This is a personal story about how my family has matured into model railroading. In brief I have 5 siblings with three brothers. In the 50's my parents started the Christmas Lionel train layouts. As we matured and started our own families my parents divided the trains between the three brothers. Each of us started setting up Christmas layouts and as time moved on our children asked us to start Christmas layouts for the grandchildren.
What has been interesting, now that we are all in our sixties, we never put the trains away after Christmas. Each has continued in their own unique fashion.
I would like to share how they are different through photos. Many of you have seen pictures of my layout so I would like to concentrate on my brothers.
Warren my youngest brother is a dirt farmer who lives in rural Maine. He has a nice but quiet poor, in $$, neighbor (rich in health and determination) with three boys. He asked the boys to come and help him with his train table. After completing all their chores they can come once per week. The oldest loves the mechanics of the layout. The middle child loves the scenery and the youngest loves pushing the buttons. The layout is postwar, O27 track and switches and the majority of the detailing is scratch built with around the house items. It is full of life carefully detailed by each child under my brother's guidance. This layout is about 5 years in the making.
Below you will see a water tower constructed from the floating ball found in the top water tank of old toilets.
Real coal broken up in a sack and placed in the gondola and glued tight. With split logs down with a hunting knife.
My brother's Farm complete with chicken coop and cattle.
Their local church, scratch built including stained glass windows.
The river is made from blue pop packing paper.
Expansion plans
My older brother Tom is retired military and contractor and lives in the DC area and he also uses O27 track with some O42 curves. His permanent layout was only completed this past year and is an L shape with 2% grade so he can run all three of his conventional engines without having to adjust the voltage on his transformer. Very neat perfectly aligned trackage, expertly scratch built risers and lots of fun to operate with multiple switching opportunities. Expansion and enhancement plans already in the making.
One photo of my operation which has been around for 8 years.
So many bemoan the loss of the model railroad hobby. Between the three brothers we have 28 grandchildren. I guaranteed we have contributed to our future.....
