Lionel layout at Bershire Hathaway stock holder meeting

[Mark9700]

Attended the Berkshire Hathaway stockholder meeting yesterday in Omaha and got a chance to see a Lionel O-gauge layout.  I visited with Roger Farkash, creative director for TW Tranworx, the company that created the layout for Lionel. The layout can be broken down into three parts. The center section can be lowered and stored inside the two end units and the whole thing goes in a 53' truck. They can use any combination of the three units depending on the needs and space available. The end units can operate alone or they can add about 1 foot on each end of the center section to complete a loop of track and use it alone. It uses all Fastrack and they were controlling some of the trains with Legacy. The center section was styled to look like the lower part of a bridge similar to photos I have seen of other Lionel displays. It even had a lower level with subway cars.  The end units had three levels of track with the highest being an S-gauge circle of track.

Signage below the layout had been changed to say BNSF since they had contracted to display it at the meeting. BNSF also had three locomotive simulators where people could try to control a locomotive. Inside the exhibition hall they were selling shirts, hats, and other items with the profits going to charity. They gave out refrigerator magnets with an add for their online store www.bnsfstore.com

A story in the Omaha World Herald said the layout by 7 x 40 foot.

This was the first time I had seen a commercial built Lionel layout.

Mark

http://www.ogaugelayout.com

 

 

[Papadiesel]

Mark,

Thanks for the info and pictures. I'm always interested in the different types of construction. I'm attempting to construct one (12x18 using hollow doors) for easy disasselmbly and removal from the basement when necessary.

Gary E

[tim o'm]

Mark, were they allowing people to take photos? Hopefully someone will post them here.

[Train Dame]

 Here are some pictures of the T W Traingineers at the Berkshire Hathaway event - Farkash & Buffet talking trains, very cool! Click on this Picassa link for a slide-show: http://bit.ly/atiLZY

[ADCX Rob]

 Buffett looks great... more like 62 than his 80 years.

Rob