Time For Some "S" Pictures

Good thread Rusty! Here's some recent ones of the Lionel Y-3 that runs like a Swiss watch to boot..

I also included some photos of revisions to my AM turnouts to make some engines run smoother through them via some more prototypical guard rails vice what is molded into them by AM in production.

My original Gilbert PRR K5 No 310 without smoke and choo choo from Christmas 1949 (the set was used) that Santa brought me..

Nice pics everyone!

Rusty: Really like that Seattle, Taco & Pacific tender.

And now you know, the rest of the locomotive...

Rusty

Well done "S" Thread & photos.

Oh... TACOMA!!

Thought maybe the line ran from Portland down to ol' Mexico!

Another Mikado ...

Another one, this time a Bill's Train Shop resin BL-2.  Out of production, darn it!

And my scratch built AEM7.

My scratch built RDC done in "Gilbert" style, as if they would have done.

A Gilbert K5 rescued from a junk box and supplied with reproduction parts and a more prototypical paint job.

Now, THAT is nice...

Rusty

How about a converted Lionel car hauler, and converted ERTL Thomas and Percy for the little folks

Nice looking!  Where did you find the ERTL items?  I've been searching for something like that for a long time, and had to scratch build mine.  I took photos of the O gauge Lionel version and scaled them down to S.

I found the engines on ebay, the pullback toys, and used Casey Jones mechanisms. Had to build the coaches from scratch though, one is on the tender chassis for the power.

Ray

Rusty, agree a picture break was in order considering the never ending cold. Jerry good to see your trains. Haven't seen those in a while. 

My now dismantled layout prior to our move last spring.

Replaced by my "temporary?" ersatz layout. Hey I can run a train or two. 

But I did get a few trains out of boxes.

That was a pretty nice looking layout, Cal.

Rusty

Rusty thanks, I appreciate that. Is one more out of order?

I really like your engine house by the turntable and would like one like it.  Can you tell me more about it?

Nope--keep the pictures coming!

Jeff C

How about three Flyonel electrics?  Each one has its own train.

For example, the NH has a consist made up of salvaged Gilbert cars custom painted plus the repop NH boxcar.

OK guys, let's see some more photos!

Agreed...

I never met an EP5 I didn't like.  (Well, there was that Disney one Lionel did in O gauge years ago...)

Rusty

Agreed!  Discounting the large opening in the pilot, it's a fairly accurate model.  "One of these days" I'd like to instal catenary and run them under wires.  But as you can see in the photos, my layout is FAR from that point.

Here's my MR motor with its passenger consist.  I used salvaged Gilbert cars and close out Flyonel cars, painted in custom mixed colors.  Not entirely prototypical, but it makes a nice looking train.  Since this photo was taken, I added full length dome cars to the consist.

Excellent looking Amtrak. I'll bet that is fun to run. 

1937 Dodge, the roundhouse was scrap 1/4 inch plywood covered in some embossed brick paper with Grandt Line windows. Polystyrene was used for the curved walls and odds and ends. It was barely a "looks good from 3 feet" but it served a purpose. Like the real ones it gave way to progress and didn't survive the move.

Hi Gary,

It is, especially with the lighting effects.  I spent a bit of $$$ on the lighting module from Richmond Controls.  Well worth it, though.  The white and red lights are directional, and the yellow strobes flash independently of each other.  Then, I usually pull two of these American Models Budds plus a material handling car that I painted to match. 

Hi all,

Random photo's with no rhyme, no reason, and no particular order, I like that.  And you have all shared some great photo's.

So here are a few shots of the layout in progress, and a couple train shots.

Thanks for looking,

Aflyer

That's going to be a great looking layout.

Rusty

From the photos I see here it looks as if S gauge is alive and doing well in the train rooms of some folks.

I am a collector at heart, and for the first 20 some odd years of my collecting career I collected Flyer S gauge. I had a very rudimentary layout to run the trains and to display them.  About 8 years ago I discovered a whole different aspect of American Flyer and have put my collecting efforts into Pre War American Flyer trains.  I still have the S gauge collection.  I hope some photos of items in my Gilbert portion of the collection will be welcome.  A stroll down memory lane to look at our roots might be fun too.

Here is the Franklin set:

How do you like the jaunty look of that stack?

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Can you tell us more about your engine house?  I'd like to get/build one.  Looking for one that would curve to fit well with a turntable like shown in your drawings.

Well no photos but some bad cell phone video of my temporary plywood empire, running a 332, 336, and a Pacific filling the garage with smoke. Notice the "magic uncoupling" action that happens at the end of one of the videos too!

Photo's, video, doesn't matter.

It all shows S is alive and well in these tough times.

Rusty

Notice the "magic uncoupling" action that happens at the end of one of the videos too!

Aah! The joys of link couplers.

"Magic uncoupling" doesn't count unless you don't notice and rear end your train. Yes the fun of Flyer couplers.

Aflyer I like the Atlantic engine. Always nice to see some modified Flyer. Some collectors may cringe but  there is something to be said about something different.

I'm gonna try something here.

My old PC had a built in movie maker, so I channeled my inner Ed Wood and put together a video in 2009 of footage shot on the old Plywood Glacier in 2002.  I wasn't real happy with the way the analog video was processed, (the motion's a little jerky) so my alternate career was cut short with this and an homage to IRM's 1630.

Here goes, it may take a while to load:

Rusty

That's a nice looking layout.  What thickness plywood are you using, and how did you cut the curves so nice?

 1937 Dodge,

Hi, the roundhouse is a Twin Whistle kit. This one was purchased on eBay, and had a few problems, but I was able to work on it and get it somewhat usable.  I think the kit is pretty nice if you get it before someone butchers it, and they sell extra add on stalls.  Below is the link to the Twin whistle site:

http://twinwhistle.com/sroundhouse.aspx

Cal,

I agree with not destroying good original Flyer stuff, but these are made from train wrecks. I have added a link below to the LBR Enterprises site, they really do some pretty innovative things with old Flyer parts.  And speaking of parts they are becoming a great source for a lot of parts and have always provided nice reproduction decals:

http://www.lbrenterprisesllc.com

Sinclair,

Thank you for the kind words, I am using 1/2 inch plywood from Lowes, it is 8 ply and does not have many voids in it, I think it was sold as "blonde wood".  I am just cutting it with a jig saw. 

Thanks again for looking,

Aflyer

Jerry P - a nice collection of electrics.  To my knowledge, there were only 10 EP-5s built and they were all owned by New Haven (and then by Penn Central).  I noticed that Lionel has offered Milwaukee Road and Great Northern versions of these (in both S and O gauges) but I assume there are no prototypes for these - just 'artistic license'?  Milwaukee did have the EF/P-4s - the Little Joes (as did Chicago, South Shore and South Bend) - but they are a different loco.  Not sure what electric Great Northern had that was streamlined (i.e. not a box cab) - the W-1?

Thanks.  Actually, the video was shot in 2002.  I put it together in 2009. 

The east side area (Iola and Cherryvale) suffered a scenery blitz in 2007:

The Iola engine terminal was hit by a partial blitz in 2011:

The west side of the layout (Winfield) looks more like the Island of Lost Toys at the present.  It's not called the Great Plywood Glacier for nuthin'

Rusty