# New Member Layout Photos



## LionelFan

Hello, I am a new member here and thought I would post some photos of my layout and train room. I started building my layout 20-years ago but have not worked on it for about five years.

I hope you enjoy the photographs.


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## MichaelE

That's a lot of equipment. Nice layout and welcome aboard.


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## LionelFan

*Just A Few More Photos*

Here are a few more!


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## LostInHoboken

*A classic!*

That is a beautiful “classic” Lionel train layout! The Plasticville buildings and the three-rail track immediately take me back to my childhood!


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## LionelFan

Thank you for the comments. I kind of like a mixture of the older Lionel trains and accessories, and the newer items. I bought what I could find and afford.

I can run three trains independently at a time, and along with the whistles going it is almost to loud to talk over. I really like it that way. I also own several sound cars but I seldom use them as I am not sure they could be heard.


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## Guest

You have a very nice layout LionelFan. I really like the center backdrop/access hole. It gives you access to the middle of the layout and the backdrop view block makes the layout seem considerable larger. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## GNfan

I never quite understood what Arlo Guthrie meant by "The passengers will please refrain" until I took Amtrak


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## LionelFan

Just a couple of more pictures for now. I may try my hand at some close-up photos one of these days.


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## Fire21

I like the layout, but your wall displays are especially impressive! Well done! :appl:


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## LionelFan

Fire21 said:


> I like the layout, but your wall displays are especially impressive! Well done! :appl:


Thank you, much appreciated.


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## traction fan

*WOW!*



LionelFan said:


> Hello, I am a new member here and thought I would post some photos of my layout and train room. I started building my layout 20-years ago but have not worked on it for about five years.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the photographs.
> 
> View attachment 498030
> 
> 
> View attachment 498032
> 
> 
> View attachment 498034
> 
> 
> View attachment 498036


LionelFan;

First of all your layout, your train collection, and your train room decor, all look fantastic! :appl: 
You mentioned, in an earlier post, that age was keeping you from getting under the table. (I know the feeling!) Do you need to get into the middle access hole much? 

Much as I detest "Duck Under" access of any sort; I have an unavoidable "crawl under" access hole on my N-scale layout. This was OK, sort of, when I was younger and more flexible, It's a different story now that I am neither young, nor flexible! :smilie_auslachen:
I "converted" it into a "Sit down and roll under" by using a small, caster-equipped, round red rolling stool from Harbor Freight tools. www.harborfreighttools.com Maybe that will help you get under too?

Regards;

Traction Fan


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## LionelFan

traction fan,

I can still get under my table, but I pay for it dearly the next day. 

You may already know this, with Lionel there are lots of items that "work" if they are wired up. I really like lights on my layouts, but each light means wiring it with electricity. I already have some equipment that works ie: old Lionel whistle, some crossing lights and others.

I have a Lionel hobby shop, last photo next to the McDonald's on my layout, and when electrified it has a working layout w/train that runs inside of it. But I will probably never wire it to run. Such is life, but I enjoy what I already have.


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## DennyM

Lionfan, very nice layout. That's quite a collection you have.


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## LionelFan

Thank you DennyM. Buying/building Lionel has been an almost 40-year hobby for me.

I started buying Lionel equipment some 10 years before I built a Lionel layout. I just kept stacking track and trains on a shelf. My wife kept asking me what I was going to do with it. I kept telling her I was going to build a O gauge railroad. She kept telling me we didn't have room. This went on for years.

Then we moved to a house with a basement!!! What a railroad. But we moved again and I downsized my railroad to the one I now have had for almost 20-years.

Buying Lionel equipment took great faith that I would someday build an O scale railroad, and it took great patience by my wife to put up with my buying Lionel equipment. It was worth the effort.


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## Panther

Nice set up.
Is that Daylight Special on the top shelf O gauge or HO ?
Could you tell me who made it ?
Dan


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## LionelFan

Panther said:


> Nice set up.
> Is that Daylight Special on the top shelf O gauge or HO ?
> Could you tell me who made it ?
> Dan


Yes I bought the Lionel O Daylight Special new. If I remember correctly I also bought one extra car that came out later. This was back around 25 years ago so. I never actually ran it, just thought it was special!


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## LionelFan

Thought I would add a photo of my engine section.


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## traction fan

*Whatever works*



LionelFan said:


> traction fan,
> 
> I can still get under my table, but I pay for it dearly the next day.
> 
> You may already know this, with Lionel there are lots of items that "work" if they are wired up. I really like lights on my layouts, but each light means wiring it with electricity. I already have some equipment that works ie: old Lionel whistle, some crossing lights and others.
> 
> I have a Lionel hobby shop, last photo next to the McDonald's on my layout, and when electrified it has a working layout w/train that runs inside of it. But I will probably never wire it to run. Such is life, but I enjoy what I already have.


LionelFan;

As long as you're having fun, and the system you have works for you, that's all that matters. I don't like the sound of that "I pay dearly the next day," though.  I have "been there, and done that." hwell:
It would probably be physically possible, though very painful, for me to crawl back to the access hole on my layout.
Since having my knees replaced several years ago, crawling, or even getting down on a knee, hurts a lot. I find the rolling stool idea a whole lot more comfortable. I checked the Harbor Freight website and I could not find the same stool that I use. Maybe they don't carry it anymore. A goggle search showed that Home Depot carries the exact same stool, and Walmart and Amazon have similar stools. They are listed under "Rolling stools, medical" if you want to take a look.

Yes, I remember O-gage Lionel and all the operating accessories. Great stuff! My first experience with electric trains was a Lionel O-gage layout that my brother and I had many years ago. I also remember the great Christmas Lionel train displays at a local department store. Boy's heaven! 

While I still like Lionel trains, (Who doesn't! :laugh: ) as I moved on into HO-scale, and later into N-scale, I got involved in trying to make each layout more realistic looking, and operating. For instance, my present N-scale layout is based on the Milwaukee Road in the Seattle Washington area. I model two eras, the 1920s & the 1950s. My particular interest is in passenger service, and electric locomotives (hence the Milwaukee Rd.) 
Seattle is a bit unusual in that four big, transcontinental lines all terminated within a single city block. The Northern Pacific, and Great Northern used King St. Station, and the Union Pacific, and Milwaukee Road, used Seattle Union Station. Both beautiful stations have been preserved, and restored. The two are also right across the street from each other. Amtrak still uses King St. Station and Union station is used as a public meeting hall. The photos below show my N-scale model of Seattle Union Station. 
Back in the times I model, the Northwest Limited, Empire Builder, Union Pacific's M-10000 & "Cites" streamliners, and The Olympian Hiawatha. Would all have been calling at these two stations, along with dozens of other, less famous, trains.

As for wiring structure lights, You might find it easier to use above-the-table wiring. There are lots of very flat ribbon cables available that could be laid on top of the plywood, and under say, a grass mat, or streets/other scenery. Another possibility, especially doable in O-gage, would be to use small gage magnet wire, strung on telephone/power poles, with drops to feed power into the buildings, just like the real thing!

Since nobody but the fictional "Benjamin Button" grows any younger over time, You might consider some sort of long-term plan to allow you to continue using, and repairing as needed, your nice layout.
How much clearance is there between the bottom of your train layout and the floor? The lower level of my layout is 48" above the floor, and the upper level is 66" off the floor. My rolling stool, at it's minimum height adjustment, is 17" high. I'm 6'-6" tall and I can roll under my layout on the stool. With some ducking, I can roll under in my office chair with it's seat 21" above the floor. 
My layout is actually higher than I want it, now that I can't stand up for very long. When we move up to Oregon, in two years, I plan to drop the height a foot, so I guess I'll need a shorter stool. 

Keep on having fun!

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## LionelFan

traction fan,

Very nice union Station!


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## Big Ed

Nice.......a Classic. :smilie_daumenpos:

What are the bottles in the one picture?

You say they might never get lighted?
Why?
Because it would involve going under the table?


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## LionelFan

Big Ed

The bottles are creamer bottles. They were used for adding cream to coffee and i guess tea.

I have had the bottles for many years. They may be reproductions, or not, makes no difference to me I liked them and they were not expensive. I also liked the plates and silverware marked by the railroads, but those were really costly, so I bought other things. I do have original locks, lanterns, matches etc. I also have some cancelled railroad stock certificates.

Yes, I have elected to not do any more wiring as I can't work under the table like I could 20 years ago. Stringing wire and making 200-300 electrical connections is not high on my priority list.


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## Guest

You have a beautiful collection. Welcome to the MTF.

You might want to consider posting to the *O-Gauge topic* where most of us in that gauge hang out. If you look at the number of new threads and posts for the O-Gauge topic, you will note that.


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## Guest

Wow! This is great stuff. Especially the Seattle Union Station. You should be posting these on the O Gauge Section of this Forum. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing.

Emile


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## LionelFan

TheBigCrabCake said:


> Wow! This is great stuff. Especially the Seattle Union Station. You should be posting these on the O Gauge Section of this Forum. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> Emile


Thank you TBCC.


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## traction fan

*Seattle Union Station model*



TheBigCrabCake said:


> Wow! This is great stuff. Especially the Seattle Union Station. You should be posting these on the O Gauge Section of this Forum. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> Emile


Emile;

I think you may be confused about who built what in the photos in this thread. Thanks for the compliment on my model of Seattle Union Station. My scratch-built/ kitbashed model is N-scale, so there wouldn't be much point in posting it on the O-scale forum. It is already in the "Structures" form. 


The nice Lionel layout, and collection, are by LionelFan, not me (Traction Fan) He has already posted his photos of his great-looking layout, and collection, in the O-scale forum.

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Diesel Fuel

Like the shelves with your train collection.


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## LionelFan

Thank you!

I have been having just a few problems getting mine to run dependably, due to the electrical twist connectors on my wiring. The wiring is approaching 20-years old now.

I spent some time this week soldering some of the connections and that has helped. I also took some time to pull my engines and lube them.


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## Spence

Very nice layout. :thumbsup: The display shelves are fantastic.:appl:


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## LionelFan

Thank you Spence!


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## QueenoftheGN

lot of cars!


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## LionelFan

firescales22 said:


> lot of cars!


Hello firescales! 

I came from a model railroading family. My father liked model railroading and we started building HO trains during the the late 1950's.

I started getting interested again in railroading in 1975 and had a nice running N scale layout in an extra bedroom. While I liked the N scale, what I really liked was the rattling, banging, clattering sound of an O gauge train running! So in 1980 I started buying Lionel.

My O equipment was bought a bit here and a bit there over many years. I still have a good amount of cars and Lionel equipment still in the boxes stored and never used.

While I no longer build, I still run my railroad often and I never tire of the the sound of a vintage Lionel whistle, or the clatter of an O gauge engine and cars moving along the rails.


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## Cousin Eddie

Very nice looking layout! I use tubular too I love the classic look! I run O27 tho not true O. Looks great!


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