Plasticville in those days, but plenty of glitter houses.

I think the tunnel/bridge line was a 3rd alternate route. I think there is a switch right about where the tender is. Another clue is I can see one pair of switches, but I spot 4 controllers.

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Repurposed ping-pong table.  Clever track plan; I like the swerve in the front to make room for the various controls.  

Not just a 'plop tracks on table' rig;  they drilled holes and ran the wires under the table top.  

Wish they'd backed up so we could get the entire layout in the pic;  as it is,  the tunnel/bridge branch is chopped off and makes it appear as though it's disconnected.  

Mitch 

My dad would also use the ping pong table for the annual holiday train layout.  There was no drilling into it though as it needed to be in top shape for spring ping pong tournaments in the garage.

Also in the upper right hand corner there appears to be a Lionel #152 crossing gate.

The work caboose has dark gray cab and tool boxes but appears to be on a light car body. 

The cupola caboose in the foreground does not have windows on the sides of that cupola facing forward. It is all a solid blank panel. I don't recall a postwar caboose like that. Can some of you who are better historians than me comment on that? Also, the photographer must have had access to the best camera equipment of the day because the quality of the picture is exceptional. It is much better than a "snapshot" I wonder if he lit it up with photofloods. Could that be a flood light we see in the upper right corner?

David Johnston posted:

The work caboose has dark gray cab and tool boxes but appears to be on a light car body. 

Yes, you're right. This appears to be a #2420 wrecker caboose, variation "A". This would have the dark gray tool boxes on top of a light gray chassis. If you look real close you can see the tip of the searchlight at the front edge of the roof.

Steve

The transformer could be a V or more probably a Z.

There's a painting behind the bridge over the window, A precursor to modern day backdrops?

What would they be using to simulate snow?

153 block signal in the immediate foreground. Easy to miss.

#154 highway signal in the upper left corner.

Also looks like a partial bag of "Lionel coal" behind the #156 station platform.

tncentrr posted:

The cupola caboose in the foreground does not have windows on the sides of that cupola facing forward. It is all a solid blank panel. I don't recall a postwar caboose like that. Can some of you who are better historians than me comment on that? Also, the photographer must have had access to the best camera equipment of the day because the quality of the picture is exceptional. It is much better than a "snapshot" I wonder if he lit it up with photofloods. Could that be a flood light we see in the upper right corner?

Looks to be a N5 #2457 Pennsy, variation "A", brown body instead of red. These were sheet metal construction and many of them did not have front or rear facing cupola windows.

#152 crossing gate upper right corner.

Chuck Sartor posted:

That photo has already been brought to our attention a couple of days ago. It must be a right after Christmas '46. See the rare Aluminum 3459 dump car?

Wow, how can you see that.  Even with you pointing it out, it's hard to see, let alone seeing the numbers behind the crane and the boys hand.  

Chuck Sartor posted:

I think the tunnel/bridge line was a 3rd alternate route. I think there is a switch right about where the tender is. Another clue is I can see one pair of switches, but I spot 4 controllers.

Re 4 controllers - Yes, there is a second pair of switches at either end on the layout with the LH one visible below the boy at the far end that has the straight leg going to the rear of the table and behind the tree and red roofed church(?) then crossing the trestle bridge to the near edge (out of sight) and behind the tunnel. 

balidas posted:

 

What would they be using to simulate snow?

Could be this stuff.  Yes, it's real.  

I think one of the boys is using an iPad to control the layout. No, wait, that's not right. These look like smart kids. 

Pine cone tree; upper left corner

Nice photo! Thanks for sharing it here. 

My OCD detects not enough straight track sections on the right or too many on the left! 

Out of curiosity, was wondering if the steam loco and rolling stock correlate to a specific 1946 set. Dug out Greenbergs Volume 3, Cataloged Sets 1945-1969.  Looks like could be set 2111WS which consisted of 671, 3459, 2411, 2460 and 2420. But that doesn't explain the orange and brown boxcar or also the brown caboose, which could of been purchased separately. Anyone else have any ideas ?

ed h posted:

Out of curiosity, was wondering if the steam loco and rolling stock correlate to a specific 1946 set. Dug out Greenbergs Volume 3, Cataloged Sets 1945-1969.  Looks like could be set 2111WS which consisted of 671, 3459, 2411, 2460 and 2420. But that doesn't explain the orange and brown boxcar or also the brown caboose, which could of been purchased separately. Anyone else have any ideas ?

Why worry?  People did buy additional stuff, even back then.

Rusty

ed h posted:

Out of curiosity, was wondering if the steam loco and rolling stock correlate to a specific 1946 set. Dug out Greenbergs Volume 3, Cataloged Sets 1945-1969.  Looks like could be set 2111WS which consisted of 671, 3459, 2411, 2460 and 2420. But that doesn't explain the orange and brown boxcar or also the brown caboose, which could of been purchased separately. Anyone else have any ideas ?

The orange/brown box car appears to be a X2454 "Baby Ruth" PRR, variation B, brown door. This was produced in 1946 and 1947.

Steve

For a super close-up, get on the Shorpy site, search the word "hardman", click the photo, then click "view full size".

ed h posted:

Out of curiosity, was wondering if the steam loco and rolling stock correlate to a specific 1946 set. Dug out Greenbergs Volume 3, Cataloged Sets 1945-1969.  Looks like could be set 2111WS which consisted of 671, 3459, 2411, 2460 and 2420. But that doesn't explain the orange and brown boxcar or also the brown caboose, which could of been purchased separately. Anyone else have any ideas ?

You've found the set that is probably the most likely one. The box car and brown caboose were available for separate sale. Retail price of the set was $60.00, not cheap in 1946.

Steve