I always admired Tom Snyder's layout. That being said I have several Tinplate and Die-Cast Trains and Accessories. I have several Accessories in both types and am wondering how they would all look together on a multi level permanent layout. I have the Hellgate bridge, 115 station, freight sheds, along with the MTH Brewery, Lionel Aquarium, Nuclear Reactor, plus numerous MTH Buildings and tinplate accessories. Has anyone else out there combined these interests?
JoeG
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The primary concern should be: what do you like, what will be fun, and what will make you happy. If you are in it for fun, then have at it.
If you count rivets, then you better do a little more homework on the Nuclear reactor next to the Hellgate bridge or rename the bridge to 3-mile island bridge.
Like children you only have a certain amount of time to be with them, so enjoy them.
Do whatever looks good to you. Many people have a train running under a Hellgate bridge. This is a lot less realistic than a Nuclear reactor next to a Hellgate bridge.
For years I had no problem mixing tin and plastic. Still do to a much lesser degree, time has allowed me to acquire more tin. Still have to get rid of a MTH operating car wash and a Mels Diner, but just can't bring myself to consider selling the Lionel Madison Hardware Hobby Shop.
Madison Hardware Hobby Shop is now a 711 Store.
If you need a cup of Coffee or Lottery Tickets
Time never stops !
Good luck,Guy's,John
I would suggest creating separate zones for tinplate and non-tinplate buildings and accessories. If you have a multi-level layout, one level could be devoted to tinplate. My own layout is a loop of Standard Gauge track around my 0 gauge layout. I have Standard Gauge tinplate buildings in the four corners, and a couple of accessories such as crossing signals and telegraph poles. My 0 gauge tinplate is mostly ETS, which is European and more realistic than old Lionel. When I am going to run ETS I put it on all three 0 gauge loops, take off the American-style trains, and change the 1/43 vehicles to European ones.
Here's a Standard Gauge station in one corner. I still need to paint the asphalt parking lot, add some figures, and hopefully one day add a background. The vehicles are 1/32.
NJCJoe,
Yes and Joe IMO you have one of the very best Tin Plate Layouts I have ever seen, a real classic look, that mixes the ages incredibly well. You have mastered the art!
Our Layout is much more child like on purpose, and I do mix the Tin with the Post War and Modern, in fact I have a Hellgate bridge on the way, in shipment tomorrow. I believe it will go on the 1st level, right were the Pitts 34 Shannon Street Car is passing, in the 2nd picture. Christmas here in our home is my Child like Tin Plate Fantasy World, that my Grandfather & Father created for my ever lasting family memories. In 1959 they added the Post War Trains to the Christmas layout, I added the DCS & Legacy to it, and the tradition goes on, even today.
PCRR/Dave
t
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When I first started collecting and operating Lionel trains, I took a page from Fritz von Tagen's layout "playbook" and went with mostly pre-war (and pre-war like repro) accessories: despite operating then-current production trains, the tinplate accessories seemed to capture the toy train look I was going for... and still do.
Everyone makes a great points here, and thanks for the Pics!
JoeG
And why not? Been doing it for several decades now! It's ALL good! 
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