New Postwar Display Layout - Progress/Pics

Mountain is up & painted -

Saturday -

Also pretty much finished the top level -

Monday - Painted -

Also decided to add another 157 station platform (seen in the center) behind the 352 Barrel Loader - 

Pretty much done!!

Christopher, great job.  That's a neat looking Lionel (or Lionel type) toy train layout.

Looks great. You got a lot in a little space. very Nice plus it has the nostalgic look which I like..

Chris,

 Your layout and room look Great!

Chris a super layout!!!  Well done.

George

Thank you guys!!

I repainted the road yesterday & added a block on the inside passing track, so now I could run 2 sets of trains on there if I want

Chris,

Great job!!  Another awesome looking layout with fun operating accessories.

again thanks for the updates and your efforts to show your progress on your layout.myself and others im sure appreciate it very much.great job!

terry.........

Very well done, Chris........love it all! Tom

Chris: GREAT JOB - on the layout. With the ground cover and those photo's of the Santa Fe diesel  roaring out of the tunnel; as well as, the next one of the Santa Fe, the 2025/35, and the GGI above, I would have thought I was looking at a  LIONEL built dealer display layout!  Fantastic!
  Dennis M.

Yes, I'll chime in too.  Your layout has all the color and fun of a typical 1950s layout.   Great creation.

You did a great job !!!!!!!!  I will E-mail you someday when I am in NC.

Would love to see !! 

Thank you Dennis - That is exactly what I was going for when I built this thing!

Anytime you are in Charlotte, let me know

A couple more pics - 

Great job, Christopher!  Really an inspiration for those of us partial to classic toy train layouts.

Love that colorful Virginian Rectifier set.

Thanks!!

I was really easy to build too.  

Sometimes going back to basics is just as much fun as doing a Hi Rail layout

I love everything about this!

Very nice layout. You have inspired me to start a post war layout in the spare bedroom.

Bob

Curious about what method(s) you use for activating your accessories, i.e., insulated track sections, the old track contactor mechanisms, combination of both, etc.

I’m gathering some of the operating accessories (switch tower, gateman) and signals (block, semaphore) I need for my postwar display layout and am always interested in what others have used.

I also like the idea of using traditional Lionel 364c and 90 switches. They work well and look great!

Haven't checked in on this thread in a while.

You've captured the essence of a Postwar store layout very well, Christopher.

Release the OZONE!

Rusty

I had to go w/ the 90 & 364c switches!  Wouldn't be a postwar layout w/o them. I also took a nod from postar layouts & mounted them on the board.

A far as the accessories,  I used insulated tracks for everything except the 153 signals.  For those I used the MTH versions of a 153c.  They seem to work a bit better than the original 153s I had.   I have the track screwed down just before & after the 153c & they have worked great each time, no matter what engine/consist I am running.

Same here. I use insulated track sections on my tinplate layout and still think it’s the best way to activate accessories/signals.

Will keep those newer MTH versions in mind.  Thanks.

I haven't had any problems w/ the insulated tracks. It's been pretty good. Even the 153c's have been working well.

Hi Christopher, Your layout has really turned out well.  I think I see a lot of PWC and CC stuff in your pictures.  I have some of the same trains.  Love that PW look and "feel" you have achieved.

What did you use for your grass? It looks varied in color and texture and not uniform.  Again a really nice look.

Thanks.

Mike M.

Chris,
I have a good friend of mine that lives nearby in Matthews, NC & the next time I am down that way visiting him, I give you plenty of notice & ring you up.
Bill B.
aka: rrkidder

Yeah Mike, 

A lot of the stuff is PWC/CC.  It helps keeps the costs down & still gives the postwar look/feel I'm going for.  I try to get original stuff if I can, but sometimes it's more cost effective to go the reissue route. 

When I did the ground cover, I spent months studying the Roger Carp book on postwar display layouts.  I tried about 4 different things on a test module before coming up w/ the current one.   

I tried to get the 'look' of the display layout ground cover w/o using dyed sawdust ( couldn't seem to find any & didn't want to make my own).  I used a mix of Woodland Scenics blended turf.  - Earth & Grass.  I would mix them in a bowl & then apply.  Each mix I did was just by eye, so the colors vary, just as it would on the original. It's not perfect, but I think it comes off giving the same impression.

Matt - 

Are you talking about this layout ? - 

Chris, 

Yea that is it. Thanks. Looks great. 

That layout was actually 4x7   

I added a little part to the side when I had my 282R crane

I don't have a track plan, but I did take an overhead shot - 

Here's a link to my Flickr set w/ my old layouts.  This should have most of the pics I took  of it, along w/ the other layouts.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/c...801/with/2710201295/

Hey cool..thanks Chris. I will poke around their later today/this weekend. Much appreciated. I assume you used O-31 and O-42 GG Track? 

If I remember correctly, yes, the outside loop was 042 & the inside was 031 GG sectional curves

Chris,

    I am assuming you used brown or green latex paint under the mix of Woodland Scenics earth and grass?

Yes - I used green paint for the plywood & brown paint for the mountain.

Nice work on you layout, Chris.

You've done a great job of capturing the "flash and wow" of a Lionel display layout!

Chris,

What a beautiful layout! I just purchased a home and will be building a layout that if it looks half as great as yours does I'll be happy! Thanks for the inspiration!

Jim

superb! and it looks like The Chairman of the Board aproves as well.

Glad I came back to see your progress Chris. Looks great!

Thank you Jim!!! 

It was very easy to put up!  The key thing, in my mind was keeping the layout true to the display layout style & not have it cluttered.   It needs to be open & allow the trains & accessories room to breathe on the layout