Lionel Puzzle

Hi,

   Yes, this is my favorite puzzle to work do it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Enjoy

I have completed this puzzle a long time ago. It has to be around 20 years ago. After I finished it, I covered it with puzzle glue to make it permanent and I framed it. It hangs in my basement by my trains. 

I did one years ago.  I believe quite  a few others here have also (saw a few in a recent thread).

If you ever get the other Hallmark/Springbok one, rest assured it's probably just as challenging for different reasons like the clouds and the smoke from the steamers!

I'm no puzzle expert, but based on how you said you were proceeding, I'd recommend a possible different path.  There's no real benefit to doing the border first (unless it's going to bug you immensely if you don't! ). 

I'd instead group by color schemes, then try to assemble chunks to make the trains.  Example, try to pull out all the blue ones and then assemble what I am pretty sure is the Blue Comet next to the Water Tower.  Maybe then pick out pieces with red and white in them to try to make the Fire Car and the Gateman.  Then yellow for the 2 UP diesels, the caboose and Burro Crane is another path, etc.

Have fun!

-Dave

I have that one, build it every  now an then if it's a real bad winter. 

Want a tough on try this on, I have tried to build it 4 times, to much for me!

Heres one I found recently that more my speed, I love  ANGELA'S  artwork.

I have this same puzzle and have assembled it several times.  I believe that I have it down to about a four-day process after a few times as practice.

Since puzzle-making is based on the ability for pattern recognition (which is also the basis for sections of IQ tests), it follows that master puzzlers are smarter than the average Joe. Maybe Mensa elgible!

Mike Mottler   LCCA 12394   (not a master puzzler, but envious of those who are)

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am certainly no expert, always started with edges on a puzzle as a kid. That has been our next plan of attack, grouping colors and specific items together. It has been refreshing for the handful of pieces that I have been able to visualize where they go and they fit. (maybe there's hope for me yet) My hats off to all of you that can complete this puzzle on an annual basis. It will be a nice sense of accomplishment when we finish it.

Jeff

We did that one mid 90's when we lived overseas.  Had it framed and it is now hung along the steps to the basement where the layout is. 

Working now on one that will end up looking like this:

Much tougher!

My wife and I recently finished this one of Buffalo Central Terminal.  Thinking of framing it for the train room.

Did the framed one a few years back.  Always get a chuckle out of it.

Jushavnfun posted:

I have that one, build it every  now an then if it's a real bad winter. 

Want a tough on try this on, I have tried to build it 4 times, to much for me!

Heres one I found recently that more my speed, I love  ANGELA'S  artwork.

The boy's just finished their second puzzle in as many weeks. They saw these and said I need to find them.

James

I forgot about these 2, the first ones I did, put them together, then glued and placed on walls going down to trains

Ross posted:

..............................

Working now on one that will end up looking like this:

Much tougher!

 

Yeah, that would be really difficult! 

For something like that, I think I will retract my statement that it doesn't serve any benefit to do the borders first. I still think it's true for the original puzzle in question though with all the distinct Lionel items that fill the whole field.

With all the blue sky and browned grass/brush along the edges, the border would be the only real option as a start point (unless you were able to do the whole train first and then try to build away from it for all those large areas).

-Dave

Postwarman posted:

Hi Guys,

   Just wondering, has anyone ever successfully completed this puzzle? I have had it a couple of years now, wife and I started it a few days ago, being locked down and it is a bear!

1500 pieces it is 36 x 26 3/4 inches. The pieces are cut so small that we can't even complete the perimeter. ( guess that's how they get you) Here's what we got so far. Two TV trays full of pieces. I know one thing, when done, it's never coming apart again! It will get glued and hung on the wall as a remembrance of the cabin fever that we are all facing. It's time consuming, and just makes me want to see it through and complete it. Maybe i'm just getting old.. Thanks for listening. Stay sanitized everyone... 

Jeff

 

Do you have any particular on this puzzle - such as who manufacturered/distributed it and the product SKU? I might want to try and find it and eventually add it to my new train room walls.

I gave one of these to my mother-in-law, who’s in her mid 90s, a while back.  She enjoyed it very much and yes, she did finish it.  My brother-in-law would pop over from time to time to help out a bit but by and large she did the Lion(el)’s share herself.  

paulp575 posted:

Postwarman posted:

Hi Guys,

   Just wondering, has anyone ever successfully completed this puzzle? I have had it a couple of years now, wife and I started it a few days ago, being locked down and it is a bear!

1500 pieces it is 36 x 26 3/4 inches. The pieces are cut so small that we can't even complete the perimeter. ( guess that's how they get you) Here's what we got so far. Two TV trays full of pieces. I know one thing, when done, it's never coming apart again! It will get glued and hung on the wall as a remembrance of the cabin fever that we are all facing. It's time consuming, and just makes me want to see it through and complete it. Maybe i'm just getting old.. Thanks for listening. Stay sanitized everyone... 

Jeff

 

Do you have any particular on this puzzle - such as who manufacturered/distributed it and the product SKU? I might want to try and find it and eventually add it to my new train room walls.

It is 1994 Springbok by Hallmark puzzle. The title is"On the Right Track Lionel Trains"(PZL 9026). There are a bunch of new and used ones for sale on Ebay.

I remember really enjoying building the puzzle when it came out. I also remember the person that owned the trains in the puzzle sold off the collection soon after the puzzle was released.

Thanks; just created a search and saved  it for future consideration.

Springbok by Hallmark also made this HO scale layout puzzle called Whistle Stop!(PZL 6146).