Bruette
Well-Known Member
Other than holiday trains around the Christmas tree this was my first layout. It was no masterpiece like many others you will find on this forum. It was not even close! It did, however, provide me with a lot of enjoyment. Most of all it showed me I love playing with my trains and I want this to be my hobby.
I dismantled this layout when I moved in 2017.
Recently I was looking for photos of my first layout. I realized they are scattered throughout my Microsoft cloud storage. I decided to use some of my precious little spare time to organize my cloud storage. That gave me the idea to share my photos from my first layout as I did so. It seemed efficient to me.
I want to show others there are many ways to build a layout. I have always believed in "use what you have". I'm glad I did because not only did I enjoy it, but I also learned many things along the way. I began with a 5'x9' ping pong table. I got that idea from a Lionel Fastrack book I read.
One of the first things I learned was I wasn't sure of what I wanted my layout to be. I started with my Lionel Polar Express set, and I bought more conventional Lionel steam locomotive sets. Sets proved to be an economical (cheap) way to expand my inventory of everything, track, rolling stock and locomotives. Even some accessories.
The next thing I learned was, I like diesels better than steam locomotives. I still like my steam engines; I just like diesels better. I also discovered Lionel Standard O trains and later Lionel Scale O trains.
Many Scale O trains require larger radius curves. That led me to thinking "I need more space on my layout". I had some unused furniture that was the same height as the ping pong table. Why not use it? I put the furniture next to three sides of the layout. I put cardboard on top of everything to protect the surface and added OSB to the top to make a uniform surface. I next added brown builder's paper to cover the OSB. I was happy with the look and now I had 7'x13' to play on. It was big enough for Lionel O72 fast track, perfect. At least I thought so.
Important Lessons:
1. For me, OSB was a mistake. It is strong and cheap, but it is also heavy and exceedingly difficult to get a screw to hold in it.
2. A 7' layout against the wall makes it difficult at best to reach the far side. Even for me, I'm 6'8". The upside of OSB on top of solid wood furniture was I could crawl on it. My knees were not happy with that, but it worked.
I failed to mention I had HO and O trains on my layout. It's my world and I get to say what goes! When I first signed up with this for.um, one of the greatest modelers, I ever knew GarryCBQ told me something like that. It's one of the reasons I stuck with this forum I have grown to love. Unfortunately, Garry is no longer with us, but his spirit of respect and inclusion lives on through many of us.
Now for some photos from my first layout.
This is my HO Tyco Spirit of 76 locomotive on my first layout. One like this was my first locomotive. It came in a Tyco set my Mom gave me to set up under our Christmas tree in 1974.
This is a Christmas tree my grandson Ayden and I decorated for the layout. Did I mention I have no artistic talent or creativity?
This photo shows my layout's construction. In the photo you see my Polar Express, PRR steam locomotive that came in a Lionel set and a Lionel Christmas diesel I bought on eBay pulling some Christmas rolling stock.
This is a better photo of my PRR steam locomotive in the previous photo.
This is a better photo of my Lionel Christmas locomotive in the previous photo.
This is Lionel's GP version of the GM 50.
This is an HO Genisis Locomotive. This one is realistic. Sometimes I do buy quality things.
This is a Lionel MPC diesel locomotive I dreamed of having since I saw it as a boy. Thanks to eBay I have one all these many years later.
This is a K-Line Christmas car showing three things I love, Christmas, Trains, and Looney Tunes!
I'm sorry to have used photos I previously posted in another of my threads The BGR (Bruette's Goofy Railroad) I felt these could not be left out of this thread.
More to come, for now I'm going back to bed to hopefully fall back asleep.
Thanks for looking!
I dismantled this layout when I moved in 2017.
Recently I was looking for photos of my first layout. I realized they are scattered throughout my Microsoft cloud storage. I decided to use some of my precious little spare time to organize my cloud storage. That gave me the idea to share my photos from my first layout as I did so. It seemed efficient to me.
I want to show others there are many ways to build a layout. I have always believed in "use what you have". I'm glad I did because not only did I enjoy it, but I also learned many things along the way. I began with a 5'x9' ping pong table. I got that idea from a Lionel Fastrack book I read.
One of the first things I learned was I wasn't sure of what I wanted my layout to be. I started with my Lionel Polar Express set, and I bought more conventional Lionel steam locomotive sets. Sets proved to be an economical (cheap) way to expand my inventory of everything, track, rolling stock and locomotives. Even some accessories.
The next thing I learned was, I like diesels better than steam locomotives. I still like my steam engines; I just like diesels better. I also discovered Lionel Standard O trains and later Lionel Scale O trains.
Many Scale O trains require larger radius curves. That led me to thinking "I need more space on my layout". I had some unused furniture that was the same height as the ping pong table. Why not use it? I put the furniture next to three sides of the layout. I put cardboard on top of everything to protect the surface and added OSB to the top to make a uniform surface. I next added brown builder's paper to cover the OSB. I was happy with the look and now I had 7'x13' to play on. It was big enough for Lionel O72 fast track, perfect. At least I thought so.
Important Lessons:
1. For me, OSB was a mistake. It is strong and cheap, but it is also heavy and exceedingly difficult to get a screw to hold in it.
2. A 7' layout against the wall makes it difficult at best to reach the far side. Even for me, I'm 6'8". The upside of OSB on top of solid wood furniture was I could crawl on it. My knees were not happy with that, but it worked.
I failed to mention I had HO and O trains on my layout. It's my world and I get to say what goes! When I first signed up with this for.um, one of the greatest modelers, I ever knew GarryCBQ told me something like that. It's one of the reasons I stuck with this forum I have grown to love. Unfortunately, Garry is no longer with us, but his spirit of respect and inclusion lives on through many of us.
Now for some photos from my first layout.
This is my HO Tyco Spirit of 76 locomotive on my first layout. One like this was my first locomotive. It came in a Tyco set my Mom gave me to set up under our Christmas tree in 1974.
This is a Christmas tree my grandson Ayden and I decorated for the layout. Did I mention I have no artistic talent or creativity?
This photo shows my layout's construction. In the photo you see my Polar Express, PRR steam locomotive that came in a Lionel set and a Lionel Christmas diesel I bought on eBay pulling some Christmas rolling stock.
This is a better photo of my PRR steam locomotive in the previous photo.
This is a better photo of my Lionel Christmas locomotive in the previous photo.
This is Lionel's GP version of the GM 50.
This is an HO Genisis Locomotive. This one is realistic. Sometimes I do buy quality things.
This is a Lionel MPC diesel locomotive I dreamed of having since I saw it as a boy. Thanks to eBay I have one all these many years later.
This is a K-Line Christmas car showing three things I love, Christmas, Trains, and Looney Tunes!
I'm sorry to have used photos I previously posted in another of my threads The BGR (Bruette's Goofy Railroad) I felt these could not be left out of this thread.
More to come, for now I'm going back to bed to hopefully fall back asleep.
Thanks for looking!
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