Lionel Post War Display Layout?

[Anonymous]

How do I know if I have stumbled accross a Lionel Display layout?

I was reading an article in an old CTT recently about an original Lionel Display Layout that was being photographed prior to going to auction. The layout in question was in pristine condition with the original box (actually a box-like cover).

The article discribed specific characteristics of Lionel Display layouts: two metal strips running the length of the layout for all the wires to connect to, square notches cut in the wooden crossmembers for wires and the metal strips to pass through, and a "chip board" surface.

This all suddenly reminded me of a small (approx. 4' x 6') train layout in the top of my father's garage. It has the metal strips and the square notches in the cross members. I do not know what "chip board" is. The layout surface appears to be like a thick masonite.

The track appears to be O27. There is one Lionel switch and one Marx switch and a Lionel switch controller. The switches are on the outer loop of track. There is an irregular shaped inner loop. There are obvious places where accessories were, but no indication of what they were. There is no writing of any kind. All wiring is very neatly done, with wires twisted together and soldered together. All wiring is stapled underneath the layout. The wooden boarder and cross members of the layout appear to be painted gray (I am not sure, I am very colorblind, most things are gray). There is artificial grass on it-I cannot tell if the "grass" is the roll/paper type or if it was sprinkled onto a painted surface. There appears to be painted roads (very narrow) on the layout also.

The whole thing is very, very dirty.

My father bought a lot of used Lionel back in the early to mid sixties and this layout was part of the whole deal.

Is there a resource where display layouts are documented? Could it be a Marx display layout?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I'm quite sure that Marx never produced any factory-made display layouts. It could be an altered original Lionel display or perhaps a layout that was built according to Lionel plans by a store. I think Greenberg has a book out on Lionel display layouts. If you could find this book, you could try and see if your layout matches any Lionel designs. Good luck in finding out! I hope it's an original Lionel!

[Anonymous]

The book that is referred to is entitled " Classic Lionel Display Layouts You Can Build" by Roger Carp, published by Kalmbach Books in 2000. The book will describe some of the Dealer layouts that were produced by the Lionel Corp during the late 40's through the early 60's. Your father's layout may be one, or it may not be one. I remember my father constructing a nice 4 X 8 layout for my older brother, which included many of the wiring atributes that you mentioned in your post. So many fathers in the late 50's or early 60's built layouts for their sons, that included some nice wiring, and such, so not every layout that you may find will be constructed by the Lionel corp. Good Luck![8D]

[Anonymous]

Thank you to both of you who responded. I have purchased the recommended Kalmbach book and it has proven to be a wealth of information.

I have been able to confirm that the layout in question is, in fact, a Lionel D-400 postwar display layout. It originally included both 027 and HO track, along with several O gauge accessories. All that remains on the top of the layout is the rusty. The surface of the layout (paint, sawdust, etc.) is pretty much in tact.

I will be, at some point, cleaning it off, attempting to replace the somewhat rusty track with the correct style track from the early 1960's and replacing the missing HO track and piers. I will be replacing the accessories as I am able to locate and afford them.

Thank you all again!

[Bob Keller]

Actually Marx did some display layouts. I photographed one at a collector's house five or six years ago. We may still have the image someplace around the office (I shot it because I'd never seen one, not because it was tied into the story we were there for). Not as elaborate as a Lionel display layout, but hey, it was Marx.

[prewardude]

There IS a CTT article on an original Marx display layout, however. It's in the January 1997 issue, on page 98.