Archaeological Dig Nets Ancient Ruin!

[wm3798]

I finally found the picture of the vintage 1977 layout I built at the age of 13.  The Bachmann Metroliner you see on the right was obviously just staged there, the thing never ran...

I really had fun working on that.  It was regarded as my "Christmas Garden" according the handwritten note on the back, but I recall it remaining set up for about two years until we moved.  It was a good little layout, but it had a fatal flaw, I never built a proper frame for it, so the end warped badly (It was cheap 1/2 plywood...)  I think it ended up going to the BSME where it was repaired and raffled off...

What's in your attic?

Lee

[up1950s]

Cob webs . Why doesn't anybody say , " hark , I see a cob "

[absnut]

What's  an attic???  ??? ;D

[DKS]

Curious how similar 13-year-olds' layouts tend to look; even the photography is eerily similar (is yours a flash Polaroid like mine?).

[tom mann]

Someone needs to explain to the group what exactly a "Christmas Garden" is.  I grew up in the beautiful French town of Glen Burnie (pronounced Glen Bur-ney) (waterfront, on Marley Creek ) south of Baltimore.  Every November, various Fire Stations would set up a big HO or Lionel train layout that would also feature an eclectic mix of child-appealing scenes and fake snow.  Harundale Mall (the first Mall in America) would also have a big layout.  These were called "Christmas Gardens", for whatever reason.  I don't recall seeing train setups in public anymore (save for at train shows).

More on the mall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harundale_Mall
More on Christmas Gardens in the Baltimore area: http://www.wvmgrs.org/TrainGardens.htm and http://www.citypaper.com/special/story.asp?id=6188

[Mark5]

Someone needs to explain to the group what exactly a "Christmas Garden" is.  I grew up in the beautiful French town of Glen Burnie (pronounced Glen Bur-ney)

I always thought it was Glen "Boy-knee" Hon?

Is that mall wiki some kind of joke? The first mall in the area was Mondawmin Mall ...

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/amerst/MallsHistory.htm

http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/soc/shoppingcenter.html

[Dave V]

Here's a shot from my first N scale layout taken in early 2004.  Prior to that I was in HO.  I'll have to dig up photos of past HO layouts...

[choochin3]

Tom,
There are a few Christmas Gardens still around.
The Arbutus Fire House on Southwestern Blvd.
The Ellicott City Fire House on Rt.103
And there is also one at Marley Station on the upper level.
Also Arbutus Auto Body on Leeds Ave. has a large HO garden.

Carl T.

[nscalesteve]

...my first ever custom paint job in 1999

[up1950s]

Geez Dave V and Steve , no learning curve . Started off perfect , remains perfect .

[wm3798]

Curious how similar 13-year-olds' layouts tend to look; even the photography is eerily similar (is yours a flash Polaroid like mine?).

That's a little spooky, Dave...  It looks like it's even the same track plan!  And yes, it's a flash Poloroid, too!
Lee.

[SquirrelHollow]

Dave, Lee....  The similarities between your layouts are creepy.  Same track plan, bridge locations, roads....

It's not right.

There is only one known photograph in existance of my first layout (HO).   I'll try to get someone back-home to scan it so I can post.

[John]

Here is mine

[Mark5]

I probably have some shots from the 1970s somewhere - they gotta be awful (where's the pinhole!).

I kitbashed this back in the 1980s, was unhappy with the finish (color is too light for one) and eventually sold it in the 90s.



I scratch built the bell mount from brass - never did figure out what to use for the bell ...


Those damn Kato number boards - too short! >

Looking at these pix makes me think I need an airbrush.

[asciibaron]

i have some photos somehwere of my HO beasty.  maybe i can find them...

-steve