Lionel Trains on CBS TV, Last night. Do you see any thing wrong with this layout? • Video

Maybe too early in the morning for me to know what you're after here, but...

I'm a tad confused by the time-lines of the two shows based on the props.

If Doctor Sheldon Cooper of the long-running Big Bang Theory is a contemporary....and all of the props and situations (e.g., automobiles) suggest that he is...then I would imagine that YOUNG Sheldon (age 9?) would only be about 20 years prior...or less, perhaps.  That would mean the YOUNG Sheldon Cooper is taking place around the year 2000....perhaps.

Those Lionel trains at the opening are definitely Post War vintage.  So, unless they were handed down from his dad or his 'memaw' they seem a bit old for the show's setting.  And, a lot of the automobiles shown in the first episode were quite a bit older vintage than the 2000 timeframe, as I recall.   Seems like there was some sort of Sheldon-esque leap of time between the two shows.

Not really impressed with the first episode...   But, then, nor was I for the first episode of the original.

But, what was it that you were questioning about Hollywood's portrayal?  Help me here.

Time for a cup of joe.....

The show takes place in 1989. Though if it were trying to be more accurate to Jim Parsons age Sheldon would be 16 in 1989. 

More to the point. Most of my first trains at that age were all post war hand me downs and yard sale finds so this layout looks like what I would've made if I had the space. 

If anything, maybe the shots of the trains, specifically the extended view of the top of the transformer with the words Lionel Trains prominently displayed may kick start a new interest in model railroading.

It might be beneficial if Lionel or even MTH ran an ad during the show although the cost for a spot would be high for a prime time show.

Possibly Lionel already kicked in some $$ based on the above comment showing the nameplate of the transformer which seemed to be out of place with the rest of the scene.

Finally, how about a new operating car that launches and catches ping pong balls?

Gary,
What's with all of the useless "copyright" mumbo-jumbo?

No copyright issue at all Lionel is given credit in words spoken.

Moreover, what is right?  O gauge trains in primetime.  Decent shots of recognizable Lionel engine, and rolling stock and accessories.  Full frame shot of Lionel transformer with LIONEL visible and not blocked out.  Child playing with trains in a respectful, non destructive way, and savoring every moment.  Let some rivet counter complain that he did not unplug the transformer, and I will counter that it was powered by the wall switch with the lights in the room. 

Video & forum critics.

I assume the complaint is use of the accessory button to pop the ball on a flat car without the trigger to do so, which no member of the general public cares about. 

No, I do not see anything wrong with the layout.  I thought the scene was well done, important to the show and gave a great display of why people with more inquisitive minds might enjoy the hobby we derive so much pleasure from.

I also quite enjoyed the show.  Not often these days do we get to see a show on TV where there is a traditional family unit where both parents are although challenged, are respected for what they do.  I thought the scene where Shelton removed his glove and held his fathers hand after realizing that maybe life wasn't so easy for his dad either to be really touching.

Congratulations CBS.  I hope the show is a hit for them.

Happy railroading,

Don

Yes. It was in the wrong house.

I don't live there 

   I think the problem for some is projection of their own obsessions with "new" or modeling of present day only. As long as nothing newer than the story timeline is there, I see nothing wrong enough to draw immediate attention.

   Pouring over it with a stop action and zoom, you might find Ben Hur's vintage Timex though.

I wonder if "Props" Katrina was in on this at all?

....how many Young Sheldon threads have there been? I only caught the ones from overnight. I guess I missed the first show eh? I don't watch much tv at all, let alone chase new "prime time". I never saw Cheers, Frasier, Freinds, Earl, Hope, Office, BBT, etc till I stumbled on reruns while visiting people. 

Bottom line, trains on television nothing to complain about.

Other than no wires from the transformer to the track and no ucs track section where Sheldon pushes the uncouple(?) button...nothing, nothing at all.

Geese guys... As a retired Conductor  this is so easy for me...... No Caboose.

Mark Diff posted:

Other than no wires from the transformer to the track and no ucs track section where Sheldon pushes the uncouple(?) button...nothing, nothing at all.

 Funny you should mention that...I specifically watched for the un-coupling track.  The transformer  not so much.

And before we get into "wrong era trains" the family was having trouble scraping enough together for a new pair of shoes for the kid - so. . . it makes sense that he has Dad's post war trains.  I was running a 1666 from 1939 from 1955 to 1972 - I didn't know it was old.

BMT-Express posted:

And before we get into "wrong era trains" the family was having trouble scraping enough together for a new pair of shoes for the kid - so. . . it makes sense that he has Dad's post war trains.  I was running a 1666 from 1939 from 1955 to 1972 - I didn't know it was old.

That's the problem with prewar and early postwar Lionel trains.  They just keep going and going like that pink bunny. 

Besides the kid is not running the train or pressing the button to launch the ball. 

I believe a Union electrician has to do it. 

Where can I get a "ball launch" car?

david1 posted:

Besides the kid is not running the train or pressing the button to launch the ball. 

I believe a Union electrician has to do it. 

Wrong.  Electrician plugs it in.  Prop dept runs it.

Big Jim posted:

Gary,
What's with all of the useless "copyright" mumbo-jumbo?

Hi Big Jim:  These are the rules posted on the YT Help Desk as related to this issue.  I have taken several online YT Classes and at my local Apple Store for iMovie / YT.

I do not play an attorney on TV but I have a plastic figure of an attorney on my layout.  Waiting for the train on a large platform.  Hope this helps.

Yes: I just may built a ping pong ball launcher & catcher. 

Gary

Pretty cool. I noticed a Matchbox Land Rover on his layout. I had one of those as a kid, late 60's, early 70's. Looks like he has a lot of hand me downs. 

Let's hope there are more scenes with trains, because the TV audience out there should see them. No need to worry about toy train accuracy, just get the publicity.

Well done MartyE.  I could not see the UCS track.

Trains on TV, new or OLD are great to watch.  Sometimes I watch Thomas on PBS rather than the morning NEWS or Fake NEWS.  I have Amazon Alexa for Sports scores & Weather.

So, there are wires from the TW to the track... and a USC section of track... and Sheldon is shown holding the uncoupler activator buttons in his hands.....          Yes, we made certain to watch the first episode specifically for the Lionel layout, everyone knew there had to be one, knowing the grownup Sheldon.  And, I suspect there will (or should) be an inclusion of the layout in every show, no matter how brief.  After all, it is a widely know aspect of Sheldon's past and personality.  And, we in the hobby wish to see more, at the least a lot of us do.  As for the ping pong ball launcher, if someone (Sheldon) were to do an upgrade on the Lionel Target Car air pump, it may be able to launch a PP ball as shown in the episode.  HMMMMMM... perhaps a new project to try, and see who may be the first to be able to do so.  Now, be able to catch it after exiting a tunnel.... THAT may have to be left up to the Hollywood props dept.  Challenge ?

Jesse   TCA

For those unfamiliar.. that would be the Lionel Postwar 3470 car.  Or, perhaps you could do the same, and better, with a 3413 Mercury rocket launch car?

Was it that the turbine was going at a slow speed?

If you look real close at around 19 seconds left you can see there is a UCS located right after the switch. You have to stop the video to see it put it is there.

MartyE posted:

Mark Diff posted:

Other than no wires from the transformer to the track and no ucs track section where Sheldon pushes the uncouple(?) button...nothing, nothing at all.

 Funny you should mention that...I specifically watched for the un-coupling track.  The transformer  not so much.

I do see the wires "in front" of the transformer, but they don't appear (to me anyway) to be connected "to" the transformer. Additionally, the shot showing the train just as it coming toward the viewer from the opposite end of the tunnel, appears to me to show the tracks end just at the curved end of the switch, where as in the wider view, after successfully launching and catching the ball, it shows the spur connected to the switch.

Gary.. Is there an answer to your question???What are  you looking at ??  

You're right it was all a scam layout. The train was CGI. 

No caboose!!!

Gregg posted:

Gary.. Is there an answer to your question???What are  you looking at ??  

Hi Gregg

Thanks for asking.  There is no correct answer. This is a discussion question.

I do like seeing our hobby on national television in prime time. I sure hope that Lionel, MTH, on line hobby shops and our local hobby shops, will find this exposure help them with sales.

Below is my favorite frame, the closeup shot of the transformer. 

This is the golden age, before all the technology.

Gary

trainroomgary posted:

Gregg posted:

Gary.. Is there an answer to your question???What are  you looking at ??  

Hi Gregg

Thanks for asking.  There is no correct answer. This is a discussion question.

I do like seeing our hobby on national television in prime time. I sure hope that Lionel, MTH, on line hobby shops and our local hobby shops, will find this exposure help them with sales.

Below is my favorite frame, the closeup shot of the transformer. 

This is the golden age, before all the technology.

Gary

The whole layout is CGI or just the Train? I would not be surprised though.

Dave

From left to right... black wire is attached to the second post, red wire attached to the third post.  Yes, it is a great shot later of a nice Lionel PW transformer.  Really good to see trains, model trains (and in correct gauge!), in a prime time show.  Yes, it is good to catch an occasional glance of Sheldon's trains in the original Big Bang shows.  Now, hope to be seeing more exposure in the younger Sheldon episodes.

Jesse

The year is 2000. Sheldon is 9.

His dad is a PE teacher in a small Texas town. How does he have the money for mint prewar trains?

Further, at nine if train related presents started at 7 that's 3 years of train presents at his birthday and Xmas. So he has amassed an impossible collection in a very short period of time.

We can certainly make alot of words about very little, when it comes to critiquing trains, toys or real, on TV.   I will say this, however, the film shows Lionel trains more accurately than most any other clips I have ever seen in situation comedies.  

The year, 1989.

Trains - Were Dads Post war, not pre-war, handed down to his Sons.

No caboose - Sheldon unlike us, would have no use for a caboose.

Ball launcher - Part of Sheldon's experiment.

Everything was accurate including the autos on the streets to the Bell telephone hanging on the wall.

Since I don't watch the NFL for the second season now, I found this show to be very interesting for Monday night viewing.

To me, it looks like the kind of layout I'd build for Christmas every year back in the 50's and 60's - right down to the papier mache tunnel. Like SIRT, I figure these were family trains.

This level of construction works for something a kid might have in the basement much better than a $$$$ super layout.

I work evenings, so this clip is probably as close as I'll get to watching the show.

No caboose? Simply saftey.

If the experiment failed, no dead conductor.

TW: I think I see dark red pixels at the terminals with zoom; so I think shadows might be hiding the wire.

...even if they are digital shadows. (?)

AlanRail posted:

The year is 2000. Sheldon is 9.

His dad is a PE teacher in a small Texas town. How does he have the money for mint prewar trains?

Further, at nine if train related presents started at 7 that's 3 years of train presents at his birthday and Xmas. So he has amassed an impossible collection in a very short period of time.

(hey )     I haven't watched it all yet, but I can speak from experience you could stack my set boxes alone 4' wide and 5' tall, plus three ragged set boxes stuffed before I was in school. Dad sold shoes back then, gym teacher would have been a pay raise. If most of your gifts are trains, it happens fast. Other, more affluent collectors in the family didn't hurt either.

  It assumes they were bought recently too. Pops, his Pop's Pops, his Pop's Pop's Pops,  a gift from a neighbor, garbage picked. etc. We all discuss these intances regularly.

I'm sure we will hear about it eventually.

  And just so you know, the whole timeline/story discussions are exactly the same as those you'd hear being in a comic book store all day, every day.

Splice this to a cut of a value speculation thead and it's a wrap! 

"Death of Sheldon-man" #1/first print, 2 days old ...$50"..thank you very much....NEXT!...all day, every day for weeks..   Cheapest in town too. Overhead? 35¢ea....fun till the cricket in the corner chirps again next year ;-)