What's your favorite layout theme

I like snow, beach theme

Small-town America, preferably the mountain west, 1950s.

Urban switching with tight spaces.

 

Jay

My plan is to loosely represent the Southern Pacific,Santa Fe and the MP/DRGW/UP/WP Transcon routes through the southwest and Rockies.Lots of desert,mountains and even Route 66.I plan to loosely model the ATSF San Bernardino station and engine shops on one end and perhaps Kansas City Union Station on the other end.

As of late, this one. 

 

I like to push a button and watch the train go round. 😜

Urban New York with 1940's Elevated, also grimy 'red-brick' industrial theme, again

in the 30's-40's.

 

     Hoppy

I like wide rural country spaces with a farm or a grain refinery or two that lead into a modern urban city scene...

Eastern coal country

1940-50s with a mix of  buildings, houses plus a little industrial to set the scene when I punch a button and watch them run !!

Being fairly new to the hobby....I think I like them all!!!!!

My favorite layout themes are Winter and Lionel deco.

So, my favorite is the Lionel dealer displays of the 1950s, and, if I had a huge space, I would also consider recreating one of the showroom layouts (probably the one built in the late 1940s). For me, the model trains are an extension of the culture Americans had during the period that I appreciate as a student of history.

 

Looking at other peoples' layouts, I like the more realistic cityscapes set in the 1950s, particularly if there's a griminess to part of it- reminds me of a film noire or something, and can provide a more realistic look at life during the period if done well.

There you go.

 

Of course I grew up in Utah, so it's what I know best. 

One I'm going to build, late 1880s, western cattle town. Cattle pens, and herders. With a freight train and passenger train. Also booming with discovery of oil.

A bunch of you are describing a faraway time in the 50s  when I grew up !!   I also like the Colorado narrow gauge, the East Broad Top, industrial scenes and parts of the west. Not enough time, space or money for it all. A pity so I went with what I could get done.

I will be building vignettes based upon OW Link images. Late 1950's N&W.

When I eventually get my home lay-out going (maybe this summer!) I will more than likely do a rocky and canyon sort of landscape with some high trestles. So far my only lay-out is in the store window which is in constant flux but I enjoy most making fantasy stuff for when that is the theme. It is just more fun to build. A water tank and coal bunker for the steamer tender wagon as an example:

 

Look forward to seeing it

I'm into modern urban, mainline and industrial.

Mountains, tunnels, rock cuts, bridges over: water, track(s), canyons or dry river beds. 

 

Trees, trees, trees... you gotta have trees.

"Take It Easy" by the Eagles...oh, not "Theme Song"...

Mike

 

I like to many themes . I can't make up my mind.

 

Mountains, lots of tunnels and trees. Got to have multiple bridges and lakes or small pond or two.

 

LIGHTS, lots of them.

 

Coal, passenger station and a decent work yard.

 

OK, and a small city and a few residential houses with people and cars as well.

 

A neat airport with runway.

 

I gave up a turntable and round house for that last I want.

(SPACE always puts limits on us)

 

Incidentally this is exactly what I have tried to do on my re built lay out the last two plus.

 

 

Larry.   Have fun

I'm with Spence.

I like the Conventional Way so far. Power it on, Turn the dial and watch them go.

My layout is all country, mountains, tunnel, and trees and more trees with my favorite part being (2) My tunnel theme and my Hobo Village.

 

I like a layout theme that is not done too often, Future themed layouts. Here is an old one of mine.

I was all for conventional until I bought the legacy. It's cool I like some of the features

If I ever build a layout, it would set in the coal fields of southern West Virginia in the mid Chessie era, probably 1977/1978. If I couldn't do that, my second choice would be industrial railroad that serves at least 2 steel mills in an urban area, similar to the Union Railroad in my area in mid 1990s.

a country setting that could incorporate freight and passenger service as well as a logging line

Eclectic.

Late. Steam era, eastern mountains, rural and small town, watch trains run and a little switching.  Nothing too complicated, but realistic scenery.  Now let's see if I can get it built!  I had it in HO and N scales.

I like them all too. I like to see the imagination and creativity that goes into them. I hope to build a layout featuring Florida landscape (palm trees, oaks and pines) extending up to the Smoky Mountains in NC using SCL, SAL, ACL, Southern and FEC road names. I don't see that much. 

I agree mark. My layout is late steam, eastern coal country and very simple. Good luck and enjoy building it!

Yes, gandydancer1950, that's the idea.  I have seen your photos before, and like what you have done.

Providing there's no objections, 1925-1939 prewar tinplate. Using early Bing, Ives & Lionel accessories. As were utilized on my last O-Gauge & Std Gauge layouts. (sorry no time for photos)

Yes, that would be very cool.

Steam to diesel transition era. Late forties to mid-fifties.

WWll to 1952, when the railroads were working above capacity and when they first got a chance to buy some new equipment. Lots of steam, but the earliest diesels are appearing.

 

As to location, I haven't imagined that yet.

 

Probably a combination of Minneapolis and Chicago. Lots of trains that I like came to/from Chicago. So maybe I would model Minneapolis but transplant the traffic/roads that frequented Chicago. Milwaukee Road is my most favorite, but the roster has lots of Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, Western Pacific, New York Central, and Pennsy! There are a bunch of streamlined steam from other roads in the "atticcombs" and they will need to stretch their legs, too.

 

Lots of long, smoothly running trains. Long passenger consists and  long, slow freight drags. Gotta give that reefer madness some vent.

 

As to season? Definitely Summer. I grew up in Minneapolis and had enough of snow in any form or place.

Urban/industrial, 1930s-1950s.  I like a balance of commuter, industrial switching and intercity passenger and freight.  I also like "nerdy" additions—that currently consists of LEGO, steampunk, and Batman, with room for additional things to add in the future.

Live catenary