1938 Clover Street Railroad
In 2008, when the newpapers began to fill with stories about foreclosures, bankruptcies, and unemployment, I decided to turn the clock back on my layout, to an earlier, happier time... a year when a Democratic President, who rode into office after a world-wide economic collapse, was challenged by a conservatives in Congress after midterm elections... a year when a militaristic Asian nation attacked a neighboring country, threatening to set off a world war... a year that saw the birth of the man who would come to symbolize Wall Street, Bernard L. Madoff... Yes, it was time to go back to 1938!
I sold my Fastrack and many of my modern era cars and accessories (thanks, Ebay!), studied David Doyle's catalog of prewar Lionel trains, and slowly (and frugally!) began to buy tinplate. The theme of my little (4' x 8' 6") layout is the part of model railroading that I always found most fascinating - playing with electricity! The design is intended to suggest a (rich) kid's layout, rather than that of an adult collector. Cloth-covered wire runs helter-skelter over a green felt table. An O31 main line can run two trains simultaneously, with a third on an elevated O27 loop. A 250W Z transformer provides plenty of power. My one concession to modern technology is a low-voltage surge suppressor, which, together with a fuse block, makes the layout safe for delicate modern engines. Note that the track runs very close to the edges of the table; if you build this layout, I'd suggest using 5 x 9' benchwork.
I sold my Fastrack and many of my modern era cars and accessories (thanks, Ebay!), studied David Doyle's catalog of prewar Lionel trains, and slowly (and frugally!) began to buy tinplate. The theme of my little (4' x 8' 6") layout is the part of model railroading that I always found most fascinating - playing with electricity! The design is intended to suggest a (rich) kid's layout, rather than that of an adult collector. Cloth-covered wire runs helter-skelter over a green felt table. An O31 main line can run two trains simultaneously, with a third on an elevated O27 loop. A 250W Z transformer provides plenty of power. My one concession to modern technology is a low-voltage surge suppressor, which, together with a fuse block, makes the layout safe for delicate modern engines. Note that the track runs very close to the edges of the table; if you build this layout, I'd suggest using 5 x 9' benchwork.
Inventory
Lionel 124 Station (Type I) (1920-1930) - restored | Ebay | $180 |
Lionel Flying Yankee Set (Type III) - C5+ | NETTE | $240 |
Marx Union Pacific Litho Articulated Passenger Set (Windup) | Stout Auctions | $50 |
Lionel Freight Set 181E 262E 262T 812 814 817 - restored | Stout Auctions | $190 |
Lionel 165 Magnetic Crane - C6 | Stout Auctions | $250 |
Lionel No. 293 O-Gauge Passenger Set - Original Excellent+ | Morphy Auctions | $150 |
Lionel 48W Whistle Station | Ebay | $35 |
Lionel 250W Z Transformer - Refurbished | Ebay | $185 |
5 Lionel O22 Switches (prewar and postwar) | Trainz.com | $165 |
Cloth Covered 18g Wire (8 50' spools) | Radio Daze | $99 |
4 SPDT Knife Switches | Sargent-Welch | $15 |
Lionel 92 Floodlight (Type I) - C7 | Ebay | $160 |
Lionel 45 Automatic Gateman | Ebay | $50 |
Transient Voltage Suppressor | Scott's Odds 'n Ends | $50 |
Fuse Block | Scott's Odds 'n Ends | $9 |
Lionel O31 Track Pack | Trainz.com | $100 |
TOTAL | $1928 | |
TOTAL in 1938 Dollars | $129 |