TJ's Trains 2017.....Lionel Postwar Layout
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- čas přidán 11. 10. 2017
- After several years of building and operating my high rail layout, I got the urge to take a step back in time and build a Lionel postwar layout reminiscent of the display layouts of the '50s.
This layout has no scenery, exposed wiring, a bright green grass mat and over scale accessories. In other words, it has all of the charm of postwar Lionel.
It features the Lionel postwar sets I have acquired so far and I have included the catalog covers and pages from which those sets were introduced.
The trains, track and transformers are all Lionel with a brief nod to AC Gilbert's Erector set and a Marx Girard whistling station.
As I collect more sets and accessories, I will shoot more video.
Until then, I hope you have fun watching my newest 4K video venture into the past.
Here is a link to part 2...... • TJ's Trains: Lionel Po...
Enjoy!
TJ - Zábava
you make us post war operations very proud of your work
Great Video! I like the way you show the catalog, then show the sets in the catalog running. Thanks for posting.
Thank you John, I appreciate your nice comments!
The Post War 50s finest trains ever made! Now that's what I call an operation! PJLINY THANK YOU!
Classic Lionel postwar! That’s back when this stuff was made well and in the USA as long as u care for it! It will run right on. Very nice layout thanks for posting.
The grand finale was the best!
Love the noise!
Thank you! The smell of hot oil and ozone as well as the lights and noise is what makes postwar Lionel so special.
Awesome..good memories of my Lionel trains in the late 50's
Love those postwar trains. I have some also. Love your layout and track plan. Thanks for the video.
Thank you Rick, I appreciate your comment. Enjoy your trains!
Hghhĥĥĥ u yyuytĝĝÿĝ g u yuÿuy y huuĥĥyhh
OUTSTANDING. I love it.
What a treat!!! Thank you for taking the time to post this fantastic video and for sharing your collection. Absolutely beautiful. Regards, Donny
Thank you sir!
Donald Lamendola, RN I'm either going N OR Z. ROOM AND FINANCIAL RESTRAINTS.
EXTREMELY well done! EXCELLENT camera work, GREAT sound, AWESOME special effects, and creative editing. FINALLY a postwar Lionel video with actual postwar trains - not like others who call their's postwar but have modern cars pulled by postwar engines. This is PURE.
This is the REAL DEAL and I LOVE IT!!
Also love the background walls loaded with Tonka trucks - its like being inside a postwar toy store.
If possible, show more of the US Navy set #1633 in another video.
Again, FANTASTIC JOB.
Wow, thank you Paul. I really appreciate your nice comments. I would love to re-create a 1950s-1960s hobby shop in my basement....Tonka, Erector, Tinker Toys, Lionel, Lincoln Logs, etc.
I will try to shoot some of the Navy set by itself and post it.
TJ
That would be great. Run more sets if you have them. It's obvious you have a passion for postwar, as do I. Thanks for your video and all those keen toys around the room!!
Hi Paul,
I just completed a short video showing the 1633 Navy set. czcams.com/video/gkRkbnV6YAg/video.html
Awesome layout and neat video
Great upload. It's amazing how quiet the trains are by simply using Astroturf and cardboard roadbed. My layout is covered by Homosate with a strip of adhesive window insulation under each tie of my Lionel O tubular track. I find it rather peculiar that so many hobbyist build layouts using Lionel Fastrack for their postwar trains. The Fastrack is loud, does not look like right and because the rails are not magnetic, Magnatration trains will not work correctly on it.
GREAT VIDEO of those 50's lionel sets!
Brings back fond memories as a kid in the early 50's.
Great that you have a marx girard whistleing station, also that it works.
I still have the same, and it still works today, all these years. It came with my first train set a marx at christmas from santa.
oh those glorious Lionel catalogs !
love the fade to black and white with the 50s tv commercial voice-over.
also the nod to your non-Lionel truss bridge.
Gilbert ruled in that department.
"Erector Set" was to construction kits what "Lionel" was to electric trains.
Hi! Thank You for taking me back to the Early '60's! While playing with my *Lionel* Train Set, I could smell the Electricity in the air above the tracks. and I still felt safe! I would lay my head right next to a "turn" curve on the tracks and "trust" my black Lionel Engine to make that turn and miss my face every Goddam time. Aw golly gee, I sure had to make sure my *Mom* wasn't looking though.
LOL, glad I could take you back Tuck. Stay as long as you like!
Love the erector set bridge and the corrugated cardboard rail bed. I used the same cardboard for my O 27 track! Great minds think alike!
Yes indeed, thanks!
Lionel used to be made here in NJ back in the day.
I grew up in NJ, then moved to MI were Lionel moved to also. First in Mt. Clemens, MI then to Chesterfield Twp, MI. Each of those times I lived less then 2 miles from the factories and outlet stores.
bobby D that must have been fun
I just started Lionel
Tomorrow me and my parents are going by a store to buy some Lionel fast rack and maybe some other accessories ( caboose, etc)
“Wish me luck”
Also I really love the layout (postwar layout)
Good luck with your new venture!
@@isellu you love bmw cars?
Love the Tonka display as well. 😆
Thanks Mark! They say you're never too old to have a happy childhood.
See this video about my Tonka trucks.....czcams.com/video/pkzowxq7RrE/video.html
This is so beautiful
Thank you!
Like how you did all the cool editing. Classic Lionel all the way. 😎
• Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂
Thanks neighbor!
Yes we are, I am from the sunrise side and you are on the sunset side. 🚆
Very nice indeed!
I appreciate your comments, as always, Porsche.
One day I'll be able to save up for a post war setup. One day...
Those trains are better than the new models. I want all trains❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
σας ευχαριστώ!
You have the essentials. You need a Hellgate Bridge, a Pennsylvania turbine locomotive, and a four car auto carrier,
LOL, yeah there is always something more to add. I am a little short on steamers and a 671 is on my short list to add. I don't think I have room for the Hell Gate bridge, but I do have the 4 car auto loader. It's just not part of a complete set yet. Thanks for watching!
Wow!!!!! That's all I can say!
I really love yer layout. I would never have thought to use plain ole cardboard as roadbed. Think I'll do that when I build my 027 Lionel layout. I did notice that the accessories are totally too big for the scale, but what the heck. I've got a few and they look giant compared to the accessories for my HO scale layout. I also like the tracks that are above the rest of the layout.
Thanks Rusty. Yes, most of the accessories are way too big but that adds to the charm and reminds us that these are toys, not really meant to be scale models.
I wanted to create something like a kid would have done in the '50s so the cardboard seemed like a good fit.
Have fun with your trains!
TJ
@@isellu Thanks for the reply. The giant accessories do add a nice charm to what a kit would have in the '50's. I have collected a few accessories over the years to go with my 2036 Adriatic engine train set I got back in the early 1950's. Since then I've added a few engines and rolling stock to actually make a Lionel layout. Can't wait to get started. Thanks again for the ideas.
Wow! I'd never leave my garage if I had even 1% of this stuff and I'm a "grown up" whatever that means
We're never too old to have a happy childhood Marck!
one thing i noticed about Lionel (I had a layout in the 70's). Lionel does not care about scale! Especially in 027 scale. The crossing bar is bigger than the church! the Santa fe F3 is '0' scale.... that was a little more realistic. What did i know at 15 years old ...
Exactly! when I was a kid I had some used Lionel but was always bothered by the lack of attention to scale. HO trains captured my eye and I spent the next 25 years building and operating HO and N scale layouts. Then MTH and other scale sized 3 rail trains became available and I transitioned to the close-to-scale 3 rail O gauge segment of the hobby.
Finally about 7 years ago the nostalgia bug bit me and I decided to build this postwar style layout and I collect and operate postwar trains for fun. Thank you for watching!
@@isellu Thanks for your video. There is this old Windows game called Railroad Tycoon. 2.. that's my last tie to 'model railroading' besides youtubes like yours...
i still maintain an old Windows computer (without internet) just to play that one game.
@@asher6657 Yes, that's a fun game and it's smart to keep old computers for those reasons.
2:40 into the video, you need to do something about that curve on the lower right, reminds me of Philip Anschultz maintenance of Southern Pacific main line when he was trashing it.
Good eye, but it is floating so the black 153C contactor to the left will activate the 450 signal bridge by sensing the weight of the passing train. I don't want a reputation like Anschutz had!
Boy I'd sure like to have the money sunk into that room.
It took several decades but I am happy with the results of my collection. Thanks for watching!
On the 2353 did u do something different with the horn it sounds much better than mine
No, those sounds are all original from the actual trains as shown.
Most of those old horns are quite weak and sick sounding and they vary a lot. I think there is an adjustment screw on the back of the horn that you may be able to work with.
Hey TJ,
What's the curve radius on the outer, middle and figure 8 loops?
O gauge track is typically listed as diameter instead of radius like the other scales. The diameters I used or O54, O42 and O31. Thanks for watching!
I'm a little late to watch but saw the other video on this layout a while ago and I just had to see the other one, and I have to ask does that New York central f3 have magnetraction? Also I love the 665 set too.
Hi Ben,
Yes, the NYC F3 has magnetraction. Thanks for watching and good luck with your neat layout and vids!
TJ
Thanks for the info, I was pretty sure it had magnetraction but I had just wanted to make sure of it because some of the f3s did not have it.
I got my first Lionel set a few weeks ago, it’s 027 gauge, I want to expand so what sets would you recommend? Btw where can I get a shunting steam engine and a crane car for 027?
That's exciting Trey. I have not kept up with what sets are available since my collection is to the point that I am only occasionally buying individual pieces.
I would suggest you look not only at Lionel but MTH train sets as well. Most of my purchases in the last few decades have been from them. Their website is mthtrains.com and you can search for sets as well as your crane car from them. If you have a local hobby shop they might be helpful. If not, there are tons of online sources for cool trains.
Good luck with your collection!
Thank you very much! Your help was much appreciated!
Postwar was kind of before my time Terry but I got a decent MPC collection. I have a question for you, did you by any chance know Bill Benson or buy anything from Right of Way?
I had seen Bill decades ago a few times at the York, PA Train Collectors Association show but never met him directly. My only purchase of his are the crossing signals at my passenger station which are still in use today. I had always wanted his giant ROW 400 watt transformer before MTH made their Z4000 but never acquired one. As I recall, Bill's relationship with the TCA did not end well. Tom McComas from TM books and video has had at least one video interview with Bill.
@@isellu The Right of Way transformer is considered the best transformer ever made.
For Some Reason, This Railroad Looks Like Terry Johnson's Railroad On The Magic Of lionel Program By TM Books, Did His Work Happen To Influence This Layout? Cause It Find Of Looks Like That Railroad circa 1993 That Has Evolved.
LOL, you're very observant Guss. This is a different layout in a different home but TJ is the same guy. TM has done a video of my larger layout shown here in the beginning of this video. It was in Toy Train Review 2014. Thanks for commenting!
What did you use to make the elevated track? Are the black pieces from a postwar trestle set?
Hi Ryan, yes those are the Lionel trestles but I needed to raise them for clearance. I used small wood blocks about 3/4" tall under each trestle leg and a 1"X4" (also 3/4" tall) across the tops. Everything was screwed down with small screws to keep the track from moving.
@@isellu Did you use a machine screw with a nut to secure the top piece of wood? I guess the head of the screw was in the channel on the plastic trestle? Or did you use the metal tie channels?
@@ryangeschwindt9335 Hi Ryan. Yes, I used #8 machine screws and hex nuts to attach the top wood cross pieces to the trestles. The screw head was indeed in the trestle channel.
Excellent postwar layout and excellent video! Count me in as a new subscriber. :-)
Thanks Tim!
When did container trains come into existence? And what the railcars that carry the containers called? I often see trains with empty such cars, with no containers.
Hi classicrockcafe
There are a lot more knowledgable railroad fans than myself but I will give it a go.
I think the first containers appearing in any numbers were in the early 1970s. The whole idea is called intermodal because the standardized containers will fit on ships, trains and trucks. Most railroads run double stack cars and there are several types of these but the term intermodal would apply to all of these. The containers pretty much took over for the boxcars that were so prevalent in the early and mid 20th century.
The railroads hate empty trains because they are not making them any money. They try to keep the cars full but sometimes the cars need to be redistributed back to the areas where they are being loaded such as the shipping ports on both coasts.
TJ
@@isellu I know of a few tunnels that predated the container trains. The roofs are too small for them.
Awesome! What size is this layout?
Thanks Matt!
The layout is 5' 6" by 14'.
TJ Sweet! You're welcome!
What are the dementions of the featured table ?
Hello, it's 14' by 5' 4".
Do you know why there are wires running between the F units?
Hi Dale, you have a sharp eye!
They help the powered unit keep electrical contact through the entire track including the Lionel switches which I have used on previous layouts.
The wires tie all the third rail rollers together.
Thank you for the response. I find that very interesting as my Lionel dates back to 1950. The first was the Santa Fe AA (one A has dual motors) with four operating cars, log, ore, searchlight, box car and lighted waycar. I have two dual KW transformers and the only time I had a power drop was when I used the horn or whistle. That layout was an 8X8 and a 4X8 connected to form a dog bone. Mom put a nicks on an extension.
My late father taught me how to wire, as he was an electrician and federal inspector on the C.B.&.Q/BN. In fact he had worked out a way to run a train from each controller hand on the same track at individual speeds back in the early 50’s. Today they call it DCC. The only problem then was TV’s and radios had vacuum tubes, resistors and capacitors. Transistors were not yet available. It would have been hard to fit into both the dummy A an B units and it would have required a few 6464’s trailing the Berkshire or GP.
So I guess I have taken a long way of saying Why or how come?
Dale
3 rail track.... yuki.
What roadbed did you use
I wanted something very basic to be true to the '50s style. They would have used paint under the track but since I already had indoor/outdoor carpeting in place from an earlier project, I just cut out pieces of corrugated cardboard and slid them under the track. Nothing fancy!
Very nice, but those F7 sets never came with the B units.
Actually Lionel called them F-3s and you are correct in that the B units didn't come in the sets. They were available as a separate sale in the same catalogs however and the 65 year old boy in me decided to buy and run those in these sets. I stand corrected though as they really are not part of the set. Thanks for the info!
@@isellu oops my bad, I knew that. I stand corrected. I have one B unit that came with my Wabash F3. It irks me when sellers think a B unit or Dummy A is worth the price if the pair. I have some Alco Bs but probably never have an F3 B,
Hello, I have 2 Lionel sets from the 1950s. A 210 Texas Special and a postwar 2055 Hudson. How do you have your track layout. Because I really love your layout towards the end and I want to try to replicate it because I may have just enough track and I want to start up a layout
Hi Hank,
I don't have a track plan for my layout but I describe it in the reply to Mr 77777 shown in the comments below. You have a couple of nice sets. Enjoy them!
TJ okay, one more question how did you power the whole track. I was running mine and the locomotive kept losing power when it went Passed the semaphore signal
@@hankhill169 You probably need more feeds to the track. Each of my transformers runs one track and I think I used at least 3 lockons spaced evenly on each track to prevent voltage drop. I also used 16 gauge wires. Your big old locomotives use a lot of power so use large wires and many connections to the track. That should take care of it!
TJ thank you sir, will try that out surely that will solve the problem 🙏
@@hankhill169 You're welcome. Have fun with your trains and thanks for reaching out.
3:40
Donde puedo conseguir uno en México San Luis Potosí
eBay. Buena suerte y cuidate Ruben!
Bill passed away last year Terry. RIP. I asked because I’m going to make my Right of Way tribute.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm looking forward to your tribute.
I’m not Richie enough to afford that.
:c mine tra8n Burt my house down lol jk