1960s Themed Lionel Easter Door Layout

It began as one thing and evolved into another. . The more that I sat and looked at my original version of this Easter Layout, the more it was reminding me of my 1950s themed Christmas layout.  I wanted the Easter layout to be different.  But how?  After some thinking the thought hit me, "If the Christmas layout was 1950s themed, why not make the Easter layout 1960s themed and populate it with space and military items?"

The Easter layout uses 027 track, as opposed to the 031 track used on the Christmas layout, and is built on a 36"X80" Luan door.  This layout features equipment that might have appeared on a 1960s era layout. Some of the equipment and accessories are original post war and some are Lionel's re-issue of those post war items.  This layout definitely has a space age feel to it.

Original post war accessories on the layout are:  Rotary Beacon, Floodlight Tower and Rocket Launcher. Re-issue accessories include the Control Tower , Radar Tower Street Lamps and Billboards.

Original post war equipment that I'm running on the layout consists of:  #202  UP alco,  #41 Army switcher, 3665 Minuteman car,3519 Satellite Launching car, cabooses 6257 and 6017 and a post war flat with an Auburn Rubber Company tank mounted on it.

Post War re-issues include: 6413 Mercury Capsule car, 6407 Flat Car With Rocket  and the Timkin Box Car.

The layout was complete with an Easter Egg tree. I though, "Fine!  This all works well."  As the days went by I came to realize that something was missing.   I spent several days pondering over what could possibly be the spark that was missing from my 1960s themed layout. My thoughts turned to my childhood and I recalled that year of long ago when my parents purchased an aluminum Christmas tree.  Oh how I loathed that sterile silver abomination!  It absolutely ruined the holiday for me.  That sour memory led me to think of other, more pleasant memories, and the aluminum tree was buried deep within my brain where it would hopefully stay for a like number of years.

One night, as I sat here looking at the Easter platform there was an epiphany and unthinkable  thought popped  back into my conscious mind, Seconds later, the unspeakable words escaped my lips, "What holiday symbol better represents the 1960s era more than one of those dreaded (in my eyes) aluminum  trees? Extrapolation of that thought became ," Not an aluminum Christmas tree but  an Easter Egg tree?"

Shortly thereafter, I picked  up a four-foot aluminum tree on E-Bay and placed it on the platform.  It's funny how time changes us.  I love that aluminum Easter Egg Tree.  All that was needed was the right tree topper and some serious searching produced it.  Some folks call it an atomic tree topper.  It's art deco in style and compliments the style of the tree and the space themed layout quite well.

Now I have a layout that is quite unique in nature.  It literally screams, "1960s" when you look at it.  It was fun to do and truly looks nothing like my Christmas layout.