My layout is 35 years old today.

I have long admired this layout and hope I can see it in person one day. Congrats on hitting 35!

This is my favorite post every year. It reminds to think back on all the joy model railroading has given me for 60 years. It also encourages me to think of all the friendships, old and new, I've enjoyed through trains. And lastly, I'm reminded to be thankful for the longevity to enjoy both of the above.

Thank you Marty and Dotty for all you do in obvious and subtle ways to help us enjoy our trains. It just wouldn't be as much fun without you both.

Ed Kazarian

Marty, from one "Juice Jack" to another, have a great anniversary with your layout and keep that overhead hot. Don

Marty,

The YouTube video shows some GREEN girder bridges as in N.Y. Jets colors? Beautiful layout with the LCCA video. I have to make a road trip to enemy territory but not in your house!

Now that I took my layout down, packed all 400 linear feet of trains from the shelves and moving to another house this Friday, you give me the inspiration to build another layout. In the midst of negotiations for that. 

I do like the last picture with Dottie and you wearing my favorite football team shirt!

Congratulations Marty! I should've brought birthday cake to your house the other day instead of coffee.  

John 

John, coffee is the key.

Marty, Happy 35th.....you were one of the first people to respond to one of my posts to a disabled locomotive....true ambassador to the hobby!....wishing you and yours more and more anniversaries....

I was rumaging through my old train magazines, when I found an article on your layout written in 1995.

Oh, where do the years go, Marty? Congratulations having it for so long.

A remarkable layout created by a remarkable person!  Congratulations Marty and Dotty on 35 years of creativity and constantly keeping up with the changes in the hobby.

I also started my layout 35 years ago.  However I've built and dismantled six of them in that time, including my current tear down project, with an eight year hobby drought in between. But none of them as magnificent as yours!  Number seven will begin sometime after our move.

Happy Anniversary to a great layout built by a great guy. I've been fortunate enough to have seen and played with the layout a number of times, and there is no better, friendlier train place in the world. It's always a lot of fun to visit Marty & Dotty.

Gerry

Marty,

Congratulations on keeping a layout running well for 35 years. The layout is an impressive achievement. Thanks also for your many informative posts that help so many of us. I hope you, Dotty and the layout roll on for another 35 years!

Fred

Marty. A belated happy birthday and a job well done.

Congrats Marty, hope to get there one day and see it!

Marty:

Congratulations buddy. Great layout! You are one of the lions in our hobby and have always been very helpful to me when I have had questions concerning operating issues with MTH or Lionel engines. Thanks for that.

Pat

Congrats Marty. I had the good fortune to visit your layout about 10 years ago on a trip to Boston. All I can say is "wow".

It's always a pleasure to see and talk to Marty on my trips to York. he is truly "The Ambassador for toy trains. 

Your are one of the best.

Jeff

Yes, Marty, WOW, your layout is is on my list of Great Layouts to visit, hopefully before it turns 36! Congratulations and thank you for all you do for our hobby. I do have a question, what brand and size is your turntable, and what indexing kit did you use? Thank you, and have fun running your fantastic railroad...Your friend in Tennessee. Leapin Larry

As much as I would love to see some of the other forum members layouts. I don't think it will happen anytime soon. My wife wouldn't be to keen on traveling to another state to see a train layout of some one on the forum. Unless we were in the vicinity visiting something that she wanted to see. So I will just enjoy lookin at layouts on here or on YouTube. That is a nice long time for a layout to be set up. I am only on my first layout, but I am already planning on making it bigger, when ever I can finish my basement.

Congrats!

I went back and read that this is the anniversary of starting it. Any idea when you considered the 'initial' build to be completed? When did you drive a golden spike?

Heck, I've seen a massive HO scale layout that is nowhere near completion, tracks are missing from a lot of the benchwork, bridges are still open holes,  there is no scenery and only a few spots are wired up. The owner been working on it for over 40 years.

Marty - congrats on an outstanding and special layout that has certainly stood the test of time. It's quite an achievement. I think we met at Ro's on MTH day last year when I purchased the Legacy WM AA diesel set and you noticed the traction tires were defective out of the box and had to be replaced, but I didn't realize you were that close to the North Shore. We'll have to figure out a time when I can make it down with my daughter to see the layout and maybe drive down in a special car for you to take a look at.

Hi Marty, I saw some pictures of your layout and it is something to be proud of. You are one lucky guy, after all how many of us have a model of our home and the model layout inside?

I may just take you up on the visit invitation. I'm off the first week of August, if your home I would love to see it.

As for all your trail blazing work I for one really appreciate it. In fact I'm thinking of working on my own book. I'll call it " All the Great Stuff I've Learnt from  Marty Fitzhenry"!

Happy Hobby Day buddy.

Super. Layouts don't get old they just keep  getting better.

Thanks guys.  

P-51, the benchwork went very smooth.  I ran my first train on the first completed loop on Christmas Eve 1982.  I used an old ZW with a few feeder wires laid out to the far ends of my track.  The train I ran was a Welz Metroliner.  I still have that train and the only thing different is it now gets power from the pan.  It has been a great run and as long as I am above ground, I will do my best to keep things going to share with people.  

Marty

Marty,

I started my layout in the summer of 1996. Not sure of the exact date, however. Congratulations on your accomplishment.

Congratulations, Marty!  If I ever find myself planning a trip up your way, I will certainly let you know!!

Wow Marty, That = many years of enjoyment! Did you pop a cork on that bubbly to celebrate?

Hope you have many more to come!

Joe Gozzo

Congratulations Marty!!!!  35 years is most impressive!!!

Marty, Photos of your layout in the late 80's were part of my enticement to come back to 0 gauge.  Although I wound up on the 2 rail side I have never forgot the solid block of passenger trains awaiting departure.

Thanks for all you bring to the table.  I pass you frequently at York, you never seem to age????  What's your secret?

Where on your layout did the scale model of you home wind up?

Right now the house is on a platform that I built to hols the beautiful station Alex built.   That was a very nice thing for him to do.  I never had a clue.