# John Bortz S Scale American Flyer Layout



## Hahn (Apr 20, 2013)




----------



## midlifekrisiz (Jan 29, 2013)

jimminy crickets !

and I thought mine was big.....nice layout but could use some more light :thumbsup:


----------



## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

I am missing something - is this like the obituary listing? Or a different John Bortz? This sold at auction 3 weeks ago. 



auctionzip.com said:


> Selling In The Blue Room - The John Bortz Collection Of American Flyer "S" Gage And Scale "S" Gage Trains.


The link.

Judging simply on the size of the collection and layout, Mr. Bortz was a fascinating person.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Please do not post duplicate threads, I've deleted the other one.


----------



## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

I like the use of a ship in it!


----------



## Hahn (Apr 20, 2013)

Yes, unfortunately this was all sold at auction on March 30th. John hand-dug the entire basement for this layout in the 60's with the house already on top of it. He built the house in the 1950's. To get down into it you ad to open up a trap door in the floor and climb down vertical steps. Its pretty amazing the amount of things he had acquired down there. The ship was made for him by one of his friends and is huge. He hadn't really been down there since the late 90's being he could no longer do the steps, so it needed a little TLC to be back to what it once was. Most of the cars where built by kit, or build hand built with brass. He has a machine shop in his garage, and a lathe in the basement so a lot of stuff he made himself. However the entire layout itself is still there like the mountains and trees, just minus the trains and buildings etc. His entire house was also train themed as well, and he is involved in the PA Live Steamers. He has a few of the big ride on trains and a lot of cars, one of the engines he hand built himself out of brass. Just wanted to post this for anyone who ever saw the layout when it was operational. He's still alive, doing fine, and moving around fine, I think he's 92 now. He just moved to a retirement home cause he decided he wanted to sell the house. Sorry for posting twice I posted in the wrong area then couldn't figure out how to delete the first one.


----------



## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

Machine shop in the garage, lathe in the basement...my first impression was correct.

Thanks for sharing the photos.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

At 92, he and his layout are still making people (us here on the 'net) smile! Not a bad end-game!

TJ


----------



## Hahn (Apr 20, 2013)

Not bad at all.


----------

