vintage postwar layouts.

[NVSRR]

This might be a challenge.   All the O scale I have is lionel postwar.  I have been slowly working on a 4X8.  I know the boards were usually painted  scenery back in the 50's.  But I am sure some wanted better scenery.  I have been digging for pictures of layouts from then to see. So far only a hand full have come up. Two have hinted that there was more avaliable in scenery than painted plywood.  In keeping the layout period ccorrect, what did they use, and are there any better pics or vids, outside of the display layouts?  google and bing are coming up dry for vintage pics.  Lots of more modern though.   Thank you

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Plaster of Paris and Paper Mache' were used a lot.  If you are wanting to go full period technique, linchin sawdust, sand will come into play as well.  Go on Ebay and try and find old books on how to mahe train layouts.  AF had a small guide that was included in many of their sets.  Good Luck!

Jim

[ADCX Rob]

These are pics from Ken Schmidt's Facebook post - late 1940's(click on pics for much larger versions):

 

[fifedog]

Look for postings and articles on Frank Ellison's Delta Lines.

 

[NVSRR]

Come to think of it,  not a single model railroader. Article or anything like that popped up

[Billwiz]

fifedog

Look for postings and articles on Frank Ellison's Delta Lines.

 

 

 

August 2008 Model Railroader has an article on the Delta Lines

[Penny Trains]

When Lionel built displays at the factory they would start with green and tan paint.  Green for grass and tan for both roads and "ballast" areas under the track.  While the green paint was wet they would shake sawdust over it to give it both texture and color variation.  Mountains were made by first erecting a plywood frame and usually the tunnel portals also were just plywood painted with the same paint they used on roads.  Then they would cover the mountain framework with felt and apply a hardener like fish glue.  To finish it they would apply green, tan, terra cotta and white paints by hand so no 2 mountains were ever identical.  They would staple lichen to the table surface and that was about the extent of the landscaping on the average factory display.

Lionel sold bags of their sawdust dyed green and also the undyed natural sawdust in the pre and post war eras.  By the 1960's Lionel was buying lichen, trees, sawdust and grass mats from Life-Like to re-sell in Lionel boxes.

Obviously hobbyists and manufacturers have taken things just a bit farther since those days! 

Plaster impregnated paper towels laid over a chicken wire and plywood frame was a very common practice in the postwar era that moved the home layout building hobby forward quite a bit as more people learned how to do it.  Adding ties to track was another easy upgrade for home hobbyists.  One of the simplest and oldest methods is to use popsicle sticks.  Nowadays you can buy them at a craft store and you don't need to eat the popsicles first.  Is that a bad thing? 

[USMCtrainman]

[quote user="NVSRR"]

This might be a challenge.   All the O scale I have is lionel postwar.  I have been slowly working on a 4X8.  I know the boards were usually painted  scenery back in the 50's.  But I am sure some wanted better scenery.  I have been digging for pictures of layouts from then to see. So far only a hand full have come up. Two have hinted that there was more avaliable in scenery than painted plywood.  In keeping the layout period ccorrect, what did they use, and are there any better pics or vids, outside of the display layouts?  google and bing are coming up dry for vintage pics.  Lots of more modern though.   Thank you

 Back in the 50's and 60's (for my brother in the 50's and me in the 60's) my dad used plain, brown paper grocey bags for mountains.  He would cut the bottoms off and then ball them up.  He would then paint them with flat, black and green spray cans with a tad of red added in and he also let some of the brown paper show through in spots.  Then he would ball them up again, flatten them out and staple them together and to the board to make a nice looking mountain.  I seemed to recall his version looking better than the "mountain paper" available at that time.  For tunnel portals, he would just shape them into an arch and staple them to the board.  To add a bit more shape and color, he would glue on lichen in places.  I used this method until I got into building scale layouts years later, but even today if I am just putting up the Flyer for a Christmas garden, I still use dad's paper bag method. Good Luck!   

Mike

[Firelock76]

Welcome aboard USMCtrainman!  And from one old Marine to another, "Semper Fi!"

[USMCtrainman]

Semper Fi Devildog!!!!