New kids layout

Very nice layout. I've had a G (LGB) set for 30 years now and the kids love it. They have to play with it to love it. If it were just to look at, they would be done in about five minutes.

good for you.

Very nice.

   I had a under bed pull out layout on plywood that was fun and instantly ready,( but oh so hard to put away ), No contemporary touch though. Mom might have allowed me to be "lazy" more often had it looked like this.

Critism on it just is apples vs oranges

  I'd stain them with jade and/or black oak, gloss them,.and label the bottoms instead of the top.

 I would have just halved it long ways, or quartered the ends too, making expansion to length and/or width possible.

  Brass bannana jacks seem like a natural fit though brass wing nut harware could be pretty too. Even brass fahnestock clips

I like the insert is still around to fill the void.

Kicking, leaning, stepping on, or otherwise jolting a solid under-bed layout would have whole platoons of armymen kissing dirt. Carpet layouts allow you to step or lean over. And though comfortable, if the carpet is too thick, loco rollover or fiber might be an issue. This addesses a lot.

Nicely done, Mike. It  can be expanded lengthwise and buildings can be placed on platforms so the kids can move them around, etc. It can also be taken to grandma's house when they go for sleepovers, etc. I like how you finished the edges and used domino tenons, though the Festool Joiner is not exactly cheap.

EXCELLENT!!!  

1. Easy to assemble.

2. Easy to store.

3. Easy to expand.

Baseball season is still three months away, but you have already hit the first Grand Slam of 2018.

Mike,

   Great layout engineering, your kids will love it!

PCRR/Dave

Hey Mike, that is terrific.

Thanks for sharing.

Paul

Very nice Mike. Much better than putting track right on the floor.  Easier to handle in small sections too.

Looks like hours of fun for everyone.

Bob

That looks great!! Very good idea the way you built that and it turned out really well. Like fine furniture. Sure hope the kids really like it.

Mike,

An excellent approach to provide the kids with their own layout, and very well executed. Makes me want to make one even if I have no little ones around anymore. Our great-grand kids are next, but they are just starting to arrive in this world. Maybe for next year's around the Christmas Tree layout?

Thanks!

Alex

This would be a great way to build Christmas tree layouts too. I think I may make one next year.

Thanks for the nice comments all,

Dave, yes the domino is pricey.  This could have also been done with wooden dolls and jig to help center them.

Curious if others have had the same struggles with the fast track accessory sections from Lionel?

Hoping to post photos with the addition of plugs allowing accessories to be truly modular in coming weeks.

Thanks

Mike

"Curious if others have had the same struggles with the fast track accessory sections from Lionel?"

My grandchildren have been playing with an accessory controller for almost 3 years now (ages 6 and 5 now). I observed that they think that the buttons require a lot of force.

It has taken some time to teach them about a light press is all that's required.

If you take the back off, you should discover that the contacts have been bent. They can be realigned.

The button device is durable physically.

I would caution you that a different switch should be momentary, center off, spring return, or the track will be melted or the magnet fried. I know that they can hold the button and do the same damage, but, I haven't experienced that.

Nice project! That's exactly what the children like. Hands on play. I try to keep stuff on the layout that I don't mind if they destroy it. So, far, I am doing more repairs than replacement.

You may want to consider Anderson Power Poles for electrical connectors. PowerWerx has the best pricing and the crimping tool is worth the money.

Did you put a channel in the bottom for wiring?

Hi Mike,

This was so nicely done, beautiful work !

Alex

Great Idea !  

Looks Great ! 

An update on this layout after a few years that I thought others might enjoy.  

We inherited a bunch more accessories, that needed some cleaning up and tuning.  Through this process, I was introduced to to Jeff Kane the Traintender for parts.  What a great guy to work with and learn from.  I highly recommend him!

The kids have had a lot of fun with this, but we just don’t get it out as much as we thought.  It seems to be used more when the weather is not the best outside.

The modular accessory approach has worked out really good, where the kids can attach all the accessories themselves in matter of minutes and still have them operate reliably.  I think there favorite is a tie between the milk car and ice platform, where they also like the cattle car and choosing the routes for the cows in the pen.    Pretty amazing these toys are 70 years old and still working great.

The kids built the tunnel with me as a craft project using pink foam.

We didn’t have room for all the accessories and tried to create spots where on the layout that can support multiple accessories. For example, the designated spot for the barrel ramp can also be used for the log loader.  They can be swapped out in seconds.  

I am not a big fan of keeping original boxes for this stuff, so we have a series of totes we keep all the different accessories and cars in where they can be stored with less space when not in use.  

Issues I have had with this layout includes the pre finished plywood warping a bit, where I should have sealed the edges after I cut them and issues with the fast track UCS sections being set off from mth pick up rollers bridging the rails as all five rails appear to be at the same height.   There is not allot of room for three kids to be inside the loop wanting to run the accessories.  The small cw80 could also use an upgrade as only one of the post war accessories can be used by my kids at a time due to power needs.  I have really enjoyed mixing the lion chief plus engines with the older post war stuff, as their speed control is great for the kids when trying to line things up.

Thanks!

Mike.....that is truly well-done!

Peter

It's just Wonderful !

Good to see the new (Old) items used again. Nice pictures.

Buzz

Very nicely done, Mike!  How old are your kids?

All,

Thanks for the nice comments.  

Mark, I have three kids, all under 7 years old.

Thanks,

Mike