# A Visit to John & Sue Henninges Layout



## Guest (Sep 19, 2015)

One of the best parts of our hobby are the friendships that you make along the "tracks". We feel blessed to have gotten to know John & Sue as they are two terrific ambassadors of our hobby (Sue is as active as John is). Please let me share some history with you. 

John got his start with model trains thanks to his Dad. His Dad was a long time member of the TCA and never missed a York Meet. So as soon as John was old enough, the York Meet was all about being a Father/Son event. John's Dad loved Standard Gauge and Tinplate trains and was a stickler for trains in pristine condition. Upon the passing of his Dad, John became the very proud owner of his Dad's fabulous collection which of course he cherishes.

John and Sue have very dear train friends who actually introduced them as a couple and then later married them. This long time train couple were good friends of his Dad and Mom. as well. The four of them are regular participants at the York Meet, and at the upcoming Meet, John tells me he is looking for a Lionel Sante Fe 2343 set and a very rare PRR dining car.

John is currently working on his new layout. He first started with the shelving to house his fabulous collection and recently added the benchwork. This layout has great "bones" and will be a combination of Standard & O-Gauge. Not only will the trains be a highlight of the new layout, but all of the wonderful original tinplate accessories will add tremendously to this layout. 

Despite a recent heath issue, John continues to aggressively work on his new layout. In my opinion, for all of us who at one point or another face health problems, trains can be some of the best medicine.

Are John and Sue very special people. YOU BET!!!!!! And to have them as very special friends, is a true blessing to the two of us.

Here are some photos of John & Sue's layout. I have asked him to post his track plan so you can get a better idea of how special this layout will be. And the portrait is by Angela Trotta. Sue commissioned this for a special gift for John's 40th Birthday. It is of John's Dad holding him when he was 2 years old. 

I hope that this makes your day, as last night was very special to us as well.

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## Chris Lonero (Sep 13, 2015)

*WOW!*  Awesome collection of original pre war Lionel! Hope to see some updated pictures of his layout. Thanks for posting Brian.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Brian & Elizabeth, the privilege is ours. We had a great time last night and are very glad you were able to join us, and I know Dad was smiling down on us last night. I sure wish you and he had met--you would've gotten along famously!!
Now I don't mean any disrespect here, but it's a beautiful day and I think you should take some of your own advice: get out on the water today!!


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## MOVL (Aug 23, 2015)

Thanks for sharing, Brian. Glad you all had a good time.

John, you have a wonderful collection and that portrait is something to treasure. Good luck with your layout build.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Very nice Brain, and I love the portrait as a child, what a great memory! John, we look forward to progress reports.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Lots of great stuff Plus a hellgate bridge to boot. But the best thing is the portrait, great stuff and long lasting memories. Please keep us updated on the layout


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Thank you sharing this Brian. You and Elizabeth make the journeys to bring us together. 

The collection is very nice. To have all of those tinplate and standard gauge in sets is so unusual. The Blue Comet is superb. It makes lots of sense to see why John chose that for his handle.


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2015)

*"It makes lots of sense to see why John chose that for his handle."*

That's why I posted a photo of the *Blue Comet*.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Passenger Train Collector said:


> *"It makes lots of sense to see why John chose that for his handle."*
> 
> That's why I posted a photo of the *Blue Comet*.


The Blue Comet. A Jersey special. :thumbsup:

Going to be a nice place to run the trains.
You have a nice standard gauge collection going on, O too. :smilie_daumenpos:

You have any empty shelves to add to?
I don't see any. 

Very nice. :smokin::thumbsup:


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2015)

Ed, here are so more photos of John & Sue's layout.

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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

WOW... All of these were very popular with collectors 30-50+ years ago, you just don't see them anymore. The next generation has moved on to Legacy, DCS, detail, authenticity, etc. I do not have any model train friends who have collections like this. Thankfully John kept it all together when he received them. It is an impressive collection.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

He does have a ton of tinplate, I'll bet Chris is drooling!


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2015)

Wonderful layout John and great pictures PTC.... thanks for sharing.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I see a Lionel #1100 and a 1107?:smilie_daumenpos:
I had to google for the 1107, I don't think I ever saw that before.

Do they run? Does Pluto have his ears?
Must of paid a good buck for those, unless they are pass me downs.

I do see a little more room to add a few more shelves.:thumbsup:

What are the plans for decorating the table?


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2015)

Ed, *everything* runs. The equipment is in pristine condition and John intends to run all of it when the layout is finished.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

His tinplate collection is stunning. I drool just looking at it . . . 

So far I have resisted the urge to get into tinplate. the only tinplate I have is my father's original pre-war Marx wind-up set, and a duplicate I bought and fitted with a modern can motor drive so I can run it on my layout. 

Tinplate is seriously cool: good looking, interesting in how its made, colorful and fun and so nostalgic of times when we were kids. The locos, the cars, and the buildings and accessories, too, are just really nice. It would be very easy to fall under its spell and become addicted, so I try to keep far outside the "event horizon" pull of it's influence: I know if I got too close it would pull me in like a black hole, regardless of how hard ti tried to resist!

And besides, where would I get all the shelves I'd need?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Passenger Train Collector said:


> Ed, *everything* runs. The equipment is in pristine condition and John intends to run all of it when the layout is finished.


It looks to me like he needs some more shelf space.
I wonder how much he would sell that Blue Comet train to me for. :thumbsup:

What are the plans for the table top?
Village 56 buildings? Other?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Lee, shelf space is certainly a consideration for your tinplate expansion, I don't know where you'd put them either!


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2015)

Ed, I hope John chimes in here. I know he was going up to the lake house yesterday. 

He has many tinplate accessories that will be used on the layout. When complete, the layout will be a standout.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Thank you all, for the kind words. Sue and I are most grateful to have met Brian & Elizabeth, and we hope to meet all of you as well. For us train guys, it can be lonely up here in northern New England. 

Toy trains have been a huge part of my life, for all of my life. I watched Dad build this collection, often times going with him to look at--and hopefully buy--new additions. He bought a lot of them from people who responded to his weekly newspaper ad, and actually started collecting by having a prewar Standard Gauge Blue Comet given to him in the mid 1960's. You read that right--someone gave him a Standard Gauge Blue Comet with all the original boxes, including the outer set box, and that was how his collection began. With the exception of a few postwar and Modern Era Standard Gauge items, the collection is predominantly prewar tinplate. It's a relatively small collection, but it's quality condition. I agree with Wood, and I bet most guys my age would say these are a pile of old clunkers, but to me they're simply the best. Running these old trains is great medicine--it takes me back to a simpler time and gives me a feeling of "everything's going to be ok." I have a great deal of admiration and respect for all of you who have mastered running the new trains with all the electronics. Maybe someday I'll venture into that world, but I think it's safe to say I'll always be a prewar tinplate guy at heart. That's one of the things I love about this hobby--there's something for everyone. 

Whenever someone asks if Sue is supportive of the hobby, I don't have to say much--all I have to do is show them the painting. If that doesn't show that she is a supportive spouse, I don't know what does. She's the best. 

And, yes, I plan on running everything--well, almost. I don't have any T-rail track, so I can't run the Lionel 700-E scale Hudson or scale PRR B-6 switcher. I probably won't run the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck handcars either as they're very fragile and all original. Other than that, everything will be run. As Stan Roy said in his video many years ago, "If I wanted something to look at, "I'd collect art." 

As soon as I can figure out how to post my track plan, I'll do that. 
Have a great night everyone!!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You guys are up in an _out of the way place_, that's for sure.  One of the reasons I look forward to York is a lot of like minded folks gather in one place, and it's a great time. I'm only going to be there Thurs-Fri this fall, but I think I may stay a bit longer in the spring.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

WOW, just WOW! Great Stuff!


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Ed, Pluto still has his ears--although his left ear is a little shorter than the right. 

Benchwork is by Tim Foley of Mianne, with 1/2" plywood. Tabletop at this point is going to be homasote painted a neutral color. We used green in the past, but I really like the way a neutral color such as tan doesn't compete with the bright colors of the prewar trains and accessories. It's going to be all one level as I haven't had much luck in the past at getting these old trains to climb grades very well. My main objective for the track is to keep it all O-72 curves on the mainlines and have the track stable and fastened down securely. I believe these trains should be run--and I'm confident that if start with "good bones" as Brian said, and the track is secure and stable, I'll be able to run just about everything I have with minimal risk.


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## tabkld93 (Oct 18, 2012)

Great collection. I love tinplate


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## PatKn (Jul 14, 2015)

Thanks for posting Brian. Fantastic collection and the portrait is really something special.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2015)

Pat, John and Sue are wonderful ambassadors of our hobby. The moment you step into their train room. it becomes a magical experience.

Their tinplate collection is one of the best I have ever seen. You can just get lost in all that brilliant color. You have to love it all!!!!!!!


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Lee, I know just where you can go to get more shelves: Dick Wachtman of Trainshelf in the Orange Hall at York. I bought all my shelves from Dick, and I think his product is fantastic--easy to install, they take up less space than wood shelves, and Dick is a great guy to do business with. It's investment-grade shelving, but worth it in the long run.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Good evening all, 
Sorry for the delay in posting our track plan. I promised Brian I would post it, so here it is. Nothing too elaborate; the goal here was to give the trains as much running room as possible, while still allowing room for my 3 biggest accessories (Terrace, Hell Gate Bridge, and Power Station). There will be other accessories that aren't on here, but I'll add them as I build the layout. Track clearances may very well be too tight in spaces, so I'm sure I'll have to make adjustments, but this gives a basic idea. There won't be a lot of elaborate 
switching / making up trains; instead, the plan is to keep multiple trains on the layout and move them from sidings to mainline. Since many of my trains only have hand-reverse units, I tried to stay with passing sidings wherever possible. 
If anyone has any suggestions, don't be bashful!!


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2015)

Thanks fort posting your track plan, John. It is a good one for sure. 

If members go back to the photos I posted, you can really relate to the track plan.


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## davidone (Apr 20, 2015)

It is so great to see a collection of these wonderful trains stay in the family. You and your dad had something special.

Amazing trains and your layout will do them justice. 

Thanks PTC for letting us know about these wonderful trains and a great couple who have them.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

*Bluecomett400 posted: There won't be a lot of elaborate 
switching / making up trains; instead, the plan is to keep multiple trains on the layout and move them from sidings to mainline. Since many of my trains only have hand-reverse units, I tried to stay with passing sidings wherever possible.*

John it looks very nice. Your comment above states the reasoning behind the continuous ovals and the ample sidings for multiple consists. I know the older units can be difficult to switch around but my one suggestion is to incorporate a wye. That way you can do some playing with your trains. A wye will give you the ability to reverse the direction of the engine. It does not look like you have enough space to reverse an entire consist, but maybe.

Keeping your overall layout I could only find one place to incorporate a wye and it is roughly drawn in the picture below. I assume the Hell's Gate bridge will be elevated so my suggested track runs under the bridge. Just a thought.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Wood, that's the one thing I'd love to fit in here: a way to change directions. I'm pretty sure I could do it if I were willing to go to curves tighter than O-72, but I really don't want to give up the wide radius curves. I guess we all face the same challenge when designing our layouts: a finite amount of space.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Good luck John. It is going to look very nice and will give you lots of pleasure. I am just a track junkie and love to fiddle around.

Ps - Last thought, you might be able to put a dogbone in the center. You would loose the middle of that open space. See I told you I was track junke....


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

I've turned into a junkie too--it's very easy to lose yourself in designing a track plan. The layout is built into a corner, with the top and left sides being against walls, so I really need the opening in the center to have access to all of the layout and the trains on the walls. Plus, I like having an opening in the middle so visitors can get a closer look at things. There will be a drawbridge spanning the opening, making it easy to get into the middle. If you ever make it up our way, we'd love to have you visit. You'll see that I've squeezed just about all I can into the space we have. Maybe someday I'll fill in part of the middle to add a reverse loop, but I have my doubts. No stimulus money was awarded to this railroad, so I have to stay within a budget.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

John, Thank you so much for the invite. My wife and I do make it up to Maine. My Brother lives outside of Bangor and we try to make Brian and Elizabeth's open house each year. Brian, Elizabeth and Kathy and I are planning a get together in Portland sometime in late fall, meeting at DiMillos, maybe we could all get together. Good luck with your plan.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2015)

*"Brian, Elizabeth and Kathy and I are planning a get together in Portland sometime in late fall, meeting at DiMillos, maybe we could all get together."
*
That is a super plan, Wood. We are in.


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## steam chaser (Feb 21, 2011)

Very very nice, going to be a nice train room.How many cars and locos in your collection.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

steamchaser, I don't have an exact count, but compared to a lot of collections, it's relatively small. There are some items I want to add, but that's a long ways off. Right now the focus is on completing the layout so we can run what we have.

Brian, we'd love to meet up at DiMillo's. Great company, great food, and we get to eat on a boat. How great is that!!???!!!


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2015)

Perfect John, we will work out the details over a nice dinner at the York Meet.

Nice part about Di Millo's, I rode it when it was in service as a ferry boat.


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