If there is any further info on this article I'd like to know about it.
cnw1995 The article was titled something like Is This the World's Greatest Marx Layout? I actually photocopied it to read by the layout. I'll have to lookup the issue and date.
The article was titled something like Is This the World's Greatest Marx Layout? I actually photocopied it to read by the layout. I'll have to lookup the issue and date.
My all time favorite article was the 1999 article for John Anderson's 1940-1949 layout's. The photography was excellent (I belive his father was a professional photographer).
There were some great shot's of his 10X15 layout with his 726 Berkshire, 224, and 675 engines and sets all in pristine condition.
After several days of reflection and consideration there is this one article that keeps coming to mind. I hope that the title I'm referencing is correct, because I am away from my magazine rack and can't check it for sure. But, from March 1994 (I think) is an article titled "How to Build Them Like They Use To". If this is the title (or not) the article is about the acquisition of one half of a Lionel layout board, where indications of track placement and accessories are evident. Some detecive work by the owner revealed that this layout board was built by a Lionel design team. The fate of the other half of the board is unknown and remains a mystery.
The author /owner rose to the challenge of trying to recreate the layout and determined that he got it better than 90% right. It bears resemblance (but not exact) to the layout on the back cover of the 1957 Lionel catalog. The layout captures the cultural ideal of Lionel's post war golden era.
What is additionally neat about this layout is that a train will operate through a number of switches automatically and transit the layout over a route that won't repeat for over two complete circuits.
I pick this article as my favorite because it's a story about a rare find, a back story mystery, restoration, and a really innovative layout that to a large extent epitomizes the genious of Lionel technology. It is a perfect example of Lionel postwar production, and, as a medium size layout demonstrated just about everything Lionel strove to offer. In that a very similar layout appears on the back cover of the 1957 catalog proves the provenance and authenticity of a surviving museum worthy remnant.
I'd like to say thanks for your kind words about articles I've written, and I'm sure John (Grams) would say the same if he was still here with us. He and I had enormous fun writing the stories and our book.
The Retro Railroad was a particular favorite of ours, so I'm really pleased to hear that some of you enjoyed it. It was fun to build, and once we were done the layout had just the vibe we were seeking. (For those who never had the privilege of meeting John, he was also a nationally-known scholar of jazz, so terms like "vibe" were part of his everyday vocabulary.)
The Retro Railroad will make another appearance in 2012, and I'm pretty sure that Carl has one or two more stories in the drawer - I hope you enjoy those also.
As for my favorite article, for those of us on the staff it's a little hard to choose, but one that really influenced me was the January 1992 story on the Lionel postwar showroom layout. That's not the reason for our special issue on the Lionel showroom layouts, but it might have come up as Roger, Carl, and I discussed the project . . .
Anyway, thanks, and thanks for reading CTT.
Terry
my layout.
My favorite article was the one on Gilbert HO .
I'd love to see them do an occasional article on some of the early HO lines. Many of them had action accessories similar to Lionel and Flyer. I dabble with my Dad's prewar but my first love is Gilbert HO and Plasticville.
I first subscribed to CTT in "88 or '89 and really enjoy it. The retro articles are the best. I don't really like the emphasis on realism, that belongs in MRR. I also subscribe to it.
Banks, Proud member of the OTTS TCA 12-67310
KENT JOHNSON and his DADs layout. Along with their good natured banter.
DENNIS BRENNANs and NORM CHARDENAUXs realistic looking layouts.
BOB KELLER and KENT JOHNSONs building the step by step layout of the little logging layout.
laz57
Anything American Flyer both PreWar and Post War S-Scale
OOoofaa... what a question! So many to choose from! I'll also echo those who said the Dennis' layout building series, any and all of the Len Caperelli articles, anything that documented the Post-1970 to 1990 era, and my favorite layout plan of all time:
Kent Johnson's
Someday I will have the space and time!
Jon
My favorite article or articles are the two that featured the Rochester P.A.L. layouts. This is in part because I am from Rochester and grew up with these layouts but more so because during the photographing of the then-current staff it mentioned my father (who was absent when the photo was taken). Thus, I was this close to having a family member appear in CTT! He was never told that they were shooting the photos that night so he didn't attend, and I missed out on history.
Doh!
Modeling the D&H in 1984: http://dandhcoloniemain.blogspot.com/
I think my favorite layout feature was Brad Nelson's (I still look at that article from time to time for inspiration as I work on the family layout). But top honors overall has to go to "Ray L. Plummer" and his 5-part series on repairing Lionel steamers (appeared in 1991). I grew up in the Kughn era and received modern-era trains as a child; but all that time, I mostly "dreamed out of" my dad's old 1958 catalog. Those articles planted a seed, and many years later I was able to refer to them as I began purchasing and servicing my own trains. It's no overstatement, to say that "Ray" was responsible for fulfilling some childhood dreams--my dad's and my own--because those articles gave me the confidence and know-how I needed to enter the world of postwar (and even prewar) Lionel.
Also as a charter subsciber there are too many to list and not possible for me to call a favoriite.
Articles I have liked:
1. Have to agree the Chuck Brasher layout is my favorite Standard Gauge article.
2. I really liked the Angela Trotta Thomas article where their home layout was shown - sort of like a train store setup. Thus I also really liked the Hobby shop in a Basement layout in the recent Jan 2012 issue.
3. I really liked the Dennis Brennan layout build series for the realistic look and also the early issues classic layout build by Jim Bundt (sp? - whatever happened to Jim?) for the classic Lionel layout look.
4. I always enjoyed the articles on the Lionel showroom layouts and obviously really enjoy Roger's new book that rolls all these articles into one place.
5. I enjoy articles on the various series/variations of rolling stock and locos.
6. I enjoy articles on accessories.
And my favorite issue? The Premier Issue!
Regards, Roy
Fandor was the name of Dorfan while it was still in Germany. The Forcheimer brothers, Julius and Milton (the company was named for their sisters Fanny and Dora), and John C. Koerber moved Fandor to the US in 1923 and switched the names to prevent confusion.
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Penny Trains I tend to agree as I'd love to see more Standard Gauge. But also S gauge maybe some articles on the "periphery" manufacturers like Hafner and Fandor.
I tend to agree as I'd love to see more Standard Gauge. But also S gauge maybe some articles on the "periphery" manufacturers like Hafner and Fandor.
Penny
Fandor? Here I go again..now you have my curiosity tweaked..off I go to "Google" the name..I would add Unique Art Trains, which Louis Marx considered at one time, a threat..One thing in reaction to the dearth of information on these trains, that I did do was to join the TCA. On their website, they have a huge catalog of their magazines to download going all the way back to the beginning..I have spent a lot of time pouring over them..just fascinating stuff. It will take me several weeks to read them all..Another "new" standard gauge line I had not heard of before is McCoy Trains, a postwar manufacturer, now defunct.
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
cnw1995 Certain standard gauge articles by Mike C. also come to mind as favorites! Wallyworld, I can't access the main index to find that Marx article issue.
Certain standard gauge articles by Mike C. also come to mind as favorites!
Wallyworld, I can't access the main index to find that Marx article issue.
It isn't a big deal somehow, after you mentioned this, I had a vague memory of a fellow in Illinois who had a layout that seemed to have "it all" but that was quite a while ago and I may have read it elsewhere for all I know. The early issue of CTT seemed to have a lot more standard gauge material in them, which was another learning curve for me..all of this was followed by MTH wading into reproductions at that time..The other folks who mentioned Chuck Brasher's layouts triggered my memory as well. I like Lionel but at times , the issues seemed to be very slanted toward Lionel this..Lionel that..it got sort of monotonous for me inasmuch as what is more documented, more illustrated then Lionel? I understand demographics as well as those who love Lionel exclusively..but I would love to see at least one article on Standard gauge as well...just one would do, although I am into Marx..
There must be a gazillion tubular and Fastrack O layout plans..how about a standard gauge plan for a reasonable sized layout? I see that Lionel makes a standard gauge Fastrack..so this would not be a tough assignment..I don't want to sound disparaging..but a little more variety in the future would be nice,,,
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
Good evening all,
As several others have noted, the Chuck Brasher article was a real game changer for me. The Children's Museum at the time had a large static display of several standard and wide gauge trains, but the article on Chuck's trains showed that people could and did run the originals. I later got a video of him running trains on the layout as well. Out of the ones I was privileged to write, the one on the Knowles collection was my favorite as it concerned pre-war trains as well. There have been several others as well. The two part article in the early 90s on a classic postwar layout will be my inspiration for my permanent O-gauge layout whenever I get it built.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
I really enjoyed the article by Dennis Brennan on scenery, think it was the first one of the bunch. Also, I liked the December issue we just got that had the photos of maint. on a steamer....those side rods can be intimidating! Lastly, I used to like the articles Kent and his Dad wrote....reminded me of working with my dad on the layout I had as a kid.
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
wallyworld cnw1995: The article was titled something like Is This the World's Greatest Marx Layout? I actually photocopied it to read by the layout. I'll have to lookup the issue and date. What!?..Good grief ! I missed that one..I may have to renominate my choices.
cnw1995: The article was titled something like Is This the World's Greatest Marx Layout? I actually photocopied it to read by the layout. I'll have to lookup the issue and date.
What!?..Good grief ! I missed that one..I may have to renominate my choices.
Oh my gosh what is this world coming to when walleyworld has missed an article about Marx trains
Me there so many I can't start but we could go with some that our fellow forum members have been part of. It kinda gets us to be able to know a little more about some of the ones we talk to on a weekly bases in here if not daily. Hopefully one of these decades I can be one of them lol.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Anything on American Flyer.
A.C. Gilbert
Alton Junction
I'm a charter subscriber, so there's a lot of articles over the years that fascinated me. There was a HUGE Plasticville layout that had everything that was ever made. The trains were merely running on the outside of the layout. This must have been back in the 90's. Brad Nelson's Flyer layout was another favorite, the operating accessories I've always loved were used in a realistic setting. Neil Young's layout was another eyecatcher. The Collector's Corner articles are the first thing I look for (why did you move them from the last page?). And of course the repair articles have always come in handy. Whew! 25 years, huh? One of us must be getting old!
If I had to pick one, it would be the article on Lionel's Turbines that was in the Feb. 98 issue. That article made me get a 681, and I lost control after that.
Really, anyhting by Roger Carp, Terry Thompson, and John Grams/Ray L. Plummer were must reads for me. That's not say that other authors weren't great, but these are the ones that really inerested and ultimately influenced me.
Bill Noles Plasticville Layout, Bob Boards All Aboard Flyer Layout, Stan Roy's Lionel Layout, and a few others........
Mark
With, some of these new fang dangled, electronic contraptions, the darn things may shoot vertically straight up, never mind double reverse!
And, I enjoy all of the bells, horns, lights, motors, sounds, steam, voices and whistles, but............!
Ralph
Texas Pete "Aug. 90 Dallee electronic reverse reverse unit." Wouldn't that be an electronic forward unit? Pete
"Aug. 90 Dallee electronic reverse reverse unit."
Wouldn't that be an electronic forward unit?
Pete
Pete,
Ive had a few reverse-reverse units although I dont think that was intended.
"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month