My Space

[Postwar Paul]

The future awaits... 

this willbe a train room

[Postwar Paul]

Can't wait to get started !

 

[Postwar Paul]

And the G will have a spot as well !

[Postwar Paul]

[Postwar Paul]

Just could'nt wait any longer!!!

[Michael6268]

I don't blame you one bit! I would be anxious too. We sold our house over a year ago and didn't have a new house found. Had to tear the entire layout down and put it into storage with the rest of our stuff.  We moved temporarily to a small apt, and it's been a year and we're still looking for a new house. I'm going to do the same exact thing. On move in day a loop of track is going on the floor in a spare room. I've been waiting a long, time.

[Postwar Paul]

I hope it works out well for you ! This moving stuff is quite an upheaval.We never realized we have this much stuff ! And the trains go on, and on, and I'm still moving them. Haven't gotten to the big furniture yet, got my priorities !!

 It'll be a long slow process for me, wish you the best in your house hunting.

Paul

[Penny Trains]

Go, man, go! 

[Postwar Paul]

Thank you! 

It's lot of work at the moment, but should work out in the long run...

[Postwar Paul]

[Postwar Paul]

Gotta  run a train, or 3. Getting a feel for track plans...

 

[Postwar Paul]

As I start unpacking stuff

[Postwar Paul]

It's easy to get sidetracked...

 

[Postwar Paul]

My favorite Lionel engine

 

[Michael6268]

I'm looking for that same engine. Either a 2020, 671, 681, or 682. Doesn't matter to me. I've never had one but I to think that's one of my favorite engines!

[Postwar Paul]

Yep, all those Turbines are sweet !

Really unique looking engine.

Paul

[Firelock76]

I lucked into a 681 Pennsy Turbine about a month ago.  I wasn't looking for one but it was a case of "Right place, right time, right price."  It's a LOT more impressive in person than it is in photos, and had a "Pennsylvania" tender as well.  Couldn't pass it up.  A great runner, puller, and smoker, and it dates from 1953, just like I do!  We've both aged remarkably well, if I say so myself.

[Postwar Paul]

The 681 is a very special engine. The drives and motor are so good, along with the smoke, and Magnitraction.  What a sweetheart engine!!!

But it was a 1946 version 2020 that was my intro to Toy Trains. That one hooked me something fierce!! It is a completely different engine. It has the "Atomic" motor, and double worm gear drive. It growls as it heads down the track. It has the smoke bulb( which actually Does smoke, if you put a couple of drops on it). And the square 2466wx tender. 

And, there is no E-unit lever coming out of the boiler shell, you just move a plug on the motor to shut off the reverser. It has it's own charm, and so different from the 681.

Paul

[Firelock76]

Ironic, isn't it?  The Turbine worked a lot better for Lionel than it ever did for the PRR!

The whole sad story of the Pennsy Turbine was told quite well in a "Classic Trains" magazine issue several years ago.  Too much to go into here. 

[Postwar Paul]

Yes, I have that issue , too! It's true, what was somewhat of a failed experiment for the Pennsy Was a gold mine for Lionel !!!

And so it goes...

still love the Pennsy

and love those Lionel Turbines

Paul

[lionelsoni]

Bedroom doors almost always open into the room and can seriously constrain the design of a layout.  Because of that, I reversed the door to my train room, by mortising the hinges to the other side of the door stop and filling in the original mortises.  You could also consider simply removing the door(s) and storing them. 

[lion88roar]

Pocket doors are a train room's best friend!

[Firelock76]

Ya know, I was just thinking.  That "Engineered-Hardwood Central" might look a lot better with a Persian carpet under it.

Not a real Persian carpet, mind you.  An inexpensive imitation from Lowes would be good enough.  Preferably with a lot of red in it.

[Penny Trains]

Postwar Paul

It growls as it heads down the track.

My 2035 does the same thing.  To call it "distinctive" isn't quite good enough! 

[Postwar Paul]

Folks, many great ideas, thank you !

I've been mulling over in my mind how best to tackle this.

And for Model Railroaders , it's never enough space. But I'm very thankful for what I do have, and will make the most of it.

Considerations:

this room will somehow need to fit

1. Postwar Lionel

2. American Flyer

3. HO Brass

4. N gauge 

5. On30

please tell me I am not running a fever...

[Postwar Paul]

Penny Trains

 

 

Postwar Paul

It growls as it heads down the track.

 

 

My 2035 does the same thing.  To call it "distinctive" isn't quite good enough! 

 

That 2035 is such a great engine. I'm glad I finally lucked onto one !

[Postwar Paul]

This room is 11' x 11'. Two 30 inch doors open inward in opposite corners. 

Hint:  it may be 11' by 11' square, but the space is a cube. Hmmmmm....

Here are some of my hair brained and half baked ideas...

1. The " wedding cake"

an island  with larger scales circling the bottom, and progressively smaller scales as you go up

2. The " Flying Dog Bone"

an L shaped Dog Bone suspended, and occupying two adjacent walls.

3. The " Grass is always Greener"

two triangular shaped tables with massive bridges flying over a center aisle.

I know if I keep looking at the problem long enough, one day it will just come to me.

It usually does, sooner or later..

[lionelsoni]

Around-the-walls offers more area, longer runs, and gentler curves.  For example, around the walls of an 11-foot square room, with a 3.5-foot maximum reach from the edge, you can get 69.75 square feet and about a 40-foot run, compared to a square table in the middle of the room with 49 square feet and about 25 feet.

[Postwar Paul]

Thanks for the great advice ! Yes, that makes a whole lot more sense.

I also want to get some shelves up to display some trains, and liberate them from their boxes.

 

" Cage Free"

[BrandonWA]

Nice!!!