I picked up a copy of the book about John Allen and his Gore & Dephitid a few years ago. It is about as tragic a story as there is about a mans dream and lifelong RR. At least there are many articles and a book about the G&D. Sad to see peoples creative pursuits fade into oblivion.
Years ago as a kid in the mid-1990s my dad and I would scan the newspaper classifieds for train stuff and he would take me to purchase N-Scale things we found, because I liked N-Scale.
I bought a large lot from a guy who had owned a hobby shop in the 1970s and had it in his basement much like that.
The cardboard was almost universally ruined -- you had to remove the boxes from things because the mildew/mold made them stink something awful. Even a number of large spools of wire had to be scrapped for that same reason, it smelled terrible and somehow it never went away.
The plastic and metal were fine, including Atlas nickel-plated track, etc., and I got a lot of good track pieces, switches, etc. But the boxes were junk after 20+ years in a damp basement.
This is precisely why all my personal layout projects are being built as modular sections. Not only does it allow me to take them to shows for display; but they'll also be something that future modelers can continue to use in that capacity after I'm gone.
woojr, thanks for pictures and information about your father.
Looked like he really enjoyed the hobby.
Does anyone know when the first 2-rail layouts started?
Speaking of history, here are some videos, starting from 1965
Buster Keaton from 1965 -- he takes a ride on a speeder from east to west --
and some nice stock on the CN line, in color.
http://www.nfb.ca/film/railrodder
More in color, from 1959
http://www.nfb.ca/film/tourist_go_home
Originally Posted by MikesRR:
woojr, thanks for pictures and information about your father.
Looked like he really enjoyed the hobby.
Does anyone know when the first 2-rail layouts started?
Speaking of history, here are some videos, starting from 1965
Buster Keaton from 1965 -- he takes a ride on a speeder from east to west --
and some nice stock on the CN line, in color.
http://www.nfb.ca/film/railrodder
More in color, from 1959
http://www.nfb.ca/film/tourist_go_home
Many 2 rail layouts started in the late 1930's they were typically 3 rail with the 3rd rail moved to the outside for power pick up. I think of the layout designer John Armstrongs layout when I think of this set up. I would think 2 rail scale took off in the early 1950's.
Seacoast,
I'm not sure when the first 2 rail O Scale layout was built, but the Denver Society of Model Railroaders layout in the basement of Denver Union Station was started as 2 rail in 1935. Anyone know of an earlier layout?
ChipR
BTW.. Buster was a model railroader. He had an unusual spot for his layout..( of course)..outdoor S gauge. He was certainly ahead of the curve when it came to outdoor model railroading here in the U.S.
"Many years later, in 1954, Buster approached Raymond Rohauer, a film historian, archivist, activist, and theater owner, with some prints of his early films. Rohauer was thrilled, and Buster was more interested in getting the cans of film out of his garage so he could build a model train set." ( see link below)
He was definitively a lifelong rail fan who seemed to include railroads in his films with any chance that came his way.
.http://picturespoilers.wordpre...-affair-with-trains/
I'll raise you my favourite layout, started in 1928:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyfsej2_eGM
Still open for visiting, situated in a farm/mini zoo.
Does that include catenary on the modules?
Originally Posted by Drew McCann:
This is precisely why all my personal layout projects are being built as modular sections. Not only does it allow me to take them to shows for display; but they'll also be something that future modelers can continue to use in that capacity after I'm gone.
This is off topic, but a good place to ask this question. I am pretty new posting here. In an above post, the poster thansk woojr for pictures and info about his fathers layout. I did not see any pix and I think on some threads I am not getting all the postings under a subject. I also figure there should be some way to email other members, but I haven't found it. Am I wrong in my assumptions?
thanks
Matt
matt b: Regarding the email, just click on the member's name under their avatar, then scroll down to the right. Email will show there provided they have disclosed it.
I see lots of value in many of these items, but.....a lot of work and time will be involved. You stated that you and your friend are 3 railers. My suggestion would be to buy what you want.....contact one of the big auction dealers.....and consign the rest of the entire lot.
You will benefit....the owner will benefit.....and the hobbyists at large who wish to restore, clean, and rework those fine old models, will benefit. You would be a good steward of these antiques for the 2-rail O Scale community. Tom in PGH
Right, Tom. This treasure trove should be dispersed among those who will appreciate it, rather than trashed.
Thanks for the info. I see the email addys now.
Good thought, we are the stewards of so many things that are created by individual talents and we hsould pass them onto the next generation and educate them about who had the talent to create.
Sort of took my breath away, like stumbling into a Pharaoh's tomb, who happened to be into model railroading.
I have a scratchbuilt flat with a lumber load I bought on E-bay years ago, made by some dearly departed modeler who I never knew. And every time I see it, run it, switch it, or hold it, I think about him and how happy he would be seeing his handmade treasure still rolling along the Youngstown & Southern RR.
Rest in peace Pharaoh, wherever you are.
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Great find...I guess it depends on what they want for it and if are you looking to make this an investment with profit...or just save what you can for others...I don't care- it's just a question you have to answer yourself and see what the numbers come out at{purchase/sell}.
If the wall items are offered up too, I'd be interested in the CB&Q calender, my current one is a 1965, since it's the year I was born. 
It's all worth what someone will pay, still a sad reality.
I just read this thread for the first time. I think sad is inadequate.
Obviously a person of some means and a lot of talent.
As I read through this thread it describes beyond my personal ability to communicate why I would not build my own personal private empire. Not any size. I will stay the way I am in this hobby, with, at most, small dioramas, until I find/ participate/whatever in a group like the Denver group or the Balboa Park group in something that will outlive me or, I kick the bucket. I'm not creating my private treasure that will become someone else's burden or headache (like my wife).
Ghosts like that need to be laid to rest. As was said before it looks like grandfather died very young and grandmother passed 4.5 decades later. I will do everything possible to make sure my wife doesn't have that happen. I watched my father just wait around for 26 years to die with my mother's ghost present.
Originally Posted by Old Goat: I am a member of the citrus empire model railroad club. The p.o.box listed is no longer valid as we were asked by the LA county fair to remove our layout in 2004. The organization has since been renamed the citrus empire model railroad engineers and we are now a 501c3. We are currently discussing the future of the club as we have been unable to secure a space for a permanent layout. If you don't mind me asking who did this collection belong too.
You don't mention where the layout is located but consider contacting the Citrus Empire Model Railroad Club regarding the sign in the photo. If there is a connection, they might be interested in it and provide help with the value of the railroad items.
Matt
Link to Citrus Empire Model Railroad Club:
http://www.railroadinfo.com/modelrr/empire.html
Re Opened per request by "El Classico"...
Thanks for reopening. I missed this thread the first time around and both the initial subject plus subsequent comments are fascinating.
As others have asked, what was the follow-up to this? Did the trains find good homes?
Steven J. Serenska
I just came across this topic. Wow, is all I can say. How does something like that go untouched for forty-five years ? The widow must never have gone down to the basement after the husband's death. I didn't read where this layout was or is.
I was lucky to read this the first time around, and I will bet we are all curious to know what did happen to this? As noted, many of us are familiar with the G&D story, and hope much of this was salvageable and found new homes.
I wonder if we will ever get "the rest of the story" about this third-hand account?
If it got to the stage where the widow had to give up her house, the heirs probably had their hands full just to clear out the house for resale. The possible value of the old trains could have been totally overshadowed by the value of the property and the need to sell. Sometimes old neglected stuff just gets trashed because it is too huge of a job to sort through it all and try to clean it up for resale to a niche market.
I am very curious, as I have heard good things about many of the engines on that layout, and seem to recall some of those circus cars being in New York in 1967, when an O gauge club's layout was sabatougued.
Ace posted:I wonder if we will ever get "the rest of the story" about this third-hand account?
If it got to the stage where the widow had to give up her house, the heirs probably had their hands full just to clear out the house for resale. The possible value of the old trains could have been totally overshadowed by the value of the property and the need to sell. Sometimes old neglected stuff just gets trashed because it is too huge of a job to sort through it all and try to clean it up for resale to a niche market.
Pretty sad story...I missed it the first time around.
I think some of us can relate to this either for ourselves or others that we know and how our hobby can impact others after we are gone. Unfortunately, what means so much to us and might have lots of memories tied to it may not mean the same to others. Wasn't it George Carlin who talked about accumulating our "Stuff?"
Tom
Ace posted:I wonder if we will ever get "the rest of the story" about this third-hand account?
If it got to the stage where the widow had to give up her house, the heirs probably had their hands full just to clear out the house for resale. The possible value of the old trains could have been totally overshadowed by the value of the property and the need to sell. Sometimes old neglected stuff just gets trashed because it is too huge of a job to sort through it all and try to clean it up for resale to a niche market.
That would be the most common issue when something like this falls into your lap. Not only trains but anything that a relative had. As we get into our seventies and beyond, the mere thought of having to dispose of a home and it's belongings of a relative makes one ill.
I'm a little late to the party, but there is a lot of value in the trains, a number of nice Lobaugh locos, Thomas, General Motors, etc, looks like an unbuilt Lobaugh kit as well. The 2 rail O community is small, but still kicking. By the way, I disagree with the need to replace the motors, these clean up nicely, but use a lot of power, so the reason for replacement would only be to get the efficiency of the newer can motors.
My father had one of those Lobaugh UP Challengers, it would easily walk away with 60 cars, and these older cars didn't roll very well!. The sound that the train made was awesome.
Back in 1981 I met Dan Heenon (spelling ?) at the end of the parking lot at 30th Street Station. I would go there to photograph GG1s and the then new GE-60s plus anything else that appealed to me. One day, I had my oldest daughter with me. She was five at the time. Dan was there and invited me to see his two rail O scale layout at his home on North Broad Street.
So I took him up on his offer and my daughter and I knocked on his door one afternoon. His basement was filled with the layout. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me so I only have a sketchy recollection of the layout.
His wife was very gracious and entertained my daughter with a tea party. I never had the pleasure of seeing Dan again after that one visit and have wondered about him from time to time.
I'm glad this got reopened as I wasn't around here when it was originally posted.
This is the type of collecting material I find fascinating. Far more interesting than some unobtainium factory variation of PW Lionel. Primitive, or not so primitive 2 rail has a sentimental value to me. It reminds me of a brief, yet impressionable experience with the Toronto Model Railroad Club back in the '70's.
Just speculating here, but whenever I hear of the unearthing of slumbering collectibles where the original owner passed away a half century ago, there's usually a common reason. The Vietnam war. Many a young man never returned alive and many parents saved such things as their sons cars or crafts as a memorial. It might sound a bit morbid but it seems more likely than any of our better halves keeping our junk for 50 years.
Bruce
What amazes me is some of the comments from this particular forum. A lot of my 3 rail collector friends won't even open a box because it mar the SCOTCH tape on the end of the box and therefore lower the collectability of the particular BOX! 
Every single photograph shows items that COLLECTOR groups would die for. Those plastic wagons are collectible by horse and buggy collectors. The calendars hanging on the back wall are collectible by calendar collectors. And on and on and . . . . Not to mention some very rare rail cars (paper sided reefers) a killer circus train collectible by circus collectors as well as model railroaders. Like I said I am so surprised by the comments from this forum. Also some of those buildings, especially the wooden coaling tower, my goodness what a find. Just priceless in my mind! Thanks for reopening this thread. We should all be aware of our mortality as we are mostly a senior hobby and maybe give our survivors a break by at least preparing them for the liquidation they may face. Just my 2 cents worth. Russ
I don't know how I missed this "barn find" the first go-round. It's a time capsule of sorts. Anyone know the disposition of this layout and equipment? BTW, one of the replies referred to contacting Citrus Empire. Citrus Empire has been gone since 2005 (sad, ugly story).
There but for the grace of God go I
- Nate
Just came across this thread.
Looking at the photographs, you could change the time stamp on them to indicate what most 2 rail layouts look like today.
Every single photograph shows items that COLLECTOR groups would die for. Those plastic wagons are collectible by horse and buggy collectors. The calendars hanging on the back wall are collectible by calendar collectors. And on and on and . . . . Not to mention some very rare rail cars (paper sided reefers) a killer circus train collectible by circus collectors as well as model railroaders.
The problem is connecting with those collectors, and making a sale.
Plus, just because there are old calendars, it doesn't mean that as a group calendar collectors value those particular ones. What's a postwar Lionel 1060 scout worth?
I guess that's where auction houses specializing in collectables come in.
Or the person who is trying to liquidate can start doing research on each and every item.
One could go with EBay, but I think one still has to do the research, write a good description, and take lots of pictures to get a reasonable value.
Dan Padova posted:Back in 1981 I met Dan Heenon (spelling ?) at the end of the parking lot at 30th Street Station. I would go there to photograph GG1s and the then new GE-60s plus anything else that appealed to me. One day, I had my oldest daughter with me. She was five at the time. Dan was there and invited me to see his two rail O scale layout at his home on North Broad Street.
So I took him up on his offer and my daughter and I knocked on his door one afternoon. His basement was filled with the layout. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me so I only have a sketchy recollection of the layout.
His wife was very gracious and entertained my daughter with a tea party. I never had the pleasure of seeing Dan again after that one visit and have wondered about him from time to time.
Dan Henon (only one E) was the originator editor/publisher of the late "O Scale News 48/ft" magazine, which started out as a news letter. He also was one of the people behind the early EOS swap meets (Eastern O Scalers) that were ultimately taken over by Dave Richter and Al Small. Dan suffered a stroke and sold the magazine and ultimately passed on several years back.
Dan is a member of the "O Scale Hall of Fame"
http://www.oscalekings.org/halloffame.html
Simon
The first post on this topic was made over 3 years ago.
More than anything, I would have liked to hear the story behind the man who built this layout - and why it was left untouched for 45+ years after his passing. We don't even know for sure what state he lived in.
