Merry Christmas!
A pair of pics of the 2 layouts I've already completed.
First up was the prewar layout. New this year is just about everything!
And a couple of days ago I finished the postwar layout.
I'll get better pics as the weeks go along.
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Very impressive Becky. I like the "Lionel" table supporting the upper portion of the layout. I am also looking forward to seeing your layout in CTT soon.
Karl
VERY nice, Becky. I , too, am looking forward to seeing your layout in CTT.
Chuck
Nice. I like that you added a little Marx to the mix.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Very nice.
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
Nice Lionel table. Did you buy it or make it? If purchased, from who? If made what's the source for the Lionel template? What is table's size and what's it made of? Also, it's dimensions?
Posted Oct. 19, 7:45 EDT
Becky,
Saw the preview for your article on the CTT website. Really looking forward to reading the entire article.
Mike C. from Indiana
Second the nice Lionel table.
BTW, you made me double check my calendar.
Ha ha! Fooled you didn't I! Yep, it's only October after all!
Seriously though I give myself a month to construct each of the 3 layouts leading up to Thanksgiving. Between cleaning, site prep, constructing and general repairs I usually need all the time I can get. Also by getting the 2 layouts that don't occupy prime real estate (living room) finished ahead of time, I gain a few prescious weeks to finish projects the one I only get a week to assemble.
The table: It's a cardtable from my Grandmother's basement. I stripped off the vinyl top and built the O27 layout spring/summer of 2012. And guess what the "bridge legs" are made of? Come on, guess!? Oh, OK I'll tell you! Posterboard!
I considered several options for some dressing up including a tinsel skirt and cotton batting. But a layout above the clouds didn't sound quite right to me. So, since I couldn't afford to have Trainworx or anybody else carve out wood legs for me, I went with what I knew. I get the look (if you don't look too closely ) of a Lionel display layout without the expense. It could be better, but for now it works.
What didn't work was my transformer arrangements. I built a power station a few years back using Playmobil victorian dollhouse expansion floors and strip and sheet styrene. Inside, I installed type K, T and A prewar Lionel transformers. The 150 watt K powers the Standard Gauge train and an air whistle that's hidden inside the powerstation. It also provides juice for the MTH 47 crossing gates and the 45n gateman using the old insulated rail trick. The type A at 60 watts has a max output of only about 14 volts so it just lights the powerhouse and handles overload when neccessary. The type T on the other hand at 100 watts handles the 14 volt lighting on both layouts and the Lionel airplane pylon. I had expected to use the T also to run the O27 line on the upper layout. But with all the lights and such it just can't put out enough umph to run a prewar train which needs close to 22 volts.
So, for the time being it's a clockwork line. I have a handfull of clocks at my disposal, including Hornby, Schylling and Hafners, but the 2 Marx locos are my favorites. Don't look too closely though, at least not if you're a true Marxist! You might see the "Lionel Lines" decals I put on the tender during restoration! Yinkees!!
Holy Macaroni! excellent!
Nice job!
Simply put AMAZING!
Here's the schematic for layout #3:
3 times the action! Finally arriving this year is the Monorail! It had it's first successful test runs today and barring any unforseen issues is ready to roll! There were a lot of quirks to be hammered out, some of them literally, as it went from ground level rail to riding on pylons 6+ inches high. The system is designed for expansion, and eventually it will expand. But since this is the maiden year I'm keeping it localized to Tomorrowland just in case.
Also new is the parade! It's the blue dogbone that snakes through Frontierland, Adventureland, Liberty Square and Fantasyland. Building it gave me 2 large areas to fill. So Dumbo got majorly enhanced and I was able to build The Golden Horshoe saloon for Frontierland. So by adding the Monorail and the parade, there will now be 3 moving "trains" to attract attention!
The DLRR also got a motive power improvement this year in the form of the Lone Ranger General. Compared to the DC powered James Gang General it's replacing, I got pulling power, smoke, sound and detail enhancements. It should also be considerably more reliable.
Unfortunately the combination of a computer failure, personal health issues and a string of ongoing family emergencies has kept me from adding more than half of what I hoped to build this year. But, there's still time for a few more small projects, including 120 MTH figures to be painted, and with luck I may be able to add a surprise or two between now and Thanksgiving.
You do really good work and you have a good creative imagination. I hope the health issues and family problems work out ok and everything gets back to normal for you. I always check your posts to see what you've come up with. Great article in CTT too, by the way.
George
One more fan! Love your work and ingenuity!!
Don
Received my CTT today and enjoyed your article and the photos. It has been years but I used to go to that model shop in Parma.
Stunning layout Becky! And I see by the Fokker E-III, Fokker D-7, and the "Graf Zeppelin" that Max Immelmann, Ernst Udet, and Herr Doktor Hugo Eckener are coming for the holidays!
Get the Red Baron there as well and you'll have a home run!
Wayne
Becky you are talented beyond description!
I was happy to see Marx in the mix.
beautiful work! I tested the Christmas train platform waters with the Household CEO the other day, and was granted permission to start the Chistmas layout after Halloween!! A full month ahed of last year.
Dave
It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody from Toy Story)
Thanks guys!
Test runs:
The pylons are square basswood sections glued to Lionel track clips. The power pylon has a piece of square tubing to help hide the wiring which exits the tube and inserts into fahnestock (sp?) clips inserted into the rails. Marble chips piled on the bases keeps everything from falling over.
The monorail is super cool. I hope you can shoot video of it in action as I'm sure many would like to see it run.
Joe
Disneyland:
More to come!
Like the Disneyland theme, very nice.
Lived in central Fla. for over 30 years and visited Disney world countless times, especially when the boys were young.
Did you scratch build the train station, etc. or were they from kits?
Here is one picture from our last trip before we left Fla.
Becky, just read about your layouts in CTT (I don't like to read the Christmas stories until after Thanksgiving), excellent, excellent, excellent!
Love, love, love the new pics!
Thanks for sharing, Becky.
Dave632 Like the Disneyland theme, very nice. Lived in central Fla. for over 30 years and visited Disney world countless times, especially when the boys were young. Did you scratch build the train station, etc. or were they from kits? Here is one picture from our last trip before we left Fla.
jscola30 Becky, just read about your layouts in CTT (I don't like to read the Christmas stories until after Thanksgiving), excellent, excellent, excellent!
Oh, a purist eh?
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