This afternoon I surprised my son by setting up the train table. When he got home from school he helped me set up the track and place the buildings. Tomorrow I will be setting up a 2nd loop of track and a small elevated loop. He is so excited to have trains running in the house again!
This is a temp layout, that I plan to have up for about 6 months until I have the funds to build my switching layout. He will have a small layout under my switching one that he can run his trains on.
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You did good, notice the smile and twinkle in his eyes.
Good deal for you and your son. What a nice surprise for him. I know what he will be doing tomorrow.
Great story.
That smile is priceless. The adventure continues...for both of you. 
You did good, dad; he'll wake-up early tomorrow for sure.
Before we went to bed last night we added another loop of track, so he can run 2 trains at once! We will be heading to the hobby shop today to get some trestle sets to make a 3rd elevated line.
I also have a backdrop that my mother made for a holiday layout a few years ago. I have to locate it and will be installing it in the back.
Looks like he's off to a great (and fun) start! What could be better than a steam passenger train, an oval of track, and a bunch of Plasticville? Now all he needs is a road or two for the Matchbox cars that will end up on the table.
very....very nice picture and story. what a cool Saturday.
Saturday at the hobby shop!
J,
Nice going Dad, quality time with your son and his trains, nothing better on God's earth!
PCRR/Dave
Before we went to bed last night we added another loop of track, so he can run 2 trains at once! We will be heading to the hobby shop today to get some trestle sets to make a 3rd elevated line.
I also have a backdrop that my mother made for a holiday layout a few years ago. I have to locate it and will be installing it in the back.
Avondale High School show tomorrow JD! Its a good one.
Job well done. Really great to see. Warms the heart. Make sure to have trains you don't mind if he breaks by accident. Spend every second you can with them. Its good for the soul.
This afternoon I surprised my son by setting up the train table. When he got home from school he helped me set up the track and place the buildings. Tomorrow I will be setting up a 2nd loop of track and a small elevated loop. He is so excited to have trains running in the house again!
This is a temp layout, that I plan to have up for about 6 months until I have the funds to build my switching layout. He will have a small layout under my switching one that he can run his trains on.
Great Job! I am sure that you will enjoy the building process as much as the running the trains.
Frank
great Job!
Jdevleerjr, I took a look at the plans for the switching layout you are planning to build, and one thought came to my mind... I think your son would have far more fun with the temporary but simple layout you have set up.
Why not consider making some sort of small portable layout that could be stored under his bed - if space is a consideration - with the same sort of simple set up. Adults and kids have different ideas of fun when it comes to running trains. A simple layout base with the track, so he can arrange buildings, scenery and such to his own liking.
Just a thought. Just as I can understand the appeal of the switching layout for you, I can also see the appeal of this "temporary" layout for your boy.
One thing I have noticed over the years of being back in the hobby... many years ago, when a dad got his son a train set and built a layout, it was for the son... but dad got to play once in a while too. Today it's reversed... it seems in many cases, that the train layout is set up for dad, and the son gets to play once in a while.
Why not have both layouts? I'm sure your boy would like to help dad work and play on his layout, just as much as he will enjoy knowing he has his own layout, that is really his own.
Any excuse for time with your son is woth it. I love seeing smiling children and trains. 
Jdevleerjr, I took a look at the plans for the switching layout you are planning to build, and one thought came to my mind... I think your son would have far more fun with the temporary but simple layout you have set up.
Why not consider making some sort of small portable layout that could be stored under his bed - if space is a consideration - with the same sort of simple set up. Adults and kids have different ideas of fun when it comes to running trains. A simple layout base with the track, so he can arrange buildings, scenery and such to his own liking.
Just a thought. Just as I can understand the appeal of the switching layout for you, I can also see the appeal of this "temporary" layout for your boy.
One thing I have noticed over the years of being back in the hobby... many years ago, when a dad got his son a train set and built a layout, it was for the son... but dad got to play once in a while too. Today it's reversed... it seems in many cases, that the train layout is set up for dad, and the son gets to play once in a while.
Why not have both layouts? I'm sure your boy would like to help dad work and play on his layout, just as much as he will enjoy knowing he has his own layout, that is really his own.
Layout under his bed huh. I think we would be hearing trains running all night long!
What I plan to do is build him a layout right under my layout. The two will be stacked. There will be 24 inches between the layouts. I should be able to have him run 2 trains at once still.
"Layout under his bed huh. I think we would be hearing trains running all night long!"
Ah, that gave me a good laugh. I think the folks at Lionel would appreciate that too... that's why they're putting all the effort into starter sets.
Good to know you are planning a place for your boy to have a layout. The only danger here is instead of running his trains all night long, he'll want to be running his trains and your trains all at the same time.
Here is an updated photo of my son and his layout today.
As you can see here he has changed the scenery a bit and we added a 2nd loop of track. I plan to build him a tunnel in the back corner and an elevated track. That will be a surprise to him though and I plan to do it on my next few days off.
You can see his toy drill in the front of the photo. He was helping me "drill screws" into the track to hold it down! He is really enjoying this and I am really enjoying doing this together.
Great layout
"Layout under his bed huh. I think we would be hearing trains running all night long!"
Um ..yep! But stopping the whistle only took a threat of removal for me! 
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