50 Year Old Atlas 4x8 HO Scale DC Layout Tour and Test Run (It has Brass Track!)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ย. 2024
  • Hello model railroad fans. In today's video we will take a tour of and old school DC only HO scale layout.
    If you like this video you can help keep my hydrated by buying me a Coke Zero at this link: www.buymeacoff...
    Thanks for watching and Happy Model Railroading!

ความคิดเห็น • 326

  • @frankmarkovcijr5459
    @frankmarkovcijr5459 ปีที่แล้ว +92

    Imagine the hours and hours of work that went into building that layout. What was great about model railroading was you could have 10 people make the same track plan out of an atlas track planning book and all of them would be different even if the track plan was the same. We model railroaders live in a world of our own making. People laugh but I say it is an art form just like sculpting or painting just different.

  • @EdCary-o5c
    @EdCary-o5c 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    WaterLevel Western plan. I built this w my dad in '74 (3rd grade) Learned wiring and the basics that lasted a life time,. Thanks for sharing. I have the plans also - old hobby shops will have a copy.. Many thanks that you shared - Ed C

  • @nobodyshome758
    @nobodyshome758 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Absolutely love it!! Brings back a lot of memories with my brother in our basement back in the early 70's! 😎

  • @markryan1754
    @markryan1754 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    That's an old Atlas track plan from the 50's or 60's. It puts a lot of track into a 4x8 area! Nice!!!

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I think I found the book the layout was in.

    • @VictorianMaid99
      @VictorianMaid99 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I still have that Atlas Book !

    • @leighjacobs4800
      @leighjacobs4800 หลายเดือนก่อน

      This is the Water Level Western ( "RailRoad G" on pg. 4) from the Atlas King Size Plan Book. 1966 (I have the April 1975 printing)

  • @zenithcoinsandhobbies
    @zenithcoinsandhobbies ปีที่แล้ว +25

    I have this exact same layout! My grandfather (who just passed away on January 1) and my father built it out of an Atlas book called the "Custom Line King Size Plan Book" around 1980. Still have the book, it was pretty detailed and had pretty good instructions on how to build everything. The name of the plan is the Waterlevel Western. Ours was never fully completed, but it works enough that I still run trains on it. Yours is the exact same track plan as the one shown in the book, the passing siding and everything. I like mine, but it's not in the best location in the basement to run trains on it. The way that my dad and grandpa built it, it had a wooden border around the whole thing, and the track was set much farther in on the board. Dad added a trolley line and used a Troller Autopulse 5 to control both the trolley line (which is separate) and the main layout.

    • @tonyromano6220
      @tonyromano6220 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I can’t find my old Atlas books! I may have tossed them back when I was Mr. Scale!

  • @donaldlamendola8294
    @donaldlamendola8294 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    With a little TLC you my friend have a "GEM!" Please don't ever change it. Thank you for sharing.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      For the most part I plan on keeping the layout as is. I might add DCC capabilities, but that just a little wiring. Other than that I just want to replace broken or missing structures and clean up scenery.

  • @ericjohnson3746
    @ericjohnson3746 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Back then the intensity it took for two people to run two trains and meet and pass and keep up with the blocks was a fun all of its own. I had something like that as a12-13 year old. We would run til mom would say it's midnight. Time flew. We begged for another hour since it was Friday.

  • @bobbysands6923
    @bobbysands6923 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    It's the perfect layout for a 4x8. It is amazing how much track fits on it, and what the layout can do. You are lucky to have it. Good luck and God bless.

  • @mikeregan8894
    @mikeregan8894 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Brings back good memories, my dad and I built a layout like this, good times

  • @geesharp6637
    @geesharp6637 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Impressive layout. Someone had lots of fun making it.

  • @BE60IFR
    @BE60IFR 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Awesome find!!!! 🎉🎉 Looks like a layout from one of those old “4x8 Layouts You Can Build” Atlas soft cover books. Each layout would include all the information you’d need to build a layout on a 4x8 yourself- drawings, a wiring schematic and of course a list of track, turnouts, buildings, and Connector brand wiring switch blocks. Back then, they were “fully illustrated “ with black & white photos 😂.
    Source: My Grandpa 🛤️🛤️

  • @kendavenport1823
    @kendavenport1823 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    An awesome layout that has stood the test of time...

  • @jameskindler4220
    @jameskindler4220 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    WOWZA, I am a “collector “ since I was 18(now turning 65 Cinco de Mayo) I have bought several collections over the years including 3 layouts. One 4x8 with three train running, 2 simultaneous and one siding. Another 4x8 that folds up into itself that is in my sons bedroom ( unfortunately he never got the fever of trains). My other was an unfinished ( only working track working) 5x10.. all three bought at a cost 💲 of $300-350 each. One came with all the buildings and 35 running engines. This layout you bought was a steel (lol) well a brass. Awesomeness and congratulations because it will give you a lot of satisfying experience and possibly memories sharing with kids!!!
    I use to set up the 4x8 at Ponchartrain Elementary school (1,000-1,200 students, every year around Christmas time. It was placed in the kindergarten commons area and the whole school enjoyed it including the faculty and staff. Each year I would theme the setups with a”table of contents “for the kids can find things on the layout. A couple of years I did TV and movie themes. From Disney to super heroes. I have students who tell me about the trains to this day. I taught DARE for 5 years at that elementary school. I taught DARE for 21 years. PES had a steam locomotives 🚂 theme.
    Maybe you could do something similar at a local school or church. This layout went to my SILs church for Christmas one year.
    Happy railroading and researching, I cannot wait to see more of this layout my friend. If you decide to do something similar, I be willing to share my thoughts and ideas on a presentation of the layout.

  • @MichaelArroyo-u5u
    @MichaelArroyo-u5u ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great set up that would look great in my garage

  • @escaperocks
    @escaperocks ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Wow this is so neat. I built this exact layout in 1972 when I was 10, with my dad, from the Atlas book. Such good memories It's the 'Water Level Western' fro either the Beginners Layouts or the King Size Layouts book from Atlas.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I just picked up the Atlas book that has this layout. My book is newer, but seems like this goes back to the 60s.

    • @Mike-pj1kv
      @Mike-pj1kv ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@VintageRoadRailAtlas sells the track on their website still. Layout "HO-31". They have plans for DCC wiring available.

  • @mikemunley9563
    @mikemunley9563 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Very cute layout. I remember the Atlas book (6 model railroads you can build) that had this layout. The engines and the kadee couplers make this a good deal at $300. My guess those Atlas engines are worth about $65 each on E-bay. Love the two MRC model 501 power packs. Terrific power and I use mine on my DCC layout still 40 years later. The whistle stop was terrific. Nice to see someone's hard work is still appreciated. Enjoy.

    • @David-yo5re
      @David-yo5re ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The locomotives are from Bachmann.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Those locomotives are good runners. Some time Bachmann can be so-so. If I can help it I'm going to keep and preserve this layout for as long as God let's me.

    • @jeffckeane1704
      @jeffckeane1704 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I still have the book somewhere in storage (6 mrr y c b). I wanted to build the granite gorge & northern , but life "intervened"...
      Nice layout at a great price!

    • @johnrencheck2283
      @johnrencheck2283 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      When i was a kid these engines could be had new for 20 bucks cars for 2 bucks this hobby sure has gotten expensive since then

    • @johnrencheck2283
      @johnrencheck2283 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@jeffckeane1704 doesnt it always guys

  • @darkwing7780
    @darkwing7780 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Cool setup! Very nice seeing the old system up and running.

  • @jamielamie2229
    @jamielamie2229 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    7:39 I won one of those train diners on ebay last year, had no idea it was THAT old. still works and i love the whistle sound

  • @enroute6105
    @enroute6105 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The amazement that this hobbies has been around since WW1 and watching everybody's creatively with this is truly splendid.

  • @markfortin421
    @markfortin421 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Wow! Did you hit the "wayback" button for me...had the same layout in '62, with a Varney SW 7 and 4 car freight. Ran it constantly, and upgraded as I went. Put Lindberg trucks under the cars, and my brother (who was into electronics) helped me with the wiring.
    Today I am STILL playing with trains, with hand-spiked
    'O' guage, 26' x 32'. I'm 75.

  • @haroldferguson1392
    @haroldferguson1392 ปีที่แล้ว

    No matter your age,its about finding your inner child, whats not about having fun.... also luv the layout....

  • @jamesmorgangunsandtrains7132
    @jamesmorgangunsandtrains7132 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Nice, it even has the short lived atlas custom line supreme turnouts that atlas tried in the late 70s early 80s, which were actually made by Roco. Me and my dad built a 4x8 in 76-77 , all brass track, tyco stuff and atlas. Great memories!! Don’t change a thing, it’s great!

  • @t23001
    @t23001 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Great layout! The inside of the control panel looks like the work of a telco lineman.

  • @Mike-pj1kv
    @Mike-pj1kv ปีที่แล้ว +7

    That brass track lasted well and it still works fine.

  • @billysouth4698
    @billysouth4698 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That's a nice compact layout with allot of thought put into it!

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Link to the track plan if interested: shop.atlasrr.com/p-44239-ho-31-waterlevel-western.aspx

  • @bigdave200
    @bigdave200 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I think this is a very nice layout for someone just starting out. And for someone who is looking for something simple yet very entertaining and many hours of enjoyment.

  • @papstrainshow3353
    @papstrainshow3353 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Your new layout is sweet. I love the old school style layouts, reminds me of when I was a kid, lol I'm still a kid. Just with a big old school layout.

  • @mdteletom1288
    @mdteletom1288 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I grew up with Lionel trains and gave a set to my son but he hasn't taken a liking to it. The big problem with them is, to make anything beyond the starting oval requires a minimum of about 6X6 feet of space, or the size of the rug my brother and I used to set up the trains on the floor in the house we grew up in. As I approach my retirement years, after watching this video, and a couple of others, I'm thinking of switching to HO trains. This one, and another one I saw, managed to build fairly elaborate sets on , what appears to be, tables about the size of a door or a pool table. Nicely done.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks for watching. 🙂 If you have room for a 4x8 table, lots of HO track plans to go with. If that's still a bit to big, N scale is a great option, that is if your eyes can manage. LOL Great layout can be had in as little as 2x4 feet. Steve's Trains is an excellent channel for N scale.

  • @greeneyedggirl
    @greeneyedggirl ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Yup, 50 years old or more, especially since I had one of those power packs before you were born! Which is such a weird thing to hear myself say! That's a lovely little layout, may you enjoy it in good health for many years to come!

  • @davidchang7838
    @davidchang7838 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Glad the layout isn't going to be scrapped. Back in the day, a lot of time and effort was put into making it a reality. For $300, I think you got yourself a pretty good deal, especially with the 'throw-in' engines & freight cars. You could do some relatively inexpensive updating on scenery items. Trees/grass, lighting and road options have really improved over the years.
    I have a Bachmann S4 (bought 2015) that survived a 40" fall off the layout onto the concrete floor below after running through end of line signage. Apparently, the engineer had been distracted watching a college football game. Fortunately, damage was minimal; only handrails and a coupler needed repair.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I plan to do minor updates to the scenery, replace broken or missing structures. For the most part I want to leave it as designed.

  • @irrationaltimer4901
    @irrationaltimer4901 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That green building next to the engine house is N scale. Also, the oil storage tank probably has a horn or whistle in it. Might be hooked up to the first red button that does nothing. Might want to check the connection from button to oil storage tank. Great looking layout. Reminds me of some of the 4x8's I built as a youth. Good luck with it and happy model railroading.

  • @mrjsanchez1
    @mrjsanchez1 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thanks for sharing this layout, very cool track plan, my first layout I built back in the late 70’s had brass track, that was standard back then! The Government building on your layout was by Life-Like, it is supposed to be a city hall and police station. Thanks again for posting.

  • @mjrodriguez8670
    @mjrodriguez8670 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I am familiar with these Atlas HO Scale track plans. As a boy, my father and I built a tabletop layout from an Atlas track plan book. I really enjoyed decorating my layout. But my father had great difficulty with the wiring and the mixture of Atlas and non-Atlas track. I wish we would have bought more Atlas track, but my dad didn't like to waste money, as money was tight in our household.

  • @malcolmwyllie9578
    @malcolmwyllie9578 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for the link !! I plan on incorporating this as a second 4x8 on my layout.

  • @shiftintohigh5564
    @shiftintohigh5564 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Well bought! Neat to know 50 years and operating. Great table top layout👍

  • @bbrailroad6284
    @bbrailroad6284 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very nice DC Layout. Old School.

  • @SantaFeBob
    @SantaFeBob ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The 50 year old layout is amazing to see that it has survived so long. The train whistle when you push the button is actually coming from the red and yellow Myrtles Whistlestop restaurant. I have the same structure and it is a beautiful sound. Thank you for sharing.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Much better sound that what comes out of that Bachmann oil silo. 😂

  • @romanmichaelhamilton8729
    @romanmichaelhamilton8729 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love this layout as the original owner had some great creativity. Just an FYI, that white apartment building behind the German cottage, is circa 1960s old East German/European style architecture, so there is no doubt this guy most likely bought these from a store that sold German model train products. I saw these apartments everywhere even what was West Germany in into Russia that are still in use. Those buildings were very well built and will last nearly forever with good maintenance.
    Thanks for showing this and hope you get to clean it up and improve upon it.

  • @tresfingeros
    @tresfingeros ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Very similar layout to mine as a kid,
    ( I crudly built @ 14 y.o) I had a mountain tunnel ( chicken wire and paper machete) and a " MASH" military base. My set came with a Santa fe f7 engine and an f7 dummy and 6 cars ...countless hrs of fun ...when parents split I had to give it away 😥 and unfortunately have never had the space to do another.

  • @edwinrivas7891
    @edwinrivas7891 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice layout. One of my bucket list is to make my own after retirement.

  • @TheKurtsPlaceChannel
    @TheKurtsPlaceChannel ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.

  • @Spokes-xs2sh
    @Spokes-xs2sh ปีที่แล้ว +9

    The other button may be for the diesel horn that comes in that Bachmann Shell fuel tank. I love the layout.

  • @iwema93
    @iwema93 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is awesome! My uncle had a layout with the same track plan. Brings back a lot of memories

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It a very fun layout! Thanks for watching!

  • @raymondleggs5508
    @raymondleggs5508 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    There is nothing wrong with Brass track at all if you have the sense to keep your layout and track clean, and running trains a lot can keep them clean 😀

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Works great for me.

    • @Petemonster62
      @Petemonster62 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Only problem is the oxidation which isn't as conductive as the pure brass.

    • @kurthotelling6606
      @kurthotelling6606 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Brass is a better conductor than the nickel. Love it! And there's a simple trick of lubricating brass with a touch of transmission fluid -- one wipe down per year -- to keep it free of oxidation!

  • @ccrm10
    @ccrm10 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I would really like to have this layout. I got my first train set around the time it was built. Thanks for sharing it with us!

  • @Mariner311
    @Mariner311 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    WOW - we got a Christmas set in 1974, and Dad built an 8x4 layout from an Atlas Track plan... not THIS one, but similar. We spent YEARS doing buildings and scenics... back in the days of scratch-built balsa. Dad gave the layout to a family in the neighborhood in 1998. The theme of the railroad was Montana in the 50s with a little San Jose of the 70s...

  • @CrazyBear65
    @CrazyBear65 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Interesting. Whoever built it built it all on one level. No bridges, no tunnels. I was born in 1965. My brothers had Lionel trains. When I was a kid, my parents got me a couple different HO scale trains, and I liked them because they were closer to the scale of Johnny Lightning and Hot Wheels. So I kept whatever didn't get too busted up, and when I was about 14 or 15 I got a sheet of plywood and built my first setup. That sheet of plywood eventually became the basis of my first table. But I cut parts of it out so that I could have bridges, and I built a ramp and a second level. It moved with me, several times, apartments, and eventually into a house. Girlfriends don't like it when you pay more attention to your trains than you do to them, so it got pushed to the back burner a few times. It was all DC. I heard about DCC at a train show, but I wasn't about to rewire everything, so I kept it DC. I had a lot of grandiose plans which didn't come to fruition. Then there was a fire in the house, and all my stuff went away. Most of my stuff was Tyco & Bachman, but some of my buildings and all of my scenery was scratch built. It was all done on a working man's budget. When it got destroyed, I had neither the funds nor the patience to start over. Now I'm 57, and I often think about starting another layout, but I don't have the funds, or the space, or the wherewithal, and I'm not getting any younger. I also don't know doodly squat about wiring DCC. Maybe I could purchase a table already built and wired, and then add to it. If I hit the powerball, I could buy a warehouse and just build trains throughout the whole place. If you're gonna dream, dream big.

    • @MonsterTruckFan2010
      @MonsterTruckFan2010 ปีที่แล้ว

      wow… that is the best model railroad journey i’ve ever heard. you can definitely do it. i’m 15 right now and i DEFINITELY don’t have the time money OR patience to do it… but yet here i am, still trucking along. HAPPY RAILROADING 🚂🚃🚃

  • @EarlChoate-h5d
    @EarlChoate-h5d 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Lol. Very neat.old train layout. This was showcased in the book " Custom-Line King Size HO track plans".. It was authored by John H. Armstrong & Thaddeus Stepek. The track plan book came out in 1966, and was reprinted with updated photos in 1986. It showcases all the Atlas products, track , switches, controllers, and all accessories to build an entry level HO train layout. Very good book , which I still have in my collection. You really scored on that neat vintage train layout. Preserve it , and enjoy it. Thanks for sharing it.

  • @garrettsubproductions8705
    @garrettsubproductions8705 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Hard work always pay off, great layout

  • @clintonwashabaugh1387
    @clintonwashabaugh1387 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Man, I'd give anything to have that layout. Just for that Myrtle's whistle shop. Myrtle was my grandmother's name. Once I seen that, I fell in love with the layout. It's a really nice piece. Love to see what it looks like after you fix it up. Happy railroading.

  • @IMRROcom
    @IMRROcom ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Look at the classic space tape... very 70's from the disco era. My 1976 6.6 T/A had the space tape gauge cluster in it. That stuff was popular in the 70's.

  • @flyingbeaver57
    @flyingbeaver57 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a fun find, and quite a bargain, since it's mostly all there, mostly all works, and has the full twin-throttle DC system and block layout, right off the hop. I built a similar layout in the (then) new N-scale (started around 1969-1970, and had a lot of fun with it until leaving home after high school. I recall seeing this track plan, or one very, very similar in a couple of different publications. The beauty of it was that with a little fore-thought, a first stage that would run trains could be completed fairly quickly, and then the second loops and sidings added as money and time allowed. A lot of the early structures were made using flat cardboard and rubber cement. Landscaping using the methods popular at the time was a bit of a challenge, since some materials weren't readily available. But necessity is the mother of improvisation, so brown paper + glue over contours cut from corrugated cardboard became a substitute. By today's standards, it would be lacking in detail, but it worked well enough to "be believable." This style of layout in HO was quite popular, as it fit what many people could manage for space and cost, and it was kept interesting by adding scenery or track sidings and so on. I think you've got a winner there, even without DCC. It looks like a fun project.

  • @charlesferebee263
    @charlesferebee263 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    OUTSTANDING. ! WELL DONE. 🇺🇸 🏆👍👍

  • @WalterHardwellWhite
    @WalterHardwellWhite ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice, I have a layout with some of those exact buildings and the same brass track

  • @lifewithroscoe6513
    @lifewithroscoe6513 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Since I don't have a layout at present time, this one would fit the bill even thro I am into S scale. Lots of luck with it

  • @markdinnauer888
    @markdinnauer888 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very nice layout. Thanks for posting this, I really enjoyed it. I'm currently working on a 6x10 foot layout & added a 3x5 foot table for a yard. My layout is DC in which I use the same cab control as on your layout, those cab selectors also from Atlas. With my layout also with Atlas in mind, I combined 2 layout plans from 2 Atlas book, book #9 layout 6 & book #11 layout 14 with minor track revisions. I absolutely love my plan & has numerous hours of fun switching out the many industries on both the inside & outside main tracks while a train can be operating at the same time on either inside or outside. I've been in the model train hobby since around 1990 & it's still a very fun hobby to be involved in considering when model train shows come to certain places one can share ideas & enjoy seeing layouts set up & get more ideas to incorporate into your layout.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I wish I had room at home for a 6x10 layout.

  • @JosephStately
    @JosephStately ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Those Atlas track planning books were great. Each book had a great selection of layouts you could choose from. I remember building layout 102 called the Trunk Line in my parents' basement back in the 70's. Still have the book Blueprints for Atlas Snap-Track Layouts. Love those old school layouts. Enjoy.

  • @rmg70
    @rmg70 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Regarding those tracks running near the edge of this neat layout… I have a similar situation. My solution is 1/16 inch clear plexiglass mounted along those sections. Gives you protection and doesn’t block your view. I mount the glass with 2 inches of the plexi above the layout track.

  • @deei1
    @deei1 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I think it's great. Nice find.

  • @fleischmann_rowa_roco_ho
    @fleischmann_rowa_roco_ho 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I am late to the party, but nevertheless putting in my humble 25 cents.
    The Restaurant / Bistro was made by Pola which belongs today to Faller.
    I had the same Restaurant, which was actually called by Pola a Gasthaus in German or Inn in English on the box, on my original layout in the late 70’s / early 80’s and actually bought this kit again on eBay last year as NOS, since my old layout was passed on to a friend when I left Germany in 1989 and migrated to America.
    I have some pictures / video here on my channel!
    Great video and great layout!
    Best wishes from Kansas
    Peter
    👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

  • @Suncast45
    @Suncast45 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    My Son bought a house to flip last year. In the basement I found a Lionel HO set that had never been played with! Has the GM 50th Anniversary GP 9 and all the stock are in the original foam box. I am torn between building a layout or putting it online for sale. It also has brass track! Oval layout with a switch siding! My Father and Oldest brother worked for Illinois Central RR!

    • @philtucker1224
      @philtucker1224 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Best to see what response you get from collectors (unless you are a classic collector yourself) if you don’t personally have the “model railroad bug” you probably find it a bit boring after half an hour or so, and if someone offers you good money you may as well take it and put the cash towards a hobby you genuinely do love…( just speaking from experience)..

  • @Randy-xv8sf
    @Randy-xv8sf ปีที่แล้ว

    Awesome video. Thank you for sharing. you got a great deal on that layout.

  • @Charlie-cm4dd
    @Charlie-cm4dd 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The layout is in a pamphlet I have 'Atlas Fantastic Layouts' copyright 1993. HO-31 Waterlevel Western. Thanks for the video!

  • @thehappyvintagesloth9676
    @thehappyvintagesloth9676 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    16:06 RIP 😵 ...😄 Seriously, I love seeing these old Atlas layouts "realized"-Pretty cool!

  • @Charlie-cm4dd
    @Charlie-cm4dd 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This layout is in a pamphlet 'Atlas Fantastic Layouts' copyright 1993. It is HO-31 Waterlevel Western. Thanks for the video!

  • @mikediehl1468
    @mikediehl1468 ปีที่แล้ว

    Yeah! It's great to have the space for just a little layout like that, old and vintage, sitting there in the model train room! It adds cheerfulness and brightens the room

  • @LordRusty5
    @LordRusty5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I like this little layout very much! But then, I'm old school .. starting out with a 4x8-foot layout, on top of an unused pool table in my parents basement! I still have a soft spot for simple 4x8-foot layouts. They are fun ... and too much is being put into model railroading that sucks the fun right out of it. You have a fun little layout ... enjoy it! ;)

  • @MichaelKreutz-b6r
    @MichaelKreutz-b6r 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Awesome layout! I agree with being on the ball with switches,train length and everything else that comes with runnig multiple trains. I started in the “S” scale world, moved to HO and then to “N”. Right now I have a mix of S and N but unfortunately had to disassemble everything for a move. There is something relaxing and just plain fun about running a layout…. it is your own world…. can’t wait to rebuild that world of my own in a new garage! Thanks for the video and new ideas even from a old layout!

  • @Petemonster62
    @Petemonster62 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    The bluish brick building is the Superior Bakery. I believe it was originally offered by Revell, but later by AHM & Con-Cor. The sand house behind the engine house & the elevated fuel tank were also Revell buildings that were later offered by AHM. I also see the gray & white Bachmann Plastic Ville Split Level House & Gas Station. And the operating Crossing Gauge Shanty by Tyco.

    • @NavigatorBR
      @NavigatorBR ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yeah, agreed on the Superior Bakery, had the same building on my train layout growing up.
      Curious as to what the apartment building is, because it looks cool.

  • @VictorianMaid99
    @VictorianMaid99 ปีที่แล้ว

    I had those same transformers when I was running a railroad in 1976 !

  • @antonbruce1241
    @antonbruce1241 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This layout may be old, but it was done REALLY WELL. It IS an old Atlas track plan (I've seen it in one of my track plan books somewhere in this house), but it obviously works great for what it is.

  • @lawrencegolba2244
    @lawrencegolba2244 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The crossing with shack looks like a Tyco model I had (1970's). With the press of a button a small signalman would come out of the shack. Those atlas controls worked great and were easily piggybacked. Good action for a 4x8 layout.

  • @NYandAtlantic
    @NYandAtlantic ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Excellent layout someone put a lot of work

  • @4x7layout
    @4x7layout ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Hey, I have a book with that plan in it. It's called, "Custom Line King Size Plan Book" from Atlas. Had it since the 80's. That plan is called "The Waterlevel Western". They call it Railroad G. The book is a big 17"x11" and has track plans G-L. I guess extracts from another "A-Z" book(?). (It does show the turntable.)

    • @Mike-pj1kv
      @Mike-pj1kv ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes, it's plan HO-31. Atlas still sells the track for HO-31 on their website.

  • @TwistedMacGyversTrains
    @TwistedMacGyversTrains 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    That is a beautiful 4x8 layout. You definitely got a fantastic deal on it. Congratulations on winning the auction. You could easily set that up for two train automatic operation using Atlas relays. What a fantastic track plan and scenery.😊

  • @ronaldjoyce7374
    @ronaldjoyce7374 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Your lucky it still works and a great price, one of those DCC locos cost almost as much as you paid for the whole set.
    Great job and thanks for sharing with us and good luck with your basement.
    BTW, you now have one more subscriber. Ron

  • @mikejameshupfer
    @mikejameshupfer ปีที่แล้ว

    The Sunnyvale train station! I have the same one, had it for 30 years. It was my first model building.

  • @NorthernJerseyRailroad
    @NorthernJerseyRailroad ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Wow! Brings back memories of working on a layout with my dad when I was a kid. I know there are all fancy switch motors now, but I'm building the layout from the 1950s book " HO Railroad That Grows" (I'm doing it in N scale, though) and I really want to use those old switch throws just to bring back those nostalgic feelings. And I'm really liking that track layout. Seems like a really thoughtful design. Nice grab from the auction and thanks for sharing this!

    • @billgingerich6791
      @billgingerich6791 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Fun to hear of someone else building the HO RR That Grows. Mine was started by a friend who only got to stage 1.5 before he died. The family gave it to me, so I'm trying to finish it as a tribute to him. Good luck with the N scale version.

  • @guyelluzzi2705
    @guyelluzzi2705 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Nice layout, and a grat deal at 300. Would enjoy seeing a future video demonstrating simultaneous running of 2 trains using the block system with the 2 cabs.

  • @classic287
    @classic287 ปีที่แล้ว

    That’s a nice layout, when you don’t have a lot of room. I miss the HO trains I had in the 60s.

  • @Nearly-famous-painter1960
    @Nearly-famous-painter1960 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Cool! My layout turns 55 this year, but it looks nothing like it did in 1968. The original 4x8 sheet of plywood is still a part of my 26’x 26’ empire today. In 1968, it started out as a basic copy of Lynn Wescott’s HO railroad that grows.now it has a double track mainline with DCC, and we can run five trains without having to give tgem a lot of attention.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That's awesome! Love how you took a simple 4x8 layout and just expanded it to an empire. Also, have a couple of his old book somewhere. Used to belong to my Dad.

  • @lorettacaputo6997
    @lorettacaputo6997 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Very nice piece of model railroad history. Some people pride themselves on obtaining vintage pieces but you have a complete layout!!! Snap track, snap switches and brass to say the least and it all runs smoothly. I am curious if the builder soldered all the rail joiners for better conductivity. I just love how no matter what, model railroaders will squeeze as much trackage onto the available space even if it risks the eventual plunge to the floor. Great stuff....brings back memories.

  • @dj33036
    @dj33036 ปีที่แล้ว

    I'd buy that in a heartbeat for three hundred bucks, good find.

  • @NYandAtlantic
    @NYandAtlantic ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Damn you are young I was born 64 and I am just getting started in model railroading. I have no ho clubs near me

  • @alfgeorge5003
    @alfgeorge5003 ปีที่แล้ว

    wow, I like it alot & theres plenty of oppurtunities to update certain areas & buildings, 50 yrs old or not wow

  • @christophermondone6864
    @christophermondone6864 ปีที่แล้ว

    a nice layout already made. have fun with it.

  • @bernardsaucier2062
    @bernardsaucier2062 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Really excellent job in your descriptions! The layout is almost ‘shop perfect’ and really enjoyable to view.perhaps U could use some clear plastic sheet strips on those edges ?!

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks! 🙂 I really enjoy this layout. Way more fun than I was expecting. I have had some others also suggest plastic, so I think that is the way to go.

  • @jeffreyyeater1780
    @jeffreyyeater1780 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love vintage stuff , yeah its beautiful.

  • @qwincyq6412
    @qwincyq6412 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That looks like the twin cab control panel designed by Lynn Westcott. I built that for my layout and am currently about to convert one cab to DCC so I can run both my older and newer locomotives

  • @GregHerrington
    @GregHerrington 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great little railroad , who needs a mamouth one, and it fits in your home without taking living space up.

  • @stevenprovost2029
    @stevenprovost2029 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great starter railroad set for a youth to enjoy

  • @Egodriver71
    @Egodriver71 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Runs REALLY smooth for brass track

  • @robertmyers5269
    @robertmyers5269 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Cute. Not to my particular tastes, but I can see how you could have fun with it. A few observations; brass track's only problem is that that the oxide formed is non=conductive - so you need to keep it cleaned more. That's why anti-oxidation tricks like clipper oil, etc. were popular back in the day. Those old rheostat power packs likely won't give great control of modern locos. Frankly I'm surprised how happy those modern Bachmanns seem to be with it. Considering the cost of two modern power packs versus going DCC, I'd bin those old packs and go with something like a PowerCab, or Zephyr. It looks like you could do some satisfying operations given those two passing sidings. As you said, with care, two trains could be out on the layout at once, and DCC you certainly make it more manageable. I'd probably lose the turntable an replace it with a simple spur and another industry for more operational interest.

  • @ka9faxqrp208
    @ka9faxqrp208 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Very cool, nostalgic, layout!

  • @13thBear
    @13thBear ปีที่แล้ว +2

    You got no freight stations to delivery cargo to, but you do have 2 passenger stations, so you could run passenger service. For the size of that layout, you could run just 2 or 3 lightweight cars or maybe some Budd cars. You could set up a schedule to run commuters for morning and evening traffic with a few cars in mid-morning and late night running opposite directions to simulate city-bound and suburb-bound traffic. The turntable could be used to turn cars or locos so they travel the correct directions day and night. Just an idea to share with you.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Lots of fun ideas. I personally didn't build it, got it at auction. Dor the time being I want to leave it as the original owner designed it. But if I ever decide to change it I think switching one of the freight stations to passenger would be a good idea.

  • @nesmandan1037
    @nesmandan1037 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Nice train set. :)

  • @elleryparsons2433
    @elleryparsons2433 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love The Old School Layout.

  • @johnrencheck2283
    @johnrencheck2283 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I had that track plan book it was huge book from atlas it had dozens of track plans in 70s

  • @dbsmithy
    @dbsmithy ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I think it is an interesting layout. I would love to see a detailed track plan with a parts list. It is worth every penny you paid.❤

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Click the like below for the Atlas book that has the track plan. The plan is HO-31 and it list everything you need. Atlas HO King-Size Plan Layout Book a.co/d/4W0RCjA

    • @dbsmithy
      @dbsmithy ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thank you! I ordered it.

    • @VintageRoadRail
      @VintageRoadRail  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@dbsmithy Nice! I didn't build this layout, but if I was to build it I think I would build in an elevation to eliminate those 2 crossovers.

  • @eastbaykidd8574
    @eastbaykidd8574 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Looks like it's straight out of a LInn Westcott book on HO scale track plans. Well constructed and would be considered "state of the art" for its time and technology.