Postwar for TMCC

If you want the Postwar look but with TMCC look into Lionel's Postwar Celebration Series. Keep all the non operating cars and replace the operating cars with the new TMCC ones.

I'd rather not have any TMCC and reproduce a 50's style layout.

are you looking to do something like this -

I would go w/ a few of the more reliable postwar accessories 

the barrel loader, sawmill, log loader, ice station.  I picked all these b/c I know they operate pretty well when my kids want to play w/ them.   

Will you be using all original postwar stock or are you open to repros?

What kind of track will the new layout have?

 I'd like to have tubular track and original 072 switches.  Original stock is preferred.  I want to turn back the clock for visitors by recreating an original 50's layout.

Nice!  I used mostly originals on my layout as well.  Even the track is mostly original track.  I think you should have no problem changing over the layout

think the play value is dramatically increased with tmcc accessories for kids.  Think that non TMCC is going backwards and will actually reduce play value for kids.  Kids love remote control operation

Actually I think there's more that can go wrong with TMCC and a degree in electrical engineering is usually required to make repairs.  I subscribe to the KISS principle - "Keep it simple, stupid."

There's also the issue of recreating an air of nostalgia, the layout being located in a railway museum, and postwar Lionel fills the bill.

You may want to take a look at some of the Lionel Dealer Display Layouts that were built in the 50’s for retailers to showcase trains and operating accessories. Those were smaller (4x8s, 5x9s)  than what you have in mind, but may still give you some ideas.

My daughter loves actually using the transformer to drive the trains & the buttons to operate the accessories. When I had TMCC & DCS, she couldn't deal w/ all the buttons. 

I based my "postwar Inspired" display layout off a lot of those dealer display layout plans.  I was after trying to recreate an air of nostalgia w/ the trains & the layout too

 I probably won't have room for end loops because the new layout is planned for a shelf along a wall.  With operating accessories located on various sidings, the layout will be probably evolve into a switching layout.  Cars will be shuttled from one siding to another to be loaded and unloaded by visitors.  I want to incorporate a logical purpose for the layout rather than just display a collection of accessories and rolling stock.

Only concern I would have is that with postwar, you'll probably have to rotate engines out more frequently as they tend to run hotter in a relatively short time (and as a result, draw more amps) as opposed to modern can-motored engines.  The brushes on the open-frame motors also tend to wear out significantly sooner than with modern can motors.  Yes, you can easily replace the brushes, but from a maintenance frequency standpoint and the fact that the can motors are relatively inexpensive I'd say you'd have more diminishing returns from a purely maintenance standpoint with open frame motors versus can.

For that reason, if I were to do a display layout with a postwar theme, I would use reproductions like those offered by Williams by Bachmann, where you have postwar looks but with more efficient operating characteristics for extensive running and you still don't have to worry about the additional complexity of command control equipped engines.  To the casual observer they most likely wouldn't notice the difference anyway.

As for taking command control out of the equation entirely, not sure I would do that.  Seems like it may be potentially throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  Might come a time where showcasing contemporary as well as postwar operations would be ideal.