Traditional - Mainline

[traindaddy1]

Hi! I think I asked this before but don't recall too many responses. So, here goes again!

Do you mix the Traditional size accessories (crossing gates, signals etc.) with the smaller Mainline more scale size ones or do you stay with one size on your layouts?  Also, do you have any opinions about the smaller sizes?

The reason I'm asking is that my current layout has the Traditional size accessories along with a number of Plasticville items.  Every Summer, I kind-of look ahead to the Fall with ideas about changing things. As always, many thanks.

[sir james I]

The old advice go with what you like is still the thing. I did remove the Lionel signals and crossing gates but the operating accessories and plasticville will always be part of my layout. I took the items that I removed and put them on a shelf, then wired them to the layout. Sooo I can still watch signals change, crossing flashers blink, ect.

[Seayakbill]

I will incorporate just about any accessory on my layout, from the detailed to whimsical, from large to small. I do try to use some sort logic where I don't have a large signal next to a small signal. Same as the little people, try to keep em sized appropriately for the scene. 

[EIS2]

My layout is strictly toy train oriented.  I don't care one iota about scale.  All I care about is the smiles on my grandchildren's faces when they come to see the layout.

Earl

[ChiefEagles]

Trying to stay more toward scale accessories.  Now with the rolling stock, I have a lot of scale but mix in some semi-scale too.  After all, when you look at a train go by, you see all sizes of cars mixed together.   Nothing wrong with semi-scale accessories.  Each person has their own preference.  What suits you is what is right.    

[jwse30]

 I don't mix the accessories. They are all traditional sized for me. The citizens of Plasticville tend to ignore anything smaller and accidents would abound.

My layout is U shaped. I think if I were to mix traditional and scale signals on my layout, I'd put all the scale ones on one side of the U, and all the traditional on the other. Perhaps I'd use some Flyer or other smaller traditional sized signals at the bottom of the U as a transition.

Sir James,

I wouldn't mind hearing about your shelf display. Do you have any pictures to share, particularly of how the wiring is routed between the layout and the shelf? What turns them on and off? 

 

J White

 

 

 

[joetrains]

   I have tradional Lionel accesories, a few Marx, Plasticville and a couple of AF items. Actually there is nothing really scale on the tables.

[traindaddy1]

Thanks, so much, for all of your responses.  Appreciate it.

[brianel027]

I have a different approaqch since I have a small layout where space is at a premium. I tend to lean twoards the tradional stuff, but I like to make it "smaller" so it fits in better with a small layout. For example, the MARX origin K-Line Crossing Gate is much smaller to begin with than the Lionel one. I took my K-Line Crossing Gate, after painting the arm white with red stripes, and mounted it the the lower base of the accessory flush with the layout surface. In other words, I made a hole in the layout surface for the base to mount flush, which makes the overall size seem smaller.

Another case is where I cut the height down of my Banjo Signal by carefully cutting the pole above the metal base of the accessory... you want to be careful not to cut the wire inside. Then I made a new base out of pine and drilled a hole into the wood where the Banjo Suignal would insert into the wood, this time not being as tall.

I also scratch built by own cross bucks where they are more in line with scale height. I wasn'ty worried so much about scale proportion with any of these projects. But just rather wanted to make the accessories a little smaller so they didn't attract more attention than I wanted them to on a small layout.

I've done other things too, like making the platform and roof of my operating MTH Freight Station smaller (cutting off some from each side) and constructed a new base for my K-Line Junction Tower so that the stairway does not jut away from the tower but wraps around in front of the tower, so that the owverall footprint is smaller. I built a whole new base for my K-Line Diesel Fueling Station too, making that smaller but with some added details.

PS: sorry for typos, I fix them then see more after I post. My computer keyboard is smaller than before and I cannot get used to the smaller sized keys. I could never text message anyone... beats me how people use those dinky keys. I miss my really lrge old keyboard.

[dsmith]

I have traditional size Lionel crossing gates, crossing signals, banjo signal and semaphore on my 027 tubular layout.  The only change I made was cutting down the height of the crossing signal by about 3/4" in height.  I have become accustomed to the large size of the accesories so it doen't bother me but several years ago I also had the operating Gateman and Flagman on the layout, but the large size of the figures finally got to me and I took those accesories off the layout.  I do use a couple larger 1/32 size vehicles near the railroad crossing at the front of the layout so the size difference doesn't look as outrageous as it normally would with 1/48 or 1/64 sized vehicles.

[traindaddy1]

Brianel:   DSmith:  Thanks for your posts. 

[pennsylvaniabill]

Of course go with whatever makes you happy; I have always had a problem with scale. Even when I was a kid I did not like when my Dad's Lionels and accessories did not match in scale; I just sensed something was "off". And while it still bothers me a little, it doesn't keep me from having fun, and I want to include his O27 trains on my layout. That is why I'm building a layout with a mix of O-scale and O27 trains, but accessories and buildings will be mostly O-scale. I think I'm like others who like to have realism mixed with the classic look and incredible mechanics involved with antique toy trains. I do love to see layouts that show the whimsical, toy-like side of the O gauge hobby, where scale doesn't matter, but I can't bring myself to build my layout like that; I guess I have some kind of OCD or something. Anyway, I think when people look at layouts in other scales, they expect everything to be as close to scale as possible, but with O gauge, you have the freedom to do whatever you want, scale or not, and it will be accepted and enjoyed regardless!

[hrin]

 Think I read somewhere that some people put smaller items toward the back of the layout to force perspective. Will have a U shaped layout one of these days soon so for me its not that far away to the back of the layout. But will experiment when I get there.

[Southwest Chief]

We try to keep everything close in scale.  Since we love Plasticville, the layout was mainly designed around what works best with it:

 

 

 

[Buckeye Riveter]

If you want to see one of the best G Scale layouts, click on Southwest Chiefs link above.  Makes my G scale look like a Brio layout.

[dsmith]

 Here is a photo at the front of my layout.  The crossing flasher has been shortened about 3/4".  I have placed larger vehicles at the front.  The red truck is 1/32 scale and the white pickup is 1/43.  I put smaller 1/48 - 1/64 scale at the back.